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Thread: Grass strip at 8900 ft

  1. #1

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    Default Grass strip at 8900 ft

    I'm looking at buying 105 acres of land in Park County, Colorado. Its elevation is about 8500 - 8900 ft. It's rocky and hilly, but there are some clear stretches of over 1000 ft.

    Is takeoff in a Kitfox with a 914 doable at that kind of altitude or should I be looking at different property?

  2. #2
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    The T/O ground roll alone (no allowance for obstacles) will require about 1000' at 65 F at 8000' altitude.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  3. #3
    Senior Member aviator79's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    I should be able to give you some hard data starting near the end of March. I'm at 7200' in Northern New Mexico. Right now I can only report that my 914 will make full takeoff power (39 inHg) at 7000' DA. (7200' 35 deg F). However, engine power is not the entire equation for high-altitude takeoff/climb performance. Hopefully I'll have some actual performance data soon.
    --Brian
    Flying - S7SS

  4. #4
    Senior Member AirFox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    The Turbo should give better performance than the ULS Jim.
    Scott Noble
    Kitfox SS7

  5. #5
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    Sounds like a wicked property. To be honest you need more than 1000' at those altitudes. I'm normally they guy says go for it. But even if your engine can make rated horsepower, your wing and your prop are not as efficient.

    When I was at Stick in Rudder in Idaho in a 914 powered Kitfox(Fixed pitch)we went up to a strip I think called Landmark that was around 7000' and with the DA was probably closer to 8500-9000'. It was like I was flying an entirely different plane. It easily took triple the landing and take off distance and that's if everything went well. I would say if you had no obstacles and 1500' it would be doable but maybe still not the smartest.
    ------------------
    Josh Esser
    Flying SS7
    Rotax 914iS
    AirMaster Prop

    Edmonton, AB, CWL3

  6. #6
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    The T/O roll figure I posted is rounded off from the POH for the Kitfox SS7 SLSA w/914ul turbo. The actual printed figure is 1235' at 66F and 8000' elevation. As Esser says, engine power is only part of the issue; prop and wing performance are the other 2/3 of the equation.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    It sounds like I’ll need to look elsewhere... or build a catapult launch system.

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    STI wing, 915 Turbo, and CV prop, would be a start. 8900 ft in a year of snow pack like we are having in the Sierra's this year, is not a useful air strip for very much of the year.

  9. #9

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    coquille oregon
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    I will mention this to open up options for that property and hopefully not come across arrogant.
    At the former High Sierra flyin location (3 shotgun shells) we were landing on a road at approx. 9000 feet called Highboy.
    We had at most 300’ to work with and the slope made the landing and take off very adequate.
    A 600’ strip and less slope would work as well.
    I was flying at the time a model 2 Kitfox with a 582.
    Having inflight adjustable IVO prop and mixture
    control gave the needed performance

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Nov 2017
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    Bailey, CO
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    Default Re: Grass strip at 8900 ft

    Where in Park County? I am near Bailey (9 miles northeast).

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