Sedona, Az. airport pic.

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

I know some of you like these so here's a few more from last week..

masraum · 11-19-2009, 04:59 PM

I find the view of the earth from the air facinating. The left half of the country in particular.

Thanks for the photos.

Joeaksa · 11-19-2009, 07:00 PM

Spent a summer in Sedona years ago working with a Helo sight-seeing operation. Beautiful area and very interesting airport.

Best that you really know what you are doing flying into there. Lots of planes have not made it onto that "carrier deck" of a runway.

austin552 · austin552's Garage

Love thta place. Hope to be there in about ten years.

Talewinds · Talewinds's Garage

Was just there last week! Would move there in a second!

Dantilla · 11-21-2009, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Best that you really know what you are doing flying into there. Lots of planes have not made it onto that "carrier deck" of a runway.

This seems strange to me. I've heard the scare stories about Sedona's airport, but outside of a wickedly windy day, or extreme density altitude due to high temps, it seems like a normal airport, with a runway with plenty of length to account for sloppy airmanship.

I've been to the Sedona airport, but haven't landed my own airplane there yet. Hope to sometime soon.

air-cool-me · 07:19 PM

Landed a bunch of light aircraft there. Usually not a big deal. Very pretty area but watch out for the hippys.. might invite you to there dolphin healing circle....
No seriously.. 50% of that town should be institutionalized.

Crazy dolphin lady

Can do some weird things when its windy.. watch for the sinker right over the edge.
7000ft density altitude is not unheard of.
At night it has a pretty creepy Black-Hole effect. Add to that a sloping runway(only about 2%) Watching the radio altimeter shoot up at you is not advised for the squeamish.

Seems like it would be a little more sporty in something moving a bit faster then 65kts
Did you take the Challenger there?! Would be kind of fun to drop into one of the bigger canyons in one!

dantilla.. check it out for yourself!
Made KBFI(seattle)- Ksez(sedona) with one fuel stop in a DA-40 without the long range tanks(40gal) about 8 hours flying time cutting over the grand canyon.

boba · 11-21-2009, 07:38 PM

Cool photos, thanks for posting.

This spring a group of us were thru there and they let us out on the taxi way for some pics.

450knotOffice · 450knotOffice's Garage

Just flew over the place yesterday afternoon and took a look at it from FL370 enroute from LAX to Santa Fe, NM (SAF), then on to DFW. Beautiful even from that altitude. Rattlesnak, were you flying an RJ into there, or something else?

Oh, and I wish I'd had my camera, because we flew right over the top of Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff. What an amazing site, even from FL370. That crater sits on an oherwise plain, featureless high flat desert, and sticks out like a sore thumb.

I'm bring the camera next week.

Joeaksa · 11-21-2009, 07:59 PM

If you want to see the meteor crator, google earth it.

Taking a jet into Sedona is a handful, we took Lears in there from time to time but the big challenge there is ramp space. I can get the Challenger there but its tight turning around and such as well as parking.

ckissick · 11-21-2009, 08:49 PM

Reminds me of the airport on Catalina Island.

Joeaksa · 11-22-2009, 06:21 AM

Charlie, the two runways are a lot the same but frankly the wind on Catalina is not as flaky as it is in Sedona. As well Catalina is a lot shorter, 3000 vs 5100 feet but the density altitude at Sedona (4830 ft) does not help at all.

t6dpilot · t6dpilot's Garage

Joe, ever been into TEX? I have not been into Sedona ever, but TEX can be a pretty challenging airport. Just over 9,000 feet MSL. If the winds are out of the south, you can pretty much forget about getting into or out of that airport unless you are a turbine. Actually, if it is windy at all, you can count on a sporty departure or arrival. Early morning departures and late after noon arrivals are best for that reason. When landing RWY 9, there are NO go-arounds unless you are a putt-putt. I remember departing out of there one day and the density altitude was 11,500 or something like that. The 'six performed beautifully.

t6dpilot · t6dpilot's Garage

TEX images...

Joeaksa · 11-23-2009, 12:14 PM

Scott,

Been to TEX (Telluride) a lot. Worst time is in winter when the wind is really strong out of the west and low overcast. Summer is not much easier.

The photo's you have are looking at it from the west, and you never land that direction. You always do a left downwind to the south, then circle within a few hundred feet of the mountain then come around heading west onto the runway.

Its real "sporty" and not for a low time pilot, but then we were flying big jets into the airport. There is no more than 2-300 feet at each end before you go over the edge and if that happens you are dead.

Joe A

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

yes, we go there alot also, and not sure what you mean Joe about landing west, we always land east as he is in the photos and take off to the west..

Joeaksa · 11-23-2009, 06:45 PM

You commuter guys do things differently. If its windy at all we land to the West. Guess every time I have been there its been windy!

beepbeep · 11-24-2009, 12:50 AM

This is also a great shot:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/4/1/3/1101314.jpg

t6dpilot · t6dpilot's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

The photo's you have are looking at it from the west, and you never land that direction. You always do a left downwind to the south, then circle within a few hundred feet of the mountain then come around heading west onto the runway.

Its real "sporty" and not for a low time pilot, but then we were flying big jets into the airport. There is no more than 2-300 feet at each end before you go over the edge and if that happens you are dead.

Yep, that's typically how we do it too. Although, there have been a few times when we have landed straight in on RWY 9.