Important Notice Regarding Aspen (KASE)

[Evan Reiter]

ATTENTION ALL BVA PILOTS: Important Notice Regarding Aspen (KASE)

 

Aspen Airport (KASE) has recently completed an expansion project that includes a 1,000' extension of the runway (used only for departing aircraft) as well an extension of Taxiway "A" and two new short taxiways on the west side of the field. These additions have been commissioned and are in use according to airport NOTAMs, photographs of the airport, personnel at Aspen Airport contacted by our Scenery Design Team, and charts from Jeppesen. However, the FAA's charting office has not yet reflected the changes in Aspen's Airport Diagram. It is important to note that the extension of Runway 15/33 is not intended for arrivals; thus, landing aircraft should still vacate Runway 15 by Taxiway "A8" and are not to use the new 1,000' extension which is for departures only.

 

BVA's scenery update for the Colorado Getaway includes the changes to Aspen because not only are they in use in real life but they will also provide a major improvement to delays at the airport during our Regional Circuit events. Controllers will therefore be issuing instructions to use the new taxiways and runways as appropriate. Specifically, ATC instructions will include:

 

• For departing aircraft, intersection departures at "A4", "A7" or full-length at "A9" as your aircraft allows. Advise ATC when requesting taxi if you are able to accept an intersection departure. Taxiway "A8" is not available for departures.
  
• For arriving aircraft, instructions to turn off the runway at "A2", "A5", "A6", or "A8". Taxiways "A4" and "A7" are not available turnoffs. Runway 15 between "A8" and "A9" is closed for arriving aircraft so all arrivals should be clear of the runway at or before "A8".
  
• Arriving aircraft that accidentally pass taxiway "A8" can expect to use taxiways "B8" and "B9" on the west side of the field to turn around and taxi back to "A8". If the airport is busy there may be a delay accomplishing this procedure.
  
• Aircraft that do not have the Colorado Getaway Scenery Package will not see the runway extension or the new taxiways. Aircraft without the scenery must advise ATC on initial contact and can expect to depart from Taxiway "A7". These aircraft risk accidentally turning onto "A8" (which they will see as the end of the runway). Any departing aircraft that accidentally turn onto "A8" will be blocking arriving aircraft and risk causing a "nose to nose" situation. Thus, departing aircraft that accidentally turn onto Taxiway "A8" risk being ejected from the server or being asked to re-spawn.

These changes are incorporated into a Photoshopped version of the Airport Diagram that BVA has created for this event. You can view this diagram (which reflects what the FAA's update for February 2 will likely look like) here: http://bostonvirtualatc.com/dnn/portals ... ASE_AD.pdf. Get an idea of what the airport looks like and be sure you are listening carefully to ATC instructions when you are moving around Aspen. Remember that the scenery update is REQUIRED and as long as you have that update -- and are following the taxiway signs to comply with ATC instructions -- then you should have no issues in and around the airport (except, of course, the tricky conditions, challenging approaches, and surrounding terrain).

[Tim Brett]

It is important to note that the extension of Runway 15/33 is not intended for arrivals; thus, landing aircraft should still vacate Runway 15 by Taxiway "A8" and are not to use the new 1,000' extension which is for departures only.

 

Another note worthy... note.

 

The Jeppesen chart states that the runway extension is only available for take-offs to the North.

 

[Erik VanderWerf]

I think that only means it specifies runway 33. As in, you are not allowed to use it if you are taking off from 15, only 33 which is to the north. They wouldn't build an extra thousand feet of runway if that means someone flying to IAD or ATL could not use it.

[Dan Perrone]

That's just the thing. Extending the runway has nothing to do with allowing larger planes into or out of Aspen, nor does it change the runway configuration we have been using. Aspen is still a one way in, and one way out airport. Also, per county regulations, there are no larger aircraft flying into or out of the airport. The extra 1000' for takeoffs is only to allow current commercial traffic to operate more efficiently with heavier loads, carry more passengers and baggage, and reduce the number of overall flights into and out of the airport.

 

Specifically, per the Jepp chart snippet above, departures on Runway 15 (those pilots with expressed ATC permission, never commercial jets), cannot use the 1,000 foot extension as part of their takeoff roll.

[Evan Reiter]

On the subject of Aspen, I have received a lot of great questions about the LOC/DME-E and VOR-C (GPS-C) Approaches into the airport. Pilots often ask me about the "circle to Runway 15" instruction given that most aircraft actually make straight in to the runway and don't actually do any circling over the DBL VOR or of the field.

 

Rather than referring to a hold or an actual circle, the term "circle to land" is in reference to the fact that the approach ends in a letter. That means it's not "attached" to a runway and that you need to perform a circling manoeuver (or traffic pattern entry) in order to line up with the appropriate runway. The confusion comes because a circling manoeuver is essentially entering a traffic pattern -- and "make straight in" is a circling instruction even though you don't actually fly in a circle. Most aircraft landing at KASE will be given either vectors to final ("5 miles from JARGU, turn left heading 170 cross JARGU at or above 13,400, cleared LOC/DME-E approach, circle to Runway 15") or an approach clearance from the DBL feeder route ("cross DBL at or above 13,400, cleared LOC/DME-E approach, circle to Runway 15"). In either case, aircraft intercept and fly the approach like any other localizer approach. By about a 5-mile final, aircraft can expect to be given a pattern entry instruction from Aspen Tower that will likely be "make straight in, Runway 15, cleared to land". Thus, the entire approach is flown like a localizer approach to Runway 15 at any other airport.

 

Before the Getaway in January we wrote a Logan Informer article on this subject. You can find the article on Page 6 of the January Logan Informer (http://www.bostonvirtualatc.com/dnn/Portals/0/Logan%20Informers/Volume4_Issue1.pdf). If you'd like additional clarification, please post your questions here. If you're looking for more information, Pilot Ratings Program Flight 9 includes circling approaches: http://bostonvirtualatc.com/prp/ifr-9.html.