Mad Doggy Dog
Well-Known Member
Quito is neat-o!
Just got back from a 3 day trip there with 48 hour layover. [Quito = UIO]
UIO layover: What to do, what to do?.........
Oh, I know........lets go mountain biking again!
Where? Ummm, howzabout Volcano Cotopaxi. It is only 19000' above sea level. Hired tour company to take us on a monster downhill. A ride from 15300' to 10000'.....mostly downhill. The "glacier" area starts at about 16000'.
Took my captain along [seniority number 68 of 7300].......but he lived. :-(
Took one of the FAs, a former collegiate football player, ex line backer, along too.
Scary encounter with dangerous drug dealer outside Quito.
Warm enough at 12000'
Not so warm at 15300'. Snow, ice pellets, sleet, 50 mph winds freezing temps.....just the kind of weather one would expect at the equator. (Surprised it wasn't colder.)
I love the challege of........breathing! Aerobics at 15000' on day one! Woo hoo!
Summit is over 19000'
View at 12000'
Still chilly at 13000', but it gets easier from here.
At Equator Park on day two. Much nicer wx at 8000'.
Guinnea Pig! It's what's for dinner!
[Yeah, it is nasty to eat although the locals consider it a delicacy. The line backer and I ate it. Double dog dare, man! Captain wussed out! Photo shows the head of the poor little guy.]
anyway....
The UIO airport is hella-dangerous!
At 9300' elevation, and with density altitudes probably over 12000', it is in a narrow valley, surrounded by huge mountains.....some of them volcanic....and active. Not a good place for Cessna 172. The MEAs, MVAs, grid MORAs, etc...are all over FL200 due to terrain. At least we go in there at night......if you could see the mountains in the daytime, you would be scared! ;-)
For departing UIO, also at night, there are these complex departure procedures, especially for engine out. [God help you if that ever happened.] Even with a 10000' runway, the 757 can only takeoff with a light load....ie. not much fuel. We then fly 30 minutes to GYE, Guayaquil, which is at sea level. At GYE, we take on enough fuel to reach to USA. It makes for a long all-nighter flight.
Flying in this part of the world is challenging, dangerous, and fascinating. This is why pilots used to get the big bucks!
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more pics and stuff: www.myspace.com/maddoggydog777
Just got back from a 3 day trip there with 48 hour layover. [Quito = UIO]
UIO layover: What to do, what to do?.........
Oh, I know........lets go mountain biking again!
Where? Ummm, howzabout Volcano Cotopaxi. It is only 19000' above sea level. Hired tour company to take us on a monster downhill. A ride from 15300' to 10000'.....mostly downhill. The "glacier" area starts at about 16000'.
Took my captain along [seniority number 68 of 7300].......but he lived. :-(
Took one of the FAs, a former collegiate football player, ex line backer, along too.
Scary encounter with dangerous drug dealer outside Quito. Warm enough at 12000' Not so warm at 15300'. Snow, ice pellets, sleet, 50 mph winds freezing temps.....just the kind of weather one would expect at the equator. (Surprised it wasn't colder.) I love the challege of........breathing! Aerobics at 15000' on day one! Woo hoo! Summit is over 19000' View at 12000' Still chilly at 13000', but it gets easier from here. At Equator Park on day two. Much nicer wx at 8000'. Guinnea Pig! It's what's for dinner![Yeah, it is nasty to eat although the locals consider it a delicacy. The line backer and I ate it. Double dog dare, man! Captain wussed out! Photo shows the head of the poor little guy.]
anyway....
The UIO airport is hella-dangerous!
At 9300' elevation, and with density altitudes probably over 12000', it is in a narrow valley, surrounded by huge mountains.....some of them volcanic....and active. Not a good place for Cessna 172. The MEAs, MVAs, grid MORAs, etc...are all over FL200 due to terrain. At least we go in there at night......if you could see the mountains in the daytime, you would be scared! ;-)
For departing UIO, also at night, there are these complex departure procedures, especially for engine out. [God help you if that ever happened.] Even with a 10000' runway, the 757 can only takeoff with a light load....ie. not much fuel. We then fly 30 minutes to GYE, Guayaquil, which is at sea level. At GYE, we take on enough fuel to reach to USA. It makes for a long all-nighter flight.
Flying in this part of the world is challenging, dangerous, and fascinating. This is why pilots used to get the big bucks!
------------------------------------------------------
more pics and stuff: www.myspace.com/maddoggydog777
