How they do it in the Rockies
I Fly - the answer to your question depends on the type of airplane.
FAR 23 airplanes will have a climb gradient chart in the POH. Airplanes with earlier certification may not have a GAMA Spec manual so could be difficult.
My Owner's Manual for the 1958 model Cessna 172 gives take-off distance for 6500 ft pressure height and 25 deg C temperature, for example, so I knew that Jackson Hole airport was long enough at 6300 ft. Rate of climb was only provided for ISA conditions so I'd do some serious thinking before I flew up there for lunch. I put more faith in my memory of how it performed last time I flew it than what I read in the book. Not a lot of info with which to calculate the climb profile but fortunately only a gentle turn required to stay in the valley.
Regardless of published climb gradients even the slightest wind with a touch of wind shear can ruin your whole day there.
Home base had a runway length of 4700 ft, long enough for the 172 even with the 1.15 fudge factor at 8500 ft density altitude but it sure took a long time to climb to 11,000 ft pressure altitude to get out of the valley.
If the Heiner strip (1300 ft long) was destination for lunch then it'd have to be the Husky.
Last edited by djpil; 19th Aug 2002 at 22:48.