Tailwind Takeoffs Are No Fun.

[arkflyr]

ASE should closed and turned into a high end mall. The relative lack of accidents in Aspen is more a testament to luck than the median skill of the pilots operating there. It’s only going to get worse as the airlines continue to suck talent/experience out of the 91/135 world.

Alex.

I always wanted to turn it into a Walmart and low income housing, to kinda further Hunter S Thompson’s plan to remove all the paved streets in Aspen years ago.

And while we are on the subject of Aspen, Hot dog Hans has a sequel out. Like all sequels not as grand as the first but still good for a chuckle.

NSFW, or for those that are offended by agesim, sexism, well the list is pretty much endless.

 

[MikeD]

I hate going there in the summer..

 

[KLB]

I am the most " yeah..we're gonna go ahead and divert to Rifle" guy that you'll ever meet. I don't even wait to get close in to make the decision. I'm a firm a believer in calling the divert an hour out to make sure my clients' drivers have enough time to reposition to Rifle.

 

[Stone Cold]

Much to lowbrow for that crowd, they'd be all like "ewwww it's like I'm going to Breckenridge, as if."

More like...

I definitely don’t miss flying Aspholes!

 

[smack300]

Aspen is cool the first time, then Rifle starts to look great. Also, they need to stick a tower at RIL, it is pretty busy when everyone is diverting.

 

[Jimmy_Norton]

I'm very happy I'm probably never flying there again, ever.

 

[knot4u]

"Nobobody was injured." Of course not it was a Hawker. I hate those heavy, over engineered, slow flying contraptions but I'll always give them respect for being built like a flying brick outhouse.

 

[ahw01]

"Nobobody was injured." Of course not it was a Hawker. I hate those heavy, over engineered, slow flying contraptions but I'll always give them respect for being built like a flying brick outhouse.

Hawker Siddeley sitting diddly

 

[CFI A&P]

I've never flown into Aspen but......sounds like it's controlled. The tower doesn't see the winds and say we're turning the airport around? Yes I know..."yer the PIC!" Still...between the PIC and tower you'd think someone would say something. Unless the wind shift was fairly recent...

The airport doesn’t “turn around”. Very very few operators allow crews the fly the LOC/DME approach 15 (6.6 degree path) and circle to land 33 inside the valley. Even fewer operators have access to the proprietary approaches for RW33.

As KB mentioned, with the circus is in town or weather - the smart people divert to Rifle while you’re still over Kansas or Nebraska.

 

[bike21]

The airport doesn’t “turn around”. Very very few operators allow crews the fly the LOC/DME approach 15 (6.6 degree path) and circle to land 33 inside the valley. Even fewer operators have access to the proprietary approaches for RW33.

As KB mentioned, with the circus is in town or weather - the smart people divert to Rifle while you’re still over Kansas or Nebraska.

Was riding over at Snowmass one fine summer day and saw a Lynx Q400 in a odd posiiton then remebered they could circle. Fun to watch!

 

[T/O w/FSII]

As I mentioned in the other thread, I circled last month in the G-V to avoid a 15kt tailwind landing but in front of me was a Skywest CRJ that landed straight in. No one really circles at Aspen, but the 5 has a low ref speed so isn’t a big deal. Not sure how they landed with winds sustained at 15 on the tail. And no, tower didn’t call instantaneous winds either. We tried that trick too.

Note if you listen to the ATC audio, the wind is 15g+ but tower says it’s 10 for takeoff.

Nothing will change because no one died however.

 

[CFI A&P]

Was riding over at Snowmass one fine summer day and saw a Lynx Q400 in a odd posiiton then remebered they could circle. Fun to watch!

Like anything else, with enough training and practice you could mitigate the risk down to an acceptable level. I have done the circle in the sim for fun, but in reality - divert to Rifle for the ILS and overall better circumstance is a win in my book. The bonus is driving to Glenwood Springs for the hotel and getting a delicious meal at Juicy Lucy's.

 

[Fixtur]

I’ve done the circle in a Beechjunk. Was fine, but a little too puckery for my tastes. Rifle has a nice FBO. Let’s just go there.

 

[MikeD]

s for the hotel and getting a delicious meal at Juicy Lucy's.

Juicy Lucy’s. “Meal”. Like a Meal Opangapo style?

 

[CFI A&P]

Juicy Lucy’s. “Meal”. Like a Meal Opangapo style?

Nah, more of everything there is delicious so I didn't want to narrow it down to one particular entree. If you haven't been: Sirloin (beef or elk), pork chops... it is all good there.

 

[KLB]

Nah, more of everything there is delicious so I didn't want to narrow it down to one particular entree. If you haven't been: Sirloin (beef or elk), pork chops... it is all good there.

The Elk is pretty good there! There is great (very touristy) hike up to a waterfall near there. You have to take a bus from the lot by the courtyard narriott to get there. The hot spring pools near the hotel are cool also!

 

[dustoff17]

The airport doesn’t “turn around”. Very very few operators allow crews the fly the LOC/DME approach 15 (6.6 degree path) and circle to land 33 inside the valley. Even fewer operators have access to the proprietary approaches for RW33.

As KB mentioned, with the circus is in town or weather - the smart people divert to Rifle while you’re still over Kansas or Nebraska.

Smart people don't get that close to either Kansas or Nebraska!

 

[MikeOH58]

Like anything else, with enough training and practice you could mitigate the risk down to an acceptable level. I have done the circle in the sim for fun, but in reality - divert to Rifle for the ILS and overall better circumstance is a win in my book. The bonus is driving to Glenwood Springs for the hotel and getting a delicious meal at Juicy Lucy's.

There really isn't a bad restaurant in Glenwood.

 

[Inverted]

There are a few airports where crews would stand and watch the violations happen. Aspen was one of them. Never seeing so many landing outside of tailwind limits as well as takeoffs. That airport is no joke. If it comes out that tower told them it was 10kts so they could takeoff, all hell is gonna break loose. Either way. The crew has some ssssplainin’ to do.

 

[Stone Cold]

There are a few airports where crews would stand and watch the violations happen. Aspen was one of them. Never seeing so many landing outside of tailwind limits as well as takeoffs. That airport is no joke. If it comes out that tower told them it was 10kts so they could takeoff, all hell is gonna break loose. Either way. The crew has some ssssplainin’ to do.

Not just crews, but the FAA would visit some times. I haven’t been there since ‘08 so maybe it’s changed, but that used to be inspector hunting grounds.