On 8/27/2025 at 6:43 PM, Ron Lefebvre said:

Where would you be able to fly to from there that would make it interesting

Ron,
Seriously? For hamburger or pancake trips there are a number of great freeware addon airports in the Rockies. All with splendorous surroundings. Bump up to a longer range twin and more destinations are within reach.  With an Hjet, Turbine Duke, or bizjet west coast destinations are well within reach.  San Diego, Orange County, LA basin, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Jose area, wine country, Oregon wine valley, Portland, Seattle, and all points between KBJC and those. 

All that is needed is altitude, and attitude,

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by fppilot

16 hours ago, fppilot said:

Ron,
Seriously? 

All that is needed is altitude, and attitude,

In my defense all my GA flying has been done in California (Thanks to vbazillio) and New Zealand.

Most in my Cessna 414 or Comanche

I know I can go to California in the Citation or TBM or whatever, I was just hoping someone would go..

Man, 100 KM from KBCL there is this great GA airport that is  perfect to fly from and to.

Been flying to Colorado Springs. There is a freeware available. A little big for  GA, but you get to fly across Denver.

Anyway, Appreciate all the suggestions.

 

2 hours ago, Ron Lefebvre said:

Man, 100 KM from KBCL there is this great GA airport that is  perfect to fly from and to.

OK, several outstanding choices available.  Just flew KDRO (Durango, La Plata airport) - KBJC.  Nice, relatively short hop which takes you over the San Juan mountains, the Saguache range and the Front Range down into metro Denver.  There's a decent freeware KDRO available.  

For a slightly different route fly from KPSO (Pagosa Springs).  Another very good freeware airport is available.  You'll miss the heart of the San Juans, but still fly over the edge of them.

And staying with the SW part of the state, there's the ultimate high mountain thrill of KTEX (Telluride).  This is one of the "bespoke" Asobo airports and quite good.  Again, spectacular scenery along the way, and the approach and landing is thrilling, up a valley landing on a mesa top facing towering peaks.  Pure fun!

All of these would be doable in the Comanche on the right sort of day and right time but not recommended for a mid-day flight in the summer or on anything other than a VMC kind of day.  MEA's are all much too high for a normally aspirated single.  VFR in the Comanche you'll be doing classic mountain flying - flying through mountain passes rather than over the  mountain tops.  Remember, Colorado has 58 peaks that top 14,000', and a good many of them are along the route from metro Denver to the SW part of the state.  That's why these routes are so spectacular.

All would be easy flights in the 414.

There're obviously a lot more, but those are good starts with one excellent default airport (KTEX) and two decent to good freeware ones as destinations. 

Colorado was my flying home back when I was an owner/pilot.  And the reason I owned a turbo-charged airplane!

 

Scott

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by tttocs

I always wondered what a landing at Boulder KBDU would be like.  I hiked in the hills there on weekends.

dd

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by Sky_Pilot071

I like this little airport, but I was interrupted on my only flight in with a phone call.  Annoying.  I did notice the ILS for 30R never came alive.  Has anyone else had this issue?  I do get some stutters as assets load, so it's a bit heavy on performance, but it's usable.

On 8/31/2025 at 4:23 PM, tttocs said:

KDRO

 

On 8/31/2025 at 4:23 PM, tttocs said:

OK, several outstanding choices available.  Just flew KDRO (Durango, La Plata airport) - KBJC.  Nice, relatively short hop which takes you over the San Juan mountains, the Saguache range and the Front Range down into metro Denver.  There's a decent freeware KDRO available.  

For a slightly different route fly from KPSO (Pagosa Springs).  Another very good freeware airport is available.  You'll miss the heart of the San Juans, but still fly over the edge of them.

And staying with the SW part of the state, there's the ultimate high mountain thrill of KTEX (Telluride).  This is one of the "bespoke" Asobo airports and quite good.  Again, spectacular scenery along the way, and the approach and landing is thrilling, up a valley landing on a mesa top facing towering peaks.  Pure fun!

There're obviously a lot more, but those are good starts with one excellent default airport (KTEX) and two decent to good freeware ones as destinations. 

Scott

Whoever decided to put an airport at KTEX should have his head examined. The Aerostar had trouble. Cant even imagine trying it in the Commanche.

Greased the landing but I sweated quite a bit getting it there.

36 minutes ago, Ron Lefebvre said:

 

Whoever decided to put an airport at KTEX should have his head examined. The Aerostar had trouble. Cant even imagine trying it in the Commanche.

Greased the landing but I sweated quite a bit getting it there.

I just flew there today in the HJET.

dd

 

9 hours ago, Ron Lefebvre said:

Whoever decided to put an airport at KTEX should have his head examined. The Aerostar had trouble. Cant even imagine trying it in the Commanche.

Greased the landing but I sweated quite a bit getting it there.

I did warn you.  🙂  If you're not sweating going in to KTEX for the first time then the simulation wasn't real enough!

Density altitude is NOT your friend at mountain airports in the summer.  If you're going in a normally aspirated plane (like the Comanche or the Aerostar) best go early morning or at a colder time of year, and be familiar with real-world mountain flying techniques and information.  Or fly a plane better suited to the mission - a turbocharged piston or turbo-prop/turbine which is designed for high density altitude operations.  While the Comanche and Aerostar ARE high-performance planes, they are normally aspirated and not great in the high density altitude environment of a Colorado mountain summer.

If interested in RW flying in the high mountains, the Colorado Pilots Association has a mountain flying page which may be of interest.  While their course is for pay and in-person, they do have some resources, such as a list, description and GPS waypoints which have recently been created of the common passes flown, available online.  https://coloradopilots.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=612720&module_id=379021

 

Scott

19 hours ago, Ron Lefebvre said:

 

Whoever decided to put an airport at KTEX should have his head examined. The Aerostar had trouble. Cant even imagine trying it in the Commanche.

Greased the landing but I sweated quite a bit getting it there.

Field elevation is 9,100’

You practically need oxygen just to walk around on the apron 😂

25 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

Field elevation is 9,100’

You practically need oxygen just to walk around on the apron 😂

Actually, you are good up to around 14,000 feet without oxygen here in Colorado, unless you are in poor respiratory health or something. I live at 6400' and run every day at that elevation at least 2 miles. I am routinely camping, hiking and Jeeping in the Rockies all the way up to 14,000 without problems. Now, if you are not acclimated of course, you might experience some form of elevation sickness, which affects everyone differently. But, that goes away, especially if you pound lots of water. 😊

So, no worries walking around Telluride. In fact, I frequently drive Black Bear pass and Imogene Pass into Telluride from Ouray, and again, that takes you well over 9,100 feet. I have never had to use oxygen 😉

29 minutes ago, sniper31 said:

Actually, you are good up to around 14,000 feet without oxygen here in Colorado, unless you are in poor respiratory health or something. I live at 6400' and run every day at that elevation at least 2 miles. I am routinely camping, hiking and Jeeping in the Rockies all the way up to 14,000 without problems. Now, if you are not acclimated of course, you might experience some form of elevation sickness, which affects everyone differently. But, that goes away, especially if you pound lots of water. 😊

So, no worries walking around Telluride. In fact, I frequently drive Black Bear pass and Imogene Pass into Telluride from Ouray, and again, that takes you well over 9,100 feet. I have never had to use oxygen 😉

Oh , for sure I’m with you on that.

used to live out there and did exactly the same. Plenty of ambulating around all over those great big rocks - still miss it greatly 🤙

I purchased KBJC on the MP yesterday and give it a thumbs up.  

Especially cool since I lived blocks from KBJC for several years.

dd

On 8/31/2025 at 4:23 PM, tttocs said:

there's the ultimate high mountain thrill of KTEX (Telluride)

And don't forget that not too far to the North East of KTEX, pretty close to mid point between KTEX and KBJC, is Aspen (KASE), which is quite the challenge to get into and also a default detailed airport.

Edited October 8, 2025Oct 8 by GACSavannah

1 hour ago, GACSavannah said:

And don't forget that not too far to the North East of KTEX, pretty close to mid point between KTEX and KBJC, is Aspen (KASE), which is quite the challenge to get into and also a default detailed airport.

3 of my fabs and recenly bought KEGE, Eagle which I fly to CYEG, Edmonton.

dd

Edited October 8, 2025Oct 8 by Sky_Pilot071

On 10/8/2025 at 5:15 PM, Sky_Pilot071 said:

3 of my fabs and recenly bought KEGE, Eagle which I fly to CYEG, Edmonton.

I hope you are enjoying it. Actually, after posting that last note, I also went and purchased it. Have done three KPWK, KBJC, KASE flights already. Lovely scenery