Bob,Will that force planes to land on 15 and takeoff on 33, no matter what the wind conditions? Or will I simply not have any traffic on days when the wind comes from the north? ThanksDavid

You can always land on 33, it's a circling approach.

Yes, but in the real world the circling approach is seldom done in a jet. The AI in FS9 just come in over the mountains to the south which definitely is not in the SOPs!David

As an example, at KFUL prefailing winds are from the west. Yet, for some reason ATC uses R6 for for takeoff's . . . Now, the ILS at KUL is on R24, so I cant understand why they use 6... Even if I request an ILS, they use 6, with a Backcourse. With AFCAD, I set it so that R6 is closed for takeoff and landing. Now all AI aircraft takeoff and land on R24. By the way, in reality at the end of R24, there is a tree 86 feet tall, just off the left side across the street from the Runway... You can just close 15 runway for Takeoffs, that would allow landings on either end of the runway. As someone mentioned, takeoffs are not allowed on 15, landings may also be banned, you'd have to check. Bob

You don't need to close 15 for takoffs, the 15 takeoff not authorized is only for IFR ops, if the weather is VFR and the winds are favoring 15 than by all means use 15 for takeoff if you want to, than turn and fly the 33 departure, that's the way I see it.I have not flown to Aspen in real life, but it looks to me like you can easily use 15 if you can see the mountains.If it is VFR at night and I'm not familiar with the field than I would definately go with the takoff minimums listed in the TERPS and use 33.

Additional Remarks- ARPT CLSD 2300-0700. - REFLECTORS ALONG PARALLEL TWY. - TERRAIN WILL NOT ALLOW FOR NORMAL TFC PATTERNS. HIGH RATES OF DESCENT MAY BE RQRD DUE TO TERRAIN & LOCAL PROCS. - OPERATIONS DURING PERIODS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY DISCOURAGED FOR PILOTS UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA. - ARPT LOCATED IN HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEY WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN FROM 12500 - 14000 FT MSL IN NEAR PROXIMITY TO ARPT; NUMEROUS UNLIGHTED OBSTRUCTIONS. ALL ADVERSE WEATHER SITUATIONS MAGNIFIED IN MOUNTAINS. - UNCONTROLLED TRAFFIC ON THE TERMINAL RAMP; ASPEN AVIATION RAMP; SOUTH RAMP; & ABO RAMP. RY 33 RUN-UP AREA NOT VISIBLE FROM ATCT. - FOR ALL GA OPNS BTWN 30 MIN AFT SS TO 2300 THE FOLLOWING APPLIES: ACFT EQUIPPED AS RQRD UNDER FAR 91.205(D) FOR INST FLT - PILOT IS INST RATED; VFR PIC HAS COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE TKOF OR LDNG IN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS AT ASE. IFR: EXECUTE APCH/DEP PROCEDURES WITH ATC CLNC. - STAGE II/III ACFT ONLY FROM 0700 TO 30 MIN AFT SS BY COUNTY ORDINANCE. STAGE III ACFT ONLY FROM 30 MIN AFT SS TO 2300. NO DEPS AFT 2230. ALL STAGE I ACFT OPNS PROHIBITED; VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED. - UNIQUE VFR DEP PROCEDURES EXIST. CALL 800-488-2776; AMGR 970-920-5384; OR FBO 970-920-2016 FOR MORE INFO. NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES AND STAGE I PROHIBITION. - UNLESS CEILINGS ARE AT LEAST 2000 FT ABOVE HIGHEST TRRN & VIS IS 15 MILES OR MORE; MOUNTAIN FLYING IS NOT RECOMMENDED. - TKOF NOT AUTHORIZED ON RY 15 WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FM AMGR. - ARPT RESTRICTED TO MAXIMUM ACFT WINGSPAN OF 95 FT. - TWY A1 CLSD INDEF. - DUE TO POOR VSBY IN VALLEY, USE LNDG LGTS IN TFC PAT. - REVIEW OF AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE RCMDD INCLUDING DA; WEIGHT & BALANCE AND CLIMB PERFORMANCE. - HANG GLIDERS; PARA GLIDERS; HOT AIR BALLOON & GLIDER OPNS ON & INVOF ARPT UP TO 18000 FT MSL. - NOISE ABATEMENT RQRD - FLY ATC ASSIGNED HDG OR STANDARD DEP PROC. IF NO HDG OR DEP PROC IS ASSIGNED: TURN RIGHT NOISE ABATEMENT HDG OF 360 FOR 2 MI BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE. - USE OF NBAA STANDARD APCH/DEP PROC & MANUFACTURES RECOMMENDED NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES IS ENCOURAGED. - FBO REQUIRES 4 HRS ADVANCE NOTICE FOR STAGING ACFT PRIOR TO DEP. - DUE TO HIGH APCH MINIMUMS PILOTS MAY NEED AN IFR ALTERNATE EVEN THOUGH WEATHER IS FORECAST TO BE HIGHER THAN 2000-3. A30-00X THIS RUNWAY EXISTS TO SUPPORT THE PKN LDA ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AIRPORT. A106 ACFT REQUIRING IFR SHOULD FILE FLIGHT PLAN WITH APPROPRIATE FSS 45 MIN PRIOR TO ESTD DEP.

Is it just me or did they put this airport in a dnagerous place? Was there no alternative around?

On my last drive through Aspen, didnt see anywhere else they could put an airport, in town. Personally, Id rather drive in or out, even if it means driving all the way from Denver.Bob