KTVL Lake Tahoe question about runways

[AviatorMan 58]

Have purchased the recently released KTVL airport.  There is one runway 18/36, however the charts show approaches only to the South to rwy 18. Are approaches not allowed to rwy 36? Surely the wind is occasionally from the North.

[StewartH 38]

I think you'll find the approach from the south to be challenging, not impossible, but challenging, especially if there are low clouds in the area.  I always try to land on rwy 18, vice 36, if only because the north end of the runway is often obscured by low clouds and an ILS approach helps find the runway.

 

Stew

[AviatorMan 58]

That's true. But other airports (such as Innsbruck, Lugano and Cannes) have similar topographic situations, and they publish charts which entail approaching the airport from the clear, unobstructed approach at about 1500 actual altitude, continuing around 2-3 miles and circling back to land.

[spesimen 108]

from the remarks section on airnav for that airport:

 

-  PREFERRED ARRIVAL RY 18; PREFERRED DEP RY 36. -  RECREATIONAL AIRBORNE ACTIVITY ALONG SOUTHERN LAKE SHORE. -  FOR LARGE AND HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT DEP RY 18; RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP RECOMMENDED.

 

i don't know really how strong the wind has to be before it overrides the 'preferred' choices though. i'd guess if the visibility is bad enough that you need to use one of the approach procedures but the tailwind would be too strong, that maybe at that point you should reconsider that destination and head over to reno instead.. not sure really

 

cheers

-andy crosby

[StewartH 38]

Then I'm not sure what the reason might be, except the the approach from the south is really dicey.

 

Stew

from the remarks section on airnav for that airport:

 

-  PREFERRED ARRIVAL RY 18; PREFERRED DEP RY 36. -  RECREATIONAL AIRBORNE ACTIVITY ALONG SOUTHERN LAKE SHORE. -  FOR LARGE AND HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT DEP RY 18; RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP RECOMMENDED.

 

i don't know really how strong the wind has to be before it overrides the 'preferred' choices though. i'd guess if the visibility is bad enough that you need to use one of the approach procedures but the tailwind would be too strong, that maybe at that point you should reconsider that destination and head over to reno instead.. not sure really

 

cheers

-andy crosby

"RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP RECOMMENDED"

 

That is for sure if departing Ry 18!

[Rob Ainscough 2,353]

First part of this video is 36 approach to KTVL (touch and go).

 

 

Seneca II - full stop

 

 

Cheers, Rob.

[StewartH 38]

Nice!  Think I'll try that approach the next time I fly up to Tahoe (simulated, btw!).

 

Stew

[tttocs 228]

KTVL is the kind of airport where if the wx is bad (as opposed to simply not great) you head to your alternate.  Note there are no precision approaches available and even the LDA/DME approach requires that the final 4.4 miles be flown in visual conditions.

 

Remember that airports like Lugano and Innsbruck, while not huge, are still larger, higher traffic fields and are also at much lower elevations which factors even more.  I rather expect that Tahoe simply doesn't warrant trying to find a way to develop approaches at high elevation that try to squeeze planes in under poor conditions especially given that there are solid alternatives (including Reno) in fairly close proximity.

 

Scott

[garrett_frank 148]

And, of course, you can take off and land out of the wind, so long as you're within the aircraft's limits. Coincidentally, I got an A318 out of there last night with a tailwind to KSFO.

 

KTVL is such a neat locale--and certainly done justice by ORBX--but it's right on the cusp of being able to handle commercial craft. Apparently it used to way back in the day before KRNO became popular. Nonetheless, I goof around and get the NGX and Airbus in and out just fine but in ideal conditions. No doubt I'll have the 747v2 in and out as well. Headwind or tailwind...