With a
field elevation of more than 4,000 feet, performance is vital to us.
As we're descending, we run through our initial descent checklist, verify that the temperature and winds have been entered into the flight management system (FMS), check our landing distance numbers, verify that
field elevation has been set for our pressurization system, and double check our frequency for the FBO that we'll be flying into.
The crew began a high altitude, single-engine approach to Bagram, which has a
field elevation of nearly 5,000 feet.
The figure below shows one of the examples of the
field elevation map.
If you are taking off from NAS Fallon, NV, with a
field elevation of 3,934 feet, you're already over 10,000 feet while on the deck
The glideslope was difficult to maintain, with only one engine at a 5,500-foot
field elevation, and about 75 degrees F outside-air temperature.
After telling tower we would be making an arrested landing (remember the
field elevation, and therefore the much faster approach groundspeed), we ran through the descent and landing checklists and turned to final.
With a
field elevation of 5,000 feet, warm temperatures, and no arresting gear, the pilot had decided he did not want to test the aux brakes there.