Aviation Charts with Radar and Cloud Cover

Recently, I found a method for displaying weather information with sectional aeronautical charts in a nice manner with Google Earth. You can also use Flyagogo.net for looking at this information individually, but not simultaneously; I will describe that at the bottom.

Getting Google Earth

First you need to load the Google Earth application on your computer. This is a great application with lots of uses.

Radar Information
Next load the Radar information with this link for NexRad Information for Google Earth.

Cloud Information

Then add the cloud cover with these links for West Cloud Satellite information for Google Earth, and Eastern Cloud Satellite information for Google Earth.

Sectional Information

Then you can add the aeronautical sectional information if you want with this link Google Earth Sectional Chart information. Zoomed out, the image is not great, but when you zoom in to see the details, it looks pretty good. Wait a bit for the higher resolution to load.

Controlling Layers

You can turn on and off the different layers on the left side of Google Earth. You can also change the brightness of the different layers using the slider at the bottom left. With everything turned on, the aviation charts seem to override everything. So I either temporarily turn them off at times or turn back the brightness on the aviation charts when I want to see everything.

Adding Route Information

When you want to put some possible route paths into Google Earth, an easy way is using Flyagogo.net. Define your route with "-" in between different airports or VORs. Then click on the Google Earth symbol next to where it says "Current Flightplan". Then this will load into Google Earth. You can load multiple flightplans into Google Earth at the same time and select them on/off on the left side.

Other possible methods with Aviation Charts, Radar, and Cloud Cover

Flyagogo.net will also show radar images and cloud cover, but not at the same time as the sectionals. Look for the buttons in the upper right. "visible" and "infrared" for cloud cover. "Radar" for radar images.

Summary

I hope this helps some of you. If you find other links for Google Earth or combinations of weather/charts, please let me know. I wonder if there is a link out there with a WAC charts and Google Earth, but I have not found it yet. That might be nice for zoomed out regions.

/Brian

VFR Paths over the Rockies

You need to be careful flying through the Colorado Rocky Mountains in a small non-turbocharged plane, but it can still be done safely. There are many paths over the Rockies. What path to use depends on each particular situation: clouds, winds, weather, and intended direction. Also what you are comfortable with and your experience. In general, I do not pick straight lines, but instead follow the main valleys and minimize my time flying over the highest mountains. Through my trips west, I have used quite a few paths. Each one is quite beautiful.

Here are the main paths I have taken crossing the divide going from the furthest north to the furthest south. All these routes are not exact, but approximate. The flight path tool I could find could not show the route more exactly.

One interesting item to note is that the section from Grand Junction along the Colorado River to Vail and to Kremmling is very well covered by radar almost to the ground. This makes flight following possible and a good idea. All the other routes (through Gunnison and Alamosa) are not covered well by radar at lower altitudes.

North route into Southern Wyoming and west
Usually only needed if heading somewhere further north. This is the lowest terrain on the North side of the Colorado Rockies.
klmo-kfnl-klar-ckw-ocs-fbr

Over Colorado/Wyoming border, to Kremmling, and along the Colorado River
A nice low spot exists near the CO/WY border. Below is the route, but I would not go all the way to Laramie. This is the closest I could indicate on this flight planning tool.
klmo-kfnl-klar-k33v-rlg-kege-kgws-kril-kgjt

I hear going over Cameron Pass or the FROGS intersection can be good. I have not had the situation yet where I used it for long trips, but I have gone over it for fun though.

Over Rocky Mountain National Park and along the Colorado River
Going over Rocky Mountain National Park is often less bumpy than over Corona pass.
klmo-allan-rlg-kege-kgws-kril-kgjt

Over Rollins Pass (Corona Pass) and along Colorado River
klmo-kbjc-rlg-kege-kgws-kril-kgjt

Southern Middle Route through Salida then Gunnison
A nice middle route if the norther routes will not work. There are 2 ways to get to Salida:
klmo-larks-kank- through Wilkerson Pass and Salida
klmo-pub-kank- through Pueblo then Salida
Then through Marshall pass (better than Monarch pass since Monarch is a sequence of ridges with downdrafts instead of just one)
- CO11-hbu-kmtj

Southern route through Alamosa and Durango
Another route further south if the main mountain section is bad for weather. There are three ways to get to Alamosa:
klmo-larks-kank-als- through Wilkerson Pass and Salida then Alamosa
klmo-pub-kank-als- through Pueblo then Salida then Alamosa
klmo-pub-gosip-als- through La Veta Pass then Alamosa (La Veta Pass can have some pretty big turbulence for being a low pass)
Then through Durango
- brazo-dro

Very Southern route near Albuquerque
On the way back to Longmont in the past, I have had to wait in Albuquerque for a snow to clear in the Denver area. Then I proceeded the rest of the way when the snow cleared. This is the lowest terrain route on the southern side of the Colorado Rockies.
kabq-nelge-lvs-pub-klmo
Another route for the north/south portion that has had less turbulence for me is on the windward side of the Sangre De Cristo mounains.

kabq-saf-k05v-gosip-pub-klmo

Combined Picture of Routes

Using the above flyagogo links, then clicking on the little Google earth button on the left side of the web page for each link, I built a Google Earth image with all the routes. (Save the file and load it into Google Earth). If you want you can add the sectionals by clicking on this link to Google Earth Sectional Chart information. If you are zoomed out, I think the sectionals do not look good. But zoomed in, the sectional information is nice. I found these addons for NexRad Information for Google Earth, West Cloud Satellite information for Google Earth, and Eastern Cloud Satellite information for Google Earth.

Some Quick General Thoughts

Take a mountain flying course. Many instructors in Denver area are available for this type of instruction.

Landing in the moutains is different; here are some of the factors:

• Density altitude is a major factor.
• Your ground speed will be higher since you are flying the same indicated approach airspeed at a higher altitude.
• Short field methods are important even on longer strips.
• Your horizon and determining what is straight and level is sometimes confusing since the sky horizon is much higher than the real horizon.
• Your approach and pattern is often restricted by high moutains.
• Many other items that you would cover in a mountain lesson.

Colorado Department of Transportation has a nice book and on-line information for all the different Colorado airports.

Approach ridges at 45 degrees to reduce the amount needed to turn around if needed. Watch out for downdrafts and turbulence. Don't fly over the ridges if the winds aloft are expected to be above 30 knots at 12,000 MSL. Always have an out if something goes wrong. And IFR over the rocky moutains is a bad idea in small planes; don't try.

There are many AWOS stations near passes. Use this information where you can. It can give you an idea of how the winds are doing in different places.

Here are some books to read available at Marv Golden. Sparky Imeson has a good website with lots of mountain flying information.

Once again take instruction if at all possible.

/Brian