Night Landing in Aspen

[bstratt]

Not sure if this was posted before or not
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Attached is a video of a night VFR approach into Aspen, CO. The left screen is video taken through the captains HUD aided by an IR camera on the nose of the aircraft supplementing the electronic data with a superimposed infrared image of what is ahead. On the right is the unaided view the copilot has outside his front windshield. Also works during bad weather but not at the same range depending on how big the moisture droplets are; but far better than anything else. This will eventually be combined with millimeter wave radar and stored detailed topographic maps to give an almost complete daytime view of anywhere in the world in any kind of weather for safer approaches and landings. This has been available sometime to the military but is just making its way to civilian cockpits albeit at a steep price (about 1.5 million plus) What price do you put on safety?

 

[ScottM]

N This has been available sometime to the military but is just making its way to civilian cockpits albeit at a steep price (about 1.5 million plus) What price do you put on safety?

I fI have to add a $1.5mil device in my $55k Cherokee to be safe perhaps I should not be doing that flight.

 

[alaskaflyer]

I fI have to add a $1.5mil device in my $55k Cherokee to be safe perhaps I should not be doing that flight.

IMHO you shouldn't be doing a night VFR approach into Aspen anyway

 

[Earthroamer]

I am a wuz. I only do Day VFR into into ASE. My limit is the first step down at 13,100msl. I have done that approach way too many times.... I am just blessed my new job will not take me into there anymore.

 

[Everskyward]

I only do Day VFR into into ASE.

But then you get to play "chicken" with traffic going the opposite direction! To their credit, I think the tower does a good job coordinating all of this. They are able to get a lot of traffic in and out of what is essentially a one-way airport.

BTW, where do I get one of those HUDs? Oh... I just read 1.5 mil. That's almost as much as the plane so I guess I can dream on.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

That's very impressive. I've never seen video of how mountainous terrain "can't be seen" visually. That sure makes the point. CFIT, anyone?

 

[KennyFlys]

In the Navy as an avionics tech on S-3's, FLIR was part of our systems. Sometimes, there would be long periods sitting in the plane and waiting for tests to be run. Or, someone would just have to stay with the plane while other techs would run back to our shop some distance away. We would start up the FLIR and could see ships far out on the horizon that could not be seen with the naked eye. It was quite a trip.

There were other times when the plane was supposed to be pointed off the side of the ship when we ran tests on the radar. Usually, it was. But, even without pointing the Viking off the nose, it did little good. The radar antenna would spin continuous turns with its coverage being 270 degrees. So, one must wonder if any of those plane handlers hanging around off to the side ever came up shooting blanks.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Didnt they make night ops illegal in aspen after the last charter crash? (maybe it was night ifr ops)

 

[Everskyward]

Didnt they make night ops illegal in aspen after the last charter crash? (maybe it was night ifr ops)

You can land in Aspen at night until 2300 and take off until 2230. It's just that the two public instrument approaches are NA at night. In addition the A/FD publishes these restrictions, among many other comments. Anyway, if you come here at night, or any other time, please be careful.

FOR ALL GA OPNS BTWN 30 MIN AFT SS TO 2300 THE FOLLOWING APPLIES: ACFT EQUIPPED AS RQRD UNDER FAR 91.205(D) FOR INST FLT - PILOT IS INST RATED; VFR PIC HAS COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE TKOF OR LDNG IN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS AT ASE. IFR: EXECUTE APCH/DEP PROCEDURES WITH ATC CLNC.

STAGE II/III ACFT ONLY FROM 0700 TO 30 MIN AFT SS BY COUNTY ORDINANCE. STAGE III ACFT ONLY FROM 30 MIN AFT SS TO 2300. NO DEPS AFT 2230. ALL STAGE I ACFT OPNS PROHIBITED; VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.

 

[Earthroamer]

That is no kid'n about the chicken Mari. I dont miss that either. I have on many times been on the 340 degree right turn after take off and watched another jet come down the shoot for the runway. Kind of wild....

 

[gismo]

There were other times when the plane was supposed to be pointed off the side of the ship when we ran tests on the radar. Usually, it was. But, even without pointing the Viking off the nose, it did little good. The radar antenna would spin continuous turns with its coverage being 270 degrees. So, one must wonder if any of those plane handlers hanging around off to the side ever came up shooting blanks.

Radar won't affect anyone's ability to reproduce (it's non-ionizing radiation and no more dangerous than visible light to a blind man, but close range exposure can damage eyes permanently

 

[gismo]

I fI have to add a $1.5mil device in my $55k Cherokee to be safe perhaps I should not be doing that flight.

Weren't the guys at CompAir developing a FLIR system for GA planes that was supposed to sell for something like $6000. I doubt that it had a HUD though.

 

[ScottM]

Weren't the guys at CompAir developing a FLIR system for GA planes that was supposed to sell for something like $6000. I doubt that it had a HUD though.

I thought that was for Foward Vision's FLIR and it was $15,000. There was a special for the first 100 customers to get $5k off.

 

[bstratt]

I thought that was for Foward Vision's FLIR and it was $15,000. There was a special for the first 100 customers to get $5k off.

Can't remember the manufacturer but Flying magazine has an article this month on a system "about to come to market" that's estimated cost will be $15,000.

 

[gismo]

I thought that was for Foward Vision's FLIR and it was $15,000. There was a special for the first 100 customers to get $5k off.

Yep, that's it. I guess I was misremembering the discount as the price, but even $10 sounds pretty decent compared to $1.5M.