Aspen, CO (KASE)

Man, between this video and your last mountain flying video, I would love to take my bonanza out there. The bummer is that it's at least two days of flying from New England.
 
Holding in the stack over red table. I think that was DBL if I remember right? Anyway, lots of other places nicer than Aspen. Vail had a STOL port at one time. That was really neat.
 
Something I found missing when I was giving mountain check outs. So actually something that wasn't considered much. Flying is much about energy management. At high elevation airport, or more accurately high density altitude conditions. So while flaps are a great addition to airplanes, adding lift etc, they also add a lot of drag. At high density altitudes, power is more of a consideration. So adding flaps for take off as might be more normal at seal level density altitudes, you might not want that extra drag at high elevations. Just some trivia worth the thought process. I really enjoyed your video.....
 
The bummer is that it's at least two days of flying from New England.
Yes, that's how I feel about going to the west coast. Would love to do it more often, but it's 2-3 days going there and 1.5 days to come back in a normally aspirated single. Breathtakingly beautiful, but it probably is only worth it if you can spend a week at your destination.

- Martin
 
Yes, that's how I feel about going to the west coast. Would love to do it more often, but it's 2-3 days going there and 1.5 days to come back in a normally aspirated single. Breathtakingly beautiful, but it probably is only worth it if you can spend a week at your destination.

- Martin

With your new engine, you should make it in a day!
 
So you landed on 33? Thought ATIS said land 15, depart 33. What did I miss?
 
This is one of the most beautiful approaches in the world. The only other one in *my* logbook that comes close is Innsbruck, Austria. Some eye candy to start your weekend!

Great video, and makes me feel nostalgic, as I used to fly in that area quite a bit.
It is very easy to get lost in the mountains using visual navigation. I would recommend studying the terrain on google earth prior to the flight. I wrote an app just for this purpose. The Roaring Fork Visual approach is there as an example. Please check it out some time:
http://sarangan.org/aviation/google-earth-flight-path-visualization/
 
It is very easy to get lost in the mountains using visual navigation.
Interesting. I always found it easier to fly visually in the mountains than in the flatlands because the terrain is more recognizable than in Kansas, for example. But I flew visually a lot in the Colorado mountains. Probably more than most. I will say the consequences for wrong navigation can be higher, though.
 
So you landed on 33? Thought ATIS said land 15, depart 33. What did I miss?
You didn't miss anything. Surely this wasn't the first time that ATIS said one thing and Tower another. My understanding is in Aspen the normal way in and out is from/to the northwest; circle-to-land on 33 is maybe just for smaller aircraft and when strong winds make 33 preferable for landing.

- Martin
 
You didn't miss anything. Surely this wasn't the first time that ATIS said one thing and Tower another. My understanding is in Aspen the normal way in and out is from/to the northwest; circle-to-land on 33 is maybe just for smaller aircraft and when strong winds make 33 preferable for landing.

- Martin

ok thanks. Enjoy the videos.
 
In all my years of flying into ASE I've never landed on 33, thanks for that perspective.
 
Interesting. I always found it easier to fly visually in the mountains than in the flatlands because the terrain is more recognizable than in Kansas, for example. But I flew visually a lot in the Colorado mountains. Probably more than most. I will say the consequences for wrong navigation can be higher, though.

That is true only if you are very familiar with the layout. Try navigating across Independence Pass to Aspen. Even on a simulator it is easy to lost. There are many blind canyons, and enough airplanes have taken the wrong turn and perished in the area. But once you've flown there a couple of times it does become easy.
 
That is true only if you are very familiar with the layout. Try navigating across Independence Pass to Aspen. Even on a simulator it is easy to lost. There are many blind canyons, and enough airplanes have taken the wrong turn and perished in the area. But once you've flown there a couple of times it does become easy.
Yeah, but you're not supposed to fly *up* canyons.... Agree that people do, though, sometimes with unfortunate results.
 
...I would love to take my bonanza out there. The bummer is that it's at least two days of flying from New England.

Two days of flying is a bummer? :confused:o_O

Like worse than two days in the office?
Or two days waiting for the COVID test result?
Or two days mowing grass?
Or two days waiting for the plane to come out of annual?
Or... :D

Go West young man! :cool:
(and take your skis!)
 
Two days of flying is a bummer? :confused:o_O

Like worse than two days in the office?
Or two days waiting for the COVID test result?
Or two days mowing grass?
Or two days waiting for the plane to come out of annual?
Or... :D

Go West young man! :cool:
(and take your skis!)

It's two days of limited vacation time, and add in a weather delay, or having to head home early, and now you have very little time to actually spend at your destination.
 
In all my years of flying into ASE I've never landed on 33, thanks for that perspective.
That was my comment on YouTube - that landing 33 was a real treat. Heck, coming from Glenwood, I was excited when I got the Snowmass Village crossover instead of just following the Rolling Fork. Of course, all of those views are awesome!
 
So you landed on 33? Thought ATIS said land 15, depart 33. What did I miss?
The Tower instruction to make right downwind 33?

More general takeaway. ATIS is advisory, it is not an instruction or clearance. Yes, expect, but still listen for instructions.
 
That was my comment on YouTube - that landing 33 was a real treat. Heck, coming from Glenwood, I was excited when I got the Snowmass Village crossover instead of just following the Rolling Fork. Of course, all of those views are awesome!
I didn't realize the approach I flew (Snowmass Village - midfield crossing - runway 33) was rare. It certainly made the view even more spectacular. Thank you, Aspen controllers!

- Martin
 
I didn't realize the approach I flew (Snowmass Village - midfield crossing - runway 33) was rare. It certainly made the view even more spectacular. Thank you, Aspen controllers!

- Martin
Like most things at airports, it's about traffic management. Most common light aircraft route from Glenwood area is (or was - I moved away 8 years ago) basically the published Roaring Fork Visual. In that one, you configure for landing before the runaway comes into view. This is a very old video of that approach. Bottom line, they are all spectacular.

 
Here is the final installment of my trip summary, with the most beautiful scenery we saw on the flight back home.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my pilot friends!

 
Aspen if i never fly into there again ill be a happy camper. 290$ ramp fee just to drop a pax off(twin cessna) then waiting 40 min to take off cause they cant launch very fast. Holding vfr over town waiting for a gap in traffic or doing the 300 extra mile ski season routing ifr.

I actually volunteered to fly a 6 leg 12 hour day tomorrow vs an out and back to ase tomorrow. Its scenic though. Operationally I'd much rather go to KORD or KIAH during a push vs ski season ase tex guc ril
 
Aspen if i never fly into there again ill be a happy camper. 290$ ramp fee just to drop a pax off(twin cessna) then waiting 40 min to take off cause they cant launch very fast. Holding vfr over town waiting for a gap in traffic or doing the 300 extra mile ski season routing ifr.

I actually volunteered to fly a 6 leg 12 hour day tomorrow vs an out and back to ase tomorrow. Its scenic though. Operationally I'd much rather go to KORD or KIAH during a push vs ski season ase tex guc ril

When you go to an airport, could you just go to the hangars and drop someone off? Or is it a requirement to go to a FBO and pay their fees?
 
When you go to an airport, could you just go to the hangars and drop someone off? Or is it a requirement to go to a FBO and pay their fees?
I guess if you knew someone you could use a hangar but 135 pax expect an fbo. ASE isn't as bad as jackson hole it was 600 bucks just to touch the ramp in a light jet. One thing I've learned in my recent limited experience is its definitely the turbine crowd funding the fbos multi hundred dollar ramp fees multi thousand dollar fuel bills at 3 or 4 bucks over wholesale.
 
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