Class E airport intersection departure

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mcarlini

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mcarlini
Tomorrow night i'm going to fly my 3 night landings so that I can take a passenger at night. My airport is a towered class D airport during the day, but the tower closes at 9, and as we all know, the airspace is turned into Echo. The plane that I rent is parked near the middle of the field, and it takes awhile (usually .2 on the hobbs) to taxi down the 8,800ft runway considering I am just going to be making 3 circuits in the pattern.

How common is it and is it a smart idea to depart halfway down the runway from an intersecting taxiway? Commercial traffic is not too heavy until a little later, and once in awhile there is a lifeguard flight, but other than that the field isn't too active at night.

Thanks!
 
Worms! Worms everywhere!

Do you realize what you've done??!?!?!?

*sits back and waits for the obligatory 300 posts going back and forth on why you should or shouldn't do an intersection takeoff...at an uncontrolled field....at night*

I shall launch a preemptive salvo and declare that both myself and the most interesting pilot in the world would in fact, depart from an intersection, and anyone that doesn't is a teat sucking ninny that needs to quit wearing granny panties!
 
I could do all three landings in one pass on a long a$$ runway like that.

Midfield departure on that runway in that plane is no biggie.
 
EdFred said:
anyone that doesn't is a teat sucking ninny that needs to quit wearing granny panties!
Click to expand...

I'll disagree, but only so I can say that I've been called a teat sucking ninny that needs to quit wearing granny panties.
 
mcarlini said:
Tomorrow night i'm going to fly my 3 night landings so that I can take a passenger at night. My airport is a towered class D airport during the day, but the tower closes at 9, and as we all know, the airspace is turned into Echo. The plane that I rent is parked near the middle of the field, and it takes awhile (usually .2 on the hobbs) to taxi down the 8,800ft runway considering I am just going to be making 3 circuits in the pattern.

How common is it and is it a smart idea to depart halfway down the runway from an intersecting taxiway? Commercial traffic is not too heavy until a little later, and once in awhile there is a lifeguard flight, but other than that the field isn't too active at night.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Why is the class of airspace an issue?
 
Because as you know from other threads, wings depart the structure on takeoff and people die when a control tower closes, or its contents are asleep....
 
hindsight2020 said:
Because as you know from other threads, wings depart the structure on takeoff and people die when a control tower closes, or its contents are asleep....
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If the absence of an operating control tower is the issue the title should be "Untowered airport intersection departure".
 
Most people also don't have an entire grove of oak trees up their ass.
 
EdFred said:
Most people also don't have an entire grove of oak trees up their ass.
Click to expand...

Now that right there is funny. Don't have any idea where Ed got it, but it's funny.
 
I think that as long as you ask "any traffic in the area please advise" you should be fine:rolleyes:.
 
EdFred said:
I shall launch a preemptive salvo and declare that both myself and the most interesting pilot in the world would in fact, depart from an intersection, and anyone that doesn't is a teat sucking ninny that needs to quit wearing granny panties!
Click to expand...
Is it ok to do this if you are a "teat sucking ninny" that wears a thong?
 
Doggtyred said:
Some do...

GLS did for years before they went and built a tower there.
Click to expand...

Yes, some do. But the OP is apparently only concerned about intersection departures at untowered airports in Class E surface areas.
 
Three thngs of no use to a pilot:
1) Air in the gas tanks
2) Altitude above you
3) Runway behind you

It's your choice to depart mid field on an 8000ft long runway.
No different than deparing on a 3500 or 4000ft runway.

Based on that information... you don't need 8000ft, when you land at the threshold (to a full stop for night currency) then go.. turn crosswind as soon as safely possible, turn a close in downwind and tight base.. basically shorten your pattern and not fly the full 8000ft runway to crosswind.. the neighbors would appreciate it.. and you can save another .1 or more on the hobbs for each pattern. :yikes:

* the above is meant tounge in cheek .. :nono:
 
BillTIZ said:
Three thngs of no use to a pilot:
1) Air in the gas tanks
2) Altitude above you
3) Runway behind you
Click to expand...

When contemplating a departure from a high altitude airport on a hot day some air in the gas tanks can be quite useful.
 
roncachamp said:
When contemplating a departure from a high altitude airport on a hot day some air in the gas tanks can be quite useful.
Click to expand...

Just be sure to keep that air in the gas tanks, and not the gas lines. It can cause mischief there.
 
For what it's worth, I've seen CHP 210's regularly do intersection takeoffs at my home Class D airport when they are after bad guys. Whether they do it at night after the tower closes I don't know. Probably not because they generally don't have a reason to be up after dark anyway.
 
To save further Hobbs time, you can make the landings "stop and go" rather than taxi-back. Not touch-and-go though, must be a full stop for night currency.
 
EdFred said:
*sits back and waits for the obligatory 300 posts going back and forth on why you should or shouldn't do an intersection takeoff...at an uncontrolled field....at night*
Click to expand...
We didn't even reach 300 posts the last time the intersection takeoff was discussed. Now, if the GA in America was not dead, maybe we would!
 
pericynthion said:
To save further Hobbs time, you can make the landings "stop and go" rather than taxi-back. Not touch-and-go though, must be a full stop for night currency.
Click to expand...

That's the nice thing about the OP having an 8,800 runway.

In fact, you could probably get two of them without leaving the runway, turn around, and do another without even entering the pattern!
 
dillardrg said:
I think that as long as you ask "any traffic in the area please advise" you should be fine:rolleyes:.
Click to expand...

I heard a girl doing that two nights ago at KFLY. She sounded cute other than that grating sound in my head from hearing ATITPPA. ;)

Of course some guys were calling out that they were doing "initials" too... to the same runway I was flying a normal pattern to. In a Christen Eagle.

Fun to watch, but totally unnecessary. He just wanted to play fighter pilot. I was cool with that... whatever. He didn't hit me, and I didn't hit him, so I guess we figured it out.

I wanted to ask him what his initials were... mine are NND. But I refrained. It was too nice a night to say anything like that on the radio. "Nice night out, isn't it?" ... probably would have been more appropriate. ;)
 
roncachamp said:
Do you really need me to answer your question? What is this to you? Only the OP can answer my question.
Click to expand...

I was just pointing out your obvious need to reinforce your superiority complex.

I don't need you to answer the question, because I'm already familiar with level of usefulness of the information you are anxious to provide.
 
Sac Arrow said:
That's the nice thing about the OP having an 8,800 runway.

In fact, you could probably get two of them without leaving the runway, turn around, and do another without even entering the pattern!
Click to expand...

Two? That's more than enough for at least 4. I could get 8 or 9 in my little LSA...
 
Steve Foley said:
I was just pointing out your obvious need to reinforce your superiority complex.
Click to expand...

If you believe that's obvious why did you feel the need to point it out?

I don't need you to answer the question, because I'm already familiar with level of usefulness of the information you are anxious to provide.
Click to expand...

Then you were a fool to ask it.
 
Doggtyred said:
Why is it important for you to fixate on contextual minutiae?

How is this fixation going to further the flying community?
Click to expand...

If you apply those questions to your own motivation for asking them you may have your answer.
 
mcarlini said:
Tomorrow night i'm going to fly my 3 night landings so that I can take a passenger at night. My airport is a towered class D airport during the day, but the tower closes at 9, and as we all know, the airspace is turned into Echo. The plane that I rent is parked near the middle of the field, and it takes awhile (usually .2 on the hobbs) to taxi down the 8,800ft runway considering I am just going to be making 3 circuits in the pattern.

How common is it and is it a smart idea to depart halfway down the runway from an intersecting taxiway? Commercial traffic is not too heavy until a little later, and once in awhile there is a lifeguard flight, but other than that the field isn't too active at night.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Back to the OP...

It is totally up to personal comfort levels. While I find it hard to believe that it takes 12 minutes to taxi 4000 ft, I would still probably do it if flying at night. During the day, I might depart from the intersection on an 8000 ft runway, but it really depends. The difference, to me, is my ability to find a suitable landing place were something to happen to the engine.

If departing with the full 8000 ft at your disposal, you have options if the engine starts sputtering. You might even be able to get it back down on the remaining runway. If departing from the intersection, you are limiting your options in that regard. There are too many other factors in play for me to say here what I would do in your specific situation. My answer would be different if there were a national forest off the departure end of the runway than it would be if there were a mattress factory.
 
Sac Arrow said:
That's the nice thing about the OP having an 8,800 runway.

In fact, you could probably get two of them without leaving the runway, turn around, and do another without even entering the pattern!
Click to expand...

True story: I've done this at KABQ. Got all three stop/goes in and never flew one pattern.
 
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