IFR in the Eastern Mountains

Jim Macklin wrote:

There are as many dead pilots from hitting steeply rising
terrain from Georgia to Maine as die west of Denver. There
are also a lot of flat landers who die in Arkansas. It
isn't the altitude, it is the suddenness of the mountain and
whether the pilot is really thinking about it being a hump,
ridge, hill or mountain?

TWA 514 comes to mind.

We often top moutains over 14,000.
-Robert

I love the Rockies, Sierra and Cascades and readily admit they are
more spectacular than our Appalacians, as well as higher.

However, I've flown to the West Coast several times and to Alaska
twice and I NEVER had to "top mountains over 14,000."

IIRC, one can fly from PA to AK without ever getting above 8,000' msl.
And that is over the relatively flat (though high) land of southern
Wyoming.

Perhaps you need to learn to fly BETWEEN the mountains. ((:-))

vince norris

: IIRC, one can fly from PA to AK without ever getting above 8,000' msl.
: And that is over the relatively flat (though high) land of southern
: Wyoming.

I flew from VA to AK and could have done it without ever having to fly over 6000'.

: Perhaps you need to learn to fly BETWEEN the mountains. ((:-))

That'll do it.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

wrote:
: IIRC, one can fly from PA to AK without ever getting above 8,000' msl.
: And that is over the relatively flat (though high) land of southern
: Wyoming.

Could you please provide the routing for 8000 from PA to AK and for 6000
from VA to AK.

You are providing a specific without providing the details.


I flew from VA to AK and could have done it without ever having to fly over 6000'.

: Perhaps you need to learn to fly BETWEEN the mountains. ((:-))

That'll do it.

-Cory

Could you please provide the routing for 8000 from PA to AK and for 6000
from VA to AK.

From PA, west to the Rockies. Rock Springs, Wyoming, airport, just
slightly above 7,000 msl, was the highest along our route, but the
terrain is flat. In mountainous terrain we followed Interstates or
major highways; they are built through low, wide, valleys. And they
provide a place to land if necessary.

Next stop Helena, Montana. Then to Lethbridge, Red Deer, Grande
Prairie, and Dawson Creek, Alberta, where the Alaka Highway begins.
From there to Fairbanks, Alaska. The highest point on the AK Highway
is slightly above 4,000 msl.

For different scenery on one trip we went farther west to Spokane,
then north up the Okanogan Valley to Kamloops, St. George and
Smithers, B.C., then up the Cassier Highway to Watson Lake. From there
we followed the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse, then we turned north to
Dawson City, Yukon. From there to Fairbanks. Then down to Talkeetna
and Anchorage.

The scenery, btw, even more spectacular along the Cassiar Highway than
along the Alaska Highway.

I might be mistaken, but I don't believe we had to get above 8,000 on
that trip, either. I can assure you we didn't have to "top any 14,000
foot peaks." Two of us, neither of us midgets, and the required
survival gear put us near gross in a PA28-161 Warrior. We couldn't
possibly have got to 14,000 msl.

vince norris

: Could you please provide the routing for 8000 from PA to AK and for 6000
: from VA to AK.

: You are providing a specific without providing the details.

Follow the great circle route about 2000 nm from BCB (VA) until you get to the start of the Alaska highway at Dawson
Creek, BC. Follow the Alaska highway within 2 nm laterally, and 1000' AGL. After about 400nm, you'll reach the highest point
(Summit Lake, BC IIRC). That'll put you at 1000' AGL, 6000' MSL and as high as you need to get for the rest of the trip.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

Robert M. Gary wrote:

The subject line made me laugh. I'm from out West. When I took my kids
to Mt Vernon, they asked me "Dad, why do they call it 'Mt'?". "See
that little hill over there?...". We often top moutains over 14,000.
-Robert


My experience is that can't be done safely (or easily) on a consistant
basis without turbine engines and pressurization. Do you do it differently?

Sam Spade wrote:
Robert M. Gary wrote:

The subject line made me laugh. I'm from out West. When I took my kids
to Mt Vernon, they asked me "Dad, why do they call it 'Mt'?". "See
that little hill over there?...". We often top moutains over 14,000.
-Robert


My experience is that can't be done safely (or easily) on a consistant
basis without turbine engines and pressurization. Do you do it differently?

My Mooney rides happy between 16,000 and 17,000 feet. No
pressurization, just O2. 14,000 are peaks. Of course I've never tried
it IFR. My IFR route is to cross into the LA basin via Blythe and then
up Gorman area, or if ice is a real issue up the coastal airway to SF.
However, its very rare to find ice over Gorman and solid IMC over the
Sierras. Maybe a few days a year you get that type of wx. Storms don't
sit around long in California and they're usually easily predictable.

-Robert


-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:


My Mooney rides happy between 16,000 and 17,000 feet. No
pressurization, just O2. 14,000 are peaks. Of course I've never tried
it IFR. My IFR route is to cross into the LA basin via Blythe and then
up Gorman area, or if ice is a real issue up the coastal airway to SF.
However, its very rare to find ice over Gorman and solid IMC over the
Sierras. Maybe a few days a year you get that type of wx. Storms don't
sit around long in California and they're usually easily predictable.

-Robert

I know all those routes and areas very well. As you know there isn't
any Victor airway that crosses the crest of the High Sierra at its
higher area. One jet route does (J-110) but it often is not available
because of R-2508.

The highest non-jet routes in that area are the two terminal routes onto
the KBIH VOR-A IAP. Those are deadly when the weather is bad in that
area. The routing from the north onto the KBIH VOR/DME-B is far more
forgiving.

I just don't know where I would want to take on the Sierras in a light
aircraft when the GMN/LHS area is iced up and IMC.