Landing at TEX in a Maule??

Recently I took a Mooney and landed it at TEX (Telluride). Which is in a box canyon so landings are made on 9 while takeoff are from 27. Anyhow, I blew the landing and had to Go Around. Luckily the Mooney had plenty of power and was loaded lightly enough to avoid the rock wall not far from my liftoff point from 9!

So I then wondered, if such an avoidance would be possible with a lower powered aircraft at or very near max gross weight. To find out only risking crashing in my sim, I loaded up a Maule with 50% fuel, 2 people, etc. for a total of 2,292#. The Maule is rated for 2,500#, so especially considering the altitude, 2,300# was IMO at best a risky load.

I then flew the Maule to TEX, executed an approach, then did a test Go Around. It worked out OK, but certainly not easy! I'm glad I spent plenty of time before trying this to find my emergency route out of the canyon! (Basically try to clear the first ridge line then turn straight South for awhile!!)

(See Below starting with the climb out part of the Go Around)

(Click on the shots separately to see the captions attached.)

Bottom Line: Yes, if everything is perfect this will work out. Having said that, bad winds, not being prepared with a Go Around route, etc. could all lead to disaster.[/b] I'd not recommend anyone ever making a landing there, that close to max gross unless it were an emergency medical evacuation, or something similar.

The typical few hundred hour private pilot probably should not even attempt to land at TEX unless he/she has lots of power and gross to spare! That is one reason you probably see a lot more Lears and Citations than even Mooneys there. Most of those folks have at least one pro pilot in the cockpit!!

Michael

Have you researched what typical aircraft fly in and out of there?

Researched? I didn't need to, I've been there RW more than once or twice on snow ski trips. (Though I always came by car.) King Airs, Lear Jets, Citations, etc.,etc. most with professional crew of two or more are close to the norm there. In fact even the "Challenge" commmented.

"Don't be surprised if your humble Cessna or Piper is haring ramp space with some pretty expensive big iron."

But that's the point of "Challenge Accepted," to encourage pilots with low private hours to land places out of their normal comfort zone. That's why I flew in in two much smaller than the norm aircraft.

This challenge also applies to STOL, very narrow, etc. airports as well. So for those challenges I'm flying other aircraft which aren't the norm there either. I'm currently flying a King Air into a couple of very narrow runways, also part of the "Challenge." One is 21' wide, the other is 18!!!!

It's easy to be brave with a sim. No trips to the hospital, legal "remedies" from the FAA, or even torn up planes to replace!

Michael

Researched? I didn't need to, I've been there RW more than once or twice on snow ski trips. (Though I always came by car.) King Airs, Lear Jets, Citations, etc.,etc. most with professional crew of two or more are close to the norm there. In fact even the "Challenge" commmented.

 

"Don't be surprised if your humble Cessna or Piper is haring ramp space with some pretty expensive big iron."

 

But that's the point of "Challenge Accepted," to encourage pilots with low private hours to land places out of their normal comfort zone. That's why I flew in in two much smaller than the norm aircraft.

 

This challenge also applies to STOL, very narrow, etc. airports as well. So for those challenges I'm flying other aircraft which aren't the norm there either. I'm currently flying a King Air into a couple of very narrow runways, also part of the "Challenge." One is 21' wide, the other is 18!!!!

 

It's easy to be brave with a sim. No trips to the hospital, legal "remedies" from the FAA, or even torn up planes to replace!

 

Michael

I guess the better question is, “Where haven’t you been?” :D

I totally agree you definitely don’t have to worry about messing up anything in the sim!

yes! I think that might even be dangerous for people used to fs, going back into rw flying! Needs some couple of hours to check what fs habitudes are to erase! :pilot:

i couldn't agree more!! I haven't done a decent cockpit preflight, much less aircraft walk around in decades!!

I guess the better question is, “Where haven’t you been?” :D

 

I totally agree you definitely don’t have to worry about messing up anything in the sim!

Frankly for most of my career I always chose jobs and assignments that kept me moving. Got an equipment project and buy-off in Japan? I'll go! Work with BMW in Bavaria, I'll do that for a couple of years. Need someone to keep emergency power on in hospitals in the south after Hurricane Katrina, ask me!! Ski Patrol? Sure! Where? etc. My resume always looked like a travel-log.

I only turned down one serious out of area assignment that I can remember. Mid 70's I was offered a job representing GE Locomotive Division in Australia. They wanted me to commit to five years there. I'd already seen several places in Australia and didn't want to commit to five years anywhere. Especially in the outback!:eek: