As I posted in “where did you fly today” I flew into Atlanta the other day. I have been thinking about the departure for the past day or so and wondering if I should have departed differently.
It was my fist time in there and before I landed I took a close look at what I would do on departure. The was no wind so I decide to turn left after departure on circle 270 degrees then fly down the canyon. I chose this so that I could avoid having to maneuver low in the canyon since I had never flown it before. While on the ground a slight breeze came up and was blowing upstream, only a couple knots. So now my departure plan would put me in a place where I would have a tail wind at low speed and low altitude. After discussing what to do with the guy I was with I decided to follow the original plan. It all worked out but there wasn’t much fudge room.
I guess my question is what would you do in that situation? Do most people turn right and fly down the canyon right after departure?

Jon

Here is some info from airnav.com about the strip.

Lat/Long: 43-48-48.6390N / 115-08-06.2940W
43-48.810650N / 115-08.104900W
43.8135108 / -115.1350817
(estimated)
Elevation: 5500 ft. / 1676.4 m (surveyed)
Dimensions: 2460 x 75 ft.
Surface: turf/dirt, in good condition

Jon,
I usually come in that way but leaving I'd go down the canyon. It's a bit narrow and steep in parts but it descends so quickly (Weatherby is 1100 feet lower just a few miles west) all you've got to do is climb a couple hundred or so feet a minute and you'd be way up there before you knew it.
It's not bad in the "amphitheater" as I call it though. I think you'd find yourself in a better position with more options if you just make the right on takeoff and do the best you can to climb.
I'll be up that way this weekend.

Do you worry about it more because of your low HP or the lack of manuvering room? Last time I was there I owned a 182, now I own a Bonanza with 285 HP so climb rate shouldn't be a problem. At 100 mph indicated I should see about 1000-1200 FPM. I would be about 700 lbs under gross, which is 22% under gross.

It is the lack of power that is the issue for me, maneuvering is not a problem.

I wish I could have made it up that way this past weekend...I had to go to a wedding in Idaho Falls, at least I got to fly there

Jon

Wondering if I might see you up there. But no show. I was at Weatherby all afternoon on Saturday. Maybe next time.

whee wrote:... I flew into Atlanta the other day....my question is what would you do in that situation? Do most people turn right and fly down the canyon right after departure?
Jon

I turn right. The canyon widens out a little bit within a mile after departure. I turn around in the canyon, downstream, after getting a positive rate of climb, then head upstream for the amphitheater.

Did you walk to the hotsprings? They're pouring out of the earth, high up on the cliff, a veritable hot shower (w/o soap), right next to the river. Ummmm.
Enjoy, Berk

whee wrote:It is the lack of power that is the issue for me, maneuvering is not a problem.

I wish I could have made it up that way this past weekend...I had to go to a wedding in Idaho Falls, at least I got to fly there

Jon

I learned to turn right on departure at Atlanta. It's always good to turn towards lowering terrain, espcially if a little underpowered. You can fly all the way down to the Pacific ocean when you turn right