Greetings From Colorado

Reggie

Reggie

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Oct 22, 2017
Messages
26
Location
Winter Park, Colorado
Display Name
Reggie
Home Airfield
KGNB
Hello folks! I am the former editor of Sport Aerobatics magazine, and I am a MEII who flies a Rans S-7LS out of KGNB in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A friend told me to join this forum in order to get the word out.

I offer tailwheel and mountain flying Instruction year round—either in my plane or yours. If you’re just looking for someone to ride along through the mountains, I can do that too.

I look forward to contributing to this forum.
 
lemme axe u a question.........if u were gonna come on this board and say "hey, I just flew a competition aerobatic flight", wouldn't you like HAVE to post a video? just askin........


and welcome!
 
Welcome. Watch out for that eman fella. ;)
 
eman1200 said:
lemme axe u a question.........if u were gonna come on this board and say "hey, I just flew a competition aerobatic flight", wouldn't you like HAVE to post a video? just askin........


and welcome!
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It's killing you, isn't it! Next time!
 
Hey Reggie - welcome aboard. Winter Park? I thought all they did in winter park was ski and hold year round "last year's ski gear" sales on main street? :D
 
Welcome. I might hafta hit you up on some of that mountain flying instruction. Planning a trip to Oregon and those pesky mountains are right in the way...
 
JCranford said:
Welcome. I might hafta hit you up on some of that mountain flying instruction. Planning a trip to Oregon and those pesky mountains are right in the way...
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Definitely get some instruction. No book can really prepare you for the realities of mountain flying.

I just landed at KGNB—winds 12G20 and the sheer was quite pronounced. Winds over Berthoud are gusting nearly 50 this morning. But it was flyable in the valley in my little Rans S-7. FlyIng over the pass would be dangerous today.
 
How high do you have to be above the mountains before its not 'mountain flying' any more?
 
Talk to the airliners getting beat up downwind of the Rockies today and then ask that question again.

During the cooler months, when the jet stream drops lower in the atmosphere and lower in latitude, we get mountain wave that can easily exceed the altitudes most airliners cruise at.

The simple answer is, so long as you are flying around or above mountains, you are mountain flying.
 
JCranford said:
How high do you have to be above the mountains before its not 'mountain flying' any more?
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A rule of thumb is to be higher than the peaks by at least 1/2 the valley to peak elevation difference. So if the valley floor is about 7,000' and the peaks are near 14,000 then one needs to be at least 17,500' by the rule of thumb. It's doable in some spam cans but have to have an O2 tube stuck up yer nose.

As Reggie points out this can put you into some rather strong winds and/or wave. In the wave may not be so bad for a spam can. Being under the wave can be really bad and in some circumstances you can meet yer tail (rotor).

And if you are using altitude to avoid the rocks ya hafta consider what happens if the hamsters give out and ya glide down amongst the rocks.
 
Clark1961 said:
A rule of thumb is to be higher than the peaks by at least 1/2 the valley to peak elevation difference. So if the valley floor is about 7,000' and the peaks are near 14,000 then one needs to be at least 17,500' by the rule of thumb. It's doable in some spam cans but have to have an O2 tube stuck up yer nose.

As Reggie points out this can put you into some rather strong winds and/or wave. In the wave may not be so bad for a spam can. Being under the wave can be really bad and in some circumstances you can meet yer tail (rotor).

And if you are using altitude to avoid the rocks ya hafta consider what happens if the hamsters give out and ya glide down amongst the rocks.
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Clark,

Having cleared the rocks a few times in an R-182 with a friend we both said we wished Lycoming wouldn't fail us at 15,000. Those rocks were not that far below us.
 
Norman said:
Clark,

Having cleared the rocks a few times in an R-182 with a friend we both said we wished Lycoming wouldn't fail us at 15,000. Those rocks were not that far below us.
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Looking down at the rocks is usually good. Looking down through breaks in the cloud coverage to see rocks can be a little disconcerting. Looking down at valley fog with rocks poking out has a tendency to make one re-think the whole single engine thing...
 
You really aren't flyin' IN the mountains unless you are flying (and landing) down in the valleys below the peaks. At IFR MEAs you are not in the mountains but you may still get the mountain wave and turbulence.
 
Clark1961 said:
Looking down at the rocks is usually good. Looking down through breaks in the cloud coverage to see rocks can be a little disconcerting. Looking down at valley fog with rocks poking out has a tendency to make one re-think the whole single engine thing...
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And even the light twin thing, since it won’t be staying up there above the rocks for long, if a mill quits at those altitudes. :)
 
Reggie said:
Hello folks! I am the former editor of Sport Aerobatics magazine, and I am a MEII who flies a Rans S-7LS out of KGNB in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A friend told me to join this forum in order to get the word out.
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Hey wait! I'm the former editor of Sport Aerobatics magazine!

Whose line is it anyway?
 
Hmm. Let me find my Way Back Machine ...

Sometime in 2005 to sometime in 2007. I think. Vicki Cruse was pres of IAC at the time.
 
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