connors@drutx.UUCP (ConnorsPA) (06/27/84)
[ Black Flag.] Here at the edge of the Rockies, there are numerous courses available to teach mountain flying. They typically consist of some bookwork, followed by a 2-3 hour dual flight to some typical mountain airports. I am taking a course from Rocky Mountain Piper sometime next month. The flight will be from Jeffco (just NW of Denver) to Glenwood Springs, Aspen, and Leadville (highest airport in North America). We'll be going in a Piper Dakota. This has only a 235hp normally-aspirated engine, so we start in the early morning (before the density altitude gets too horrible). The route of the flight will carefully wend its way around the 14,000 foot peaks all too common around here. Flying in a summer afternoon would require VERY careful calculations. At 12,000 feet and 60F, the density altitiude is 14,500 feet. In these conditions, and at max. gross weight, the Dakota climbs at about 200fpm. A simple climb of 1000 feet would need careful anticipation. Something like a Piper Archer (with 180hp), probably wouldn't climb at all. Paul Connors AGS Computers / AT&T Information Systems Denver, Colorado.
ron@BRL-TGR.ARPA (06/29/84)
From: Ron Natalie <ron@BRL-TGR.ARPA> Warning...Rocky Mountain Piper is very expensive. At the same airport try the Hoffman Pilot Center (cheaper but not by much, they fly Cessnas) and Rainbow Aviation (much, much, cheaper). Rainbow is a nice outfit with good instructors and several different types of aircraft including Grumman Tigers. -Ron