"K. Ari Krupnikov" wrote in message
...

Isn't there some sort of "standard DP" that says you need to climb at
a certain gradient (250fpnm or so?) absent specific published DP for
the airport? Are you saying that gradient would have taken you into
terrain?

If there is no published DP then a 200 feet per nautical mile gradient
should clear the terrain.

In this case, there was a published DP with an initial climb to the right.
However, ATC gave me alternate takeoff instructions with a turn to the left,
and looking at the approach chart to MGW you can see that a left turn off of
runway 18 does indeed come uncomfortably close to terrain. MGW Tower
seemed unaware of the departure procedure, and in fact when I specifically
requested it I was told "Unable due to traffic -- Cleared for takeoff, Climb
on runway heading"; that procedure ALSO comes uncomfortably close to
terrain. The published procedure with a turn to the right is indeed the
only rational procedure for departing this airport, even if that means (as
in my case) volunteering to delay an IMC departure until the conflicting
traffic is clear.

Incidentally, this is a really helpful concept to teach on an instrument
proficiency check. I have a routine clearance from "Kaplan Approach" which
I give to pilots during an instrument proficiency check which takes a pilot
straight into a mountain below the MEA when there is no radar vectoring and
thus terrain clearance is entirely the pilot's responsibility; very, very
rarely do pilots pick up on this, and instead almost everyone sets up course
to fly right into the mountain until at an appropriate time I say "Take off
the hood and tell me what is wrong with this picture." This is a terrific
attention-getter for a post-flight talk about CFIT avoidance.

--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com