Same here... until I start remembering what a PITA it was to get into Aspen on the winter holidays. Reservations, ground stops, holding, vectors...
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.
Do not mistake the road for the runway....
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.
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.
Yeah, but you're not supposed to fly *up* canyons.... Agree that people do, though, sometimes with unfortunate results.
Two days of flying is a bummer?
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...
Go West young man!
(and take your skis!)
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!
True and I heard an equivalent pit well when I had a chance to fly a bit in Alaska. As the CFI put it, "Never try to outclimb a glacier."
The Tower instruction to make right downwind 33?
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!
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.
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.