Sky High Charters: Tumultuous Taos

Back to scenario list

Quick Brief

This is your first flight with passengers for Sky High Charters. Our Albuquerque-based clients have an amazing weekend planned and need your help to make it happen. First stop is Taos, New Mexico for the always-exciting Wool Festival. We ask no questions and nor should you. The following day, they are, of course, attending the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Durango, Colorado.

Note: at the time of creation, the MEA on V211 was 11,300, it has since increased to 12,300.

For Leg #1 (ABQ-SKX), shoot the VOR/DME-B or RNAV RWY 4 into Taos for the arrival.

For Leg #2 (SKX-DRO), set up an overcast layer at 500’ AGL with tops at 9,500 MSL with similar weather at Durango. The glideslope is out at Durango, so plan for the LOC/DME RWY 3 with the arc from COKRI rather than the ILS.

Leg #2 is going to be flown as 3 separate segments:

1. IFR to Taos VOR
2. VFR from Taos VOR to BRAZO
3. IFR from BRAZO to Durango airport. Note: When you do file this flight plan, the origin should be BRAZO, not KSKX.

The context for all of this is covered in the video brief below from around 11:50 onwards, but in summary:

1. We need an IFR clearance to depart from Taos due to the weather
2. We don’t want a clearance all the way to the destination airport, the minimum IFR altitudes are too high for a type GA non-pressurized aircraft, and the airway-based routing is much longer

So, you’ll fly IFR to Taos VOR (TAS) using the ODP to depart the field, then cancel IFR, proceed VFR to BRAZO, then pick up IFR at BRAZO to Durango via BRAZO V211 COKRI.

There are three options for the initial segment to Taos VOR:

1. File IFR from KSKX to TAS, or
2. File IFR from KSKX to TAS and include “VFR on top” in the remarks, or
3. Do not file IFR, simply call ATC and request a “climb to VFR on top at the Taos VOR” and let them issue the clearance. Let them know you plan to climb to 12,500 if you use this option.

Some notes before you bolt for the door:

1. This is a multi-leg trip. Keep the turnaround time at Taos (SKX) to a bare minimum to ensure that ATC can track the status of your rating attempt.
2. For test purposes, you must fly IFR for leg 1 at least until the point where you have the field in sight
3. Leg #2 is flown as 2 IFR segments with a true VFR segment in the middle.
4. There is no oxygen on board, so keep the enroute altitudes as low as practical.
5. Make sure you actually fail the glideslope for leg #2 if your sim supports it.
6. PilotEdge doesn’t support multiple flight plans being on file. You can simulate filing multiple plans by delaying the filing of the BRAZO-KDRO plan until you have canceled the first IFR flight plan.

Video Brief

Ride Along: Leg #1: KABQ-KSKX

Ride Along: Leg #2: KSKX-KDRO

Debrief

Leg 1

• Even if the initial clearance is radar vectors to join an airway, be ready for direct to a fix along the airway if you’re GPS-equipped. Consider having the fixes for the first airway all programmed into the GPS prior to departure.

Leg 2

• Filing to a VOR to climb to VFR over the top, then cancelling IFR is a useful tactic in areas where continuing the flight under IFR would require significant re-routing or uncomfortably-high altitudes.
• IFR filght plans can originate/terminate at any waypoint, not just an airport. On this flight, it was useful to file from BRAZO as the point of origin.
• DME arc can be flown with GPS, RMI, the ‘twist 10, turn 10’ method or maintaining a 0 knot closure rate using the speed read out on the DME.
• If using GPS to identify step down fixes on an approach, ensure ALL fixes are loaded for the approach. In our case, WAVGI was not loaded into the flight plan since it was inside the FAF. Should’ve used DME to identify WAVGI but didn’t brief it as such.