Mountain Flying Checkout in Colorado
Colorado is a great place to learn the ins and outs of mountain flying and get a mountain checkout. While there is no formal FAA rating or endorsement for a mountain checkout, many insurance companies will still require such checkout before pilots are allowed to fly into high terrain. At Alpine Flight Training we follow a curriculum that follows the topics developed by AOPA Air Safety Foundation. In Fact, we recommend every student coming for mountain flying to take the online ASF Mountain Flying Course prior to mountain flying with us. Doing so will make your mountain checkout count towards a wings phase of pilot proficiency, and that can mean a reduction in insurance premiums.
Any mountain checkout should consist of a combination of ground and flight instruction. Topics should include weather, performance limitations, specific maneuvers, strategies, practice landing and departing mountain airports with a variety of challenges, and practice flying mountain passes.
Eagle Airport - Flight Instruction, Ground Instruction, Aircraft Rental, Mountain Flying
Rates for flight & ground training as well as aircraft rental at Eagle Airport
| Aircraft Rental | |
| DA-20-C1 Katana Evolution Rental* | $129.00 / Hour |
| Instructional Rates | |
| Flight Instruction in Alpine Flight Traning Katana | $50.00 / Hour |
| Flight Instruction in Customer Owned Aircraft | $75.00 / Hour |
| Ground Instruction | $40.00 / Hour |
| Other Fees | |
| Overnight Trip Rate - Billed for instructor to accompany a pilot on overnight trip. | $350 + Expenses |
| *Aircraft are rented wet, meaning fuel and oil costs are included. Multi-day trips are billed at rate of 3.0 hours per day if the actual flight time is less. Ask us about the discount we extend to licensed pilots for maintaining their currency in our aircraft. If you are a licensed pilot and fly the aircraft at least 1 hour every 30 days we will discount your rental rate. | |
Flight Lessons in Vail Colorado, Eagle Airport
Learn to fly in the mountains at the Eagle Airport, located near Vail Colorado
Whether you are learning to fly for the first time, or simply looking to add mountain flying to your skill set, Alpine Flight Training located at Eagle Airport can help. Alpine Flight Training offers private pilot ground and flight training as well as instrument training at the Eagle County Regional Airport located in Eagle Colorado. Our training features a Diamond DA-20 Eclipse, one of the safest training aircraft in the industry, The DA-20 is the primary choice of flight schools through the nation as well as the training airplane for the US Air Force initial flight screening program.
If you are looking to lean more about Mountain Flying, Call and talk to the instructors at Alpine Flight Training. We will build a training plan ideally suited to any pilot’s skill level and experience. Our instructors can provide mountain training in our rental aircraft or in your own aircraft. Additionally, we can arrange to meet you at an airport east or west of the Rockies on the way from where you are coming from.
Our location at Eagle County Regional Airport is ideal for new pilot training and a convenient drive from Vail, Eagle, Glenwood Springs, Edwards, Minturn, Avon, and Gypsum, Colorado. Students learning to fly at Eagle Airport will learn mountain flying first hand from our team of professional instructors. Our proximity from Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Rifle and Steamboat Springs provides our students with a diverse selection of airports and challenges ideal for learning safe mountain flying. Learn more about Alpine Flight Training by visiting our website or call us today at 970-401-5105.
Alpine Flight Training is conveniently located at the Eagle County Regional Airport. We a re a short driving distance and the best location of choice for leaning to fly in the Vail Valley, Vail, Beaver Creek, Gypsum, Minturn, Eagle, Avon, and Edwards.
Cross Country in a Diamond DA-20
I recently had the opportunity to reposition our Diamond DA-20 from Baltimore Maryland to the Colorado Rockies. This is a neat little video, traveling over the mountains of Maryland and West Virginia, through Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and right into the Colorado Rockies, ultimately landing in Eagle Colorado.
As the video progresses you'll see the air get clearer and clearer - the haze of the moisture layer from Missouri disappears as we get into Kansas. As we reach Colorado the air is crystal clear and the view is vibrant. The flight through the mountains is probably the best of the footage. As I crossed over Leadville, the density altitude at the field was 12,800, at 13,500 where we were cruising the density altitude as well over 16,000 feet.
If you have interest in flying through the Rockies as we did in this video then I suggest getting formal mountain flying training from a local company like Alpine Flight Training - 970-401-5105.
Cross Country Flying to Colorado Mountains
Take a quick 5 minute journey from Baltimore Maryland across the USA to the Colorado Rockies
I recently had the opportunity to reposition our Diamond DA-20 from Baltimore Maryland to the Colorado Rockies. This is a neat little video, traveling over the mountains of Maryland and West Virginia, through Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and right into the Colorado Rockies, ultimately landing in Eagle Colorado.
As the video progresses you'll see the air get clearer and clearer - the haze of the moisture layer from Missouri disappears as we get into Kansas. As we reach Colorado the air is crystal clear and the view is vibrant. The flight through the mountains is probably the best of the footage. As I crossed over Leadville, the density altitude at the field was 12,800, at 13,500 where we were cruising the density altitude as well over 16,000 feet.
If you have interest in flying through the Rockies as we did in this video then I suggest getting formal mountain flying training from a local company like Alpine Flight Training - 970-401-5105.
Aircraft Rental in Vail Eagle Colorado
Aircraft rental at the Eagle County Regional AirportAlpine Flight Training offers pilot training and aircraft rental in the Vail Valley. Our aircraft is a Diamond DA-20 Eclipse, commonly referred to as a Katana and is the later generation of the tried and true Katana aircraft. The original Diamond DA-20 Katana was equipped with a 90 hp Rotax 912 engine. The Eclipse version we have at Alpine Flight Training is the C1 model equipped with a 125 hp Continental IO-240 that delivers excellent performance especially useful for Mountain Flying. Our Katana Eclipse, with it's larger engine delivers similar takeoff distances as a Cessna 172 SP, but provides superior climb performance, a faster cruise speed, and a fuel burn nearly 1/2 that of the Cessna 172 SP and a slower landing speed. The Katana was originally inspired by european glider design, and also features superior glide performance of 22:1 compared to the 17:1 glide ratio of the Cessna 172 SP as well as excellent visibility through it's bubble canopy design.
Learning to fly at 16, 17, or 18 years of age, what's the right age?
When is the right time to have your son or daughter learn to fly?I occasionally get asked what's the right age to get my son or daughter into flight lessons. Having just had this discussion a couple hours ago, I figured this would be a great topic to add to the blog.
First, let's look at the legal age requirements to learn to fly... FAR 61.103 states "To be eligible for a private pilot certificate, you must: Be at least 17 years of age for a rating in other than a glider or balloon."
Keep in mind, that regulation applies not to instruction, but the completion of private pilot training. Meaning a person cannot take the practical test to get their license until they are 17, but it doesn't state anything about learning to fly before that date. If we dig a bit deeper in 61.83 and 61.87 we'll see that in order to solo a person must posses a student pilot certificate and in order to get a student pilot certificate a person must be 16 years old.
So, the short answer is 16 to solo, and 17 to get a license, but that answer is simply the legal aspects of getting a license and doesn't really address when to start the learning process.
So when should your son or daughter begin learning to fly? I think a good deal of this is dependent upon their motivation, time commitments, and burn out rate. Having three kids of my own I know that my children have occasion to get hyped up about things, then burned out a short time later. If your son or daughter really wants to learn to fly and they have interest in aviation that you want to help cultivate then my advice is to take it slow as to not be the cause of their burn out.
Why do I say that? Pilot training can be somewhat rigorous. There are motor skills to develop (flying the plane), knowledge to acquire, practical and written tests to take, and all of these things will require effort from them. There's no question that your son or daughter could learn to fly in a 4 week period over their summer break. The issue is whether or not that crammed learning experience would (1) allow them retain that knowledge and (2) burn them out on aviation in the process.
So with that said, I believe taking your time is a better strategy - it has less opportunity to lead to burnout and the quality of the training is higher.
For many years I've said that cram type training is no good. My belief is that pilots that cram their training into a short duration don't remember as much as pilots who spread the training out, and ultimately these pilots that leaned to fly in a cram session are simply not as safe.
My recommendations - Anytime after the 15th birthday I think the time is right to learn to fly. Much younger than 15 the child will develop good hands on stick and rudder flying skills, but I have found that kids that age have a hard time grasping the regulatory aspects, as well as the mathematics required. Certainly you can have your 12 or 13 year old flying, it just means they will spend a lot of time flying with the instructor before they are able to get a license.
Once they hit high school the math and regulations seem to click for most. Starting at 16 is a great age, they can take their time, do a lesson a week and a little bookwork (1-2 hours) on the side and this will lead them to easily accomplish the training by their 17th birthday when they are legal to get the license.
Keep in mind they are kids.... The idea is to not burden them with copious amounts of aviation homework when they have so much other demands on their time from school. FLYING SHOULD BE FUN FOR THEM... Not a burden of one more thing for school they owe a teach on.
In some families, soloing on a 16th birthday is a right of passage. If your child wants to solo on their 16th birthday then I recommend them starting regular flight lessons at 15 1/2. First once a week, leading up the birthday they will probably fly twice a week.
So what about after the private pilot's license and the 17th birthday? If they have successfully obtained their private pilot's license then I recommend going on to an instrument rating. If they decide to fly for a career then they will need an instrument rating, if they don't fly for a career then an instrument rating makes them that much better and safer a pilot.
Hopefully that's helpful. Just my perspective based on training kids of all ages over the years. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
Alpine Flight Training is conveniently located at the Eagle County Regional Airport. We are a short driving distance and the best location of choice for leaning to fly in the Vail Valley, Vail, Beaver Creek, Gypsum, Minturn, Eagle, Avon, and Edwards.
Renewing Your Pilot's License | Recurrent Flight Training in Eagle Colorado
The process to get flying again after you have been out of it for years.
Frequently I am asked what type of process is involved in getting back into flying after a person has been away for 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years or more. The process is surprisingly practical and straight forward. Unlike the initial certification process, this process is entirely based on proficiency.
Perhaps you may have noticed, US pilot licenses are issued without expiration. This is different from driver's licenses and a source of confusion on the topic. Where as a driver's license needs to be renewed every couple years, the pilot's license does not need to be renewed, however the regulations do require the pilot to have had a flight review in the prior 24 months and be current in the category and class of aircraft in order to carry passengers. Additionally, a pilot is required to have a medical.
So as a flight instructor, how exactly do we help get a rusty pilot back into the air? Our strategy has always been to go back to reviewing the basics - we start just as we would start a new student. Straight and level, turns, climbs, descents. We move on to slow flight, stalls, ground reference maneuvers, and finally landings. Along the way, the communications skills come back naturally, as do navigation skills through the process of simply flying. On the ground we do a similar exercise, reviewing regulations, airspace, weather, performance, flight planning.
Ultimately the graduation from recurrent training occurs when the pilot has at a minimum demonstrated the basic skills we would expect from a freshly minted private pilot. We treat the final flight as a flight review consisting of 1 hour of ground and 1 hour of flight. As the instructor, we simply sign the logbook as a successful flight review and at that point the pilot is cleared for flight assuming they have also received a new medical.
The last element being currency in make and model is really not an impediment to flying, but rather a requirement for carrying passengers. Technically speaking, a pilot can get a flight review in a single engine land airplane, even though they also have a multi-engine land rating on their license. Where the currency becomes relevant is if the pilot who is considered current in single engine land wants to take passengers in the multi-engine airplane, then they must perform three landings in the last 90 days in the multi-engine airplane, and similarly, if the pilot wants to carry passengers at night then the landings must have been at night to full stop.
So there you have it. No written tests, no checkrides. Simply work at your own pace with an instructor until the skills return. I think you'll be surprised as to how fast they come back. In general I've found that getting a pilot back to currency and getting a review done requires 1.5-2 hours of ground and 1.5-2 hours of flight per year they have been away from flying. So, a pilot who has not flown in 10 years will probably require between 15-20 hours of instruction in ground and air to return to currency.
If you would like to learn more about recurrent training to get back into the air please contact us. We operated from Eagle County Regional Airport and service the areas of Eagle, Vail, Glenwood Springs, Gypsum, Edwards, Avon, Minturn.
Getting a Mountain Flying Lesson in Vail
For pilots visiting the Vail Valley, Mountain Flying is a great way to breakup the time.There are a tremendous number or great reasons to visit the Vail Valley.... whether summer or winter, there is always something to do. Skiing, hiking, biking, golf, the list goes on and on. While you're visiting here consider another great activity that's available year-round. Flying!
For many of the pilots who visit find that a couple of mountain flights can be a great way to break up the vacation and do something different for a couple hours.
We operate from the Eagle County Regional Airport, but a single lesson we can visit Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat, or even Leadville. Leadville of course earns you bragging rights - the highest paved airport in North America, with a pattern altitude above 10,000 feet! We offer flight instruction and aircraft rental year-round. Call 970-401-5105 to schedule.
How close to the edge of the performance envelope are you?
The importance of closely examining aircraft performance in the summer and at higher elevations.
We frequently hear about complacency with relation to flying. The tendency of course is that as pilots get more and more time under their belts, they tend to become complacent with regards to the operation of their aircraft. We see this in all aspects, from planning, to preflight, and right on into flight operations.
This last weekend I was at the Glenwood Springs airport where I witnessed a takeoff that could have easily ended in tragedy. This particular incident made me think back to another incident several years earlier that was very tragic indeed where lack of flight planning resulted in a child burned to death on the side of a mountain in the wreckage of a small plane crash. This particular crash actually killed 2 of the four passengers, one being a child and the other being his father. The irony of this wreak was that it was an airplane in perfect working order, had plenty of fuel, and was being flown on a perfect sunny cloudless day here in Colorado.
I see it everyday, pilots becoming lazy… not flying with precision of altitude and heading, not scanning for traffic as intently as they had when they first got licensed. What used to be a thorough preflight becomes a brief walk around. Of course no single aspect seems to fade more than the flight planning process. What was once a well prepared flight plan seems to go away entirely.
During our mountain flight training I often fly with pilots that have been flying for years if not decades. I usually begin each flight with what did flight service say? It’s amazing how many pilots will not hesitate to hop in the plane without even so much as a weather check. This is problem for a variety of reasons, which I will get into. But even if you think you know and understand the weather in your local area and you’re only staying in the pattern it’s still smart to see what’s happening with temporary flight restrictions.
Lack of flight planning is an even larger issue when flying in the mountains. Thinner air means operating much closer to the airplane performance limit. With both the incident that nearly occurred this weekend as well as the wreak I referred to, the issue was the same. The pilot’s failure to do any type of planning and subsequent failure to understand the performance limitations of their aircraft.
In the case of the wreak, the pilot departed Eagle Airport with full fuel and 4 passengers and tried to fly direct to Salt Lake. The only problem, it was high density altitude and the aircraft simply could not deliver the climb performance needed to fly direct. The missing ingredient… planning. A thorough planning would have revealed the aircraft’s inability to fly direct over a 13,000 foot mountain, and the result of the planning would have been either a lighter fuel load or a different route.
The incident I watched nearly unfold was all too similar. Without thinking (or ranther any planning), a pilot of a normally aspirated ’74 Arrow topped off the tanks, and him and his passenger took off. They got in the air with only a couple feet remaining of runway and cleared the trees at the end with only a couple feet of clearance. Had they consulted the POH and some some basic performance calcs they would have known they were on the very edge of their aircraft performance.