Summer – 1976

Aspen’s airport sits at 7,815 feet above sea level.  That is a geographical fact.  For aircraft operating out of the airport, the meteorological altitude can change based on the humidity, dew point, barometric pressure and air temperature, this is known as Density Altitude.  Density Altitude can affect how an aircraft performs especially during landings and take-offs.  I give this brief lesson as it affects the rest of the story, please read on…

It is the summer of 1976 and Aspen is experiencing abnormally hot weather.  The airport is busy with the usual Jet traffic as well as the Glider Operations that were in full swing.  It was a busy place to say the least.  While delivering some Hertz customers back to their aircraft I observed a Gulfstream II exiting the runway having just landed.  I recognized this aircraft as belonging to Greyhound Corporation.  As it turned out my next pickup was John Teets, the CEO of the company.  I gave him the keys to the car and asked if I could have a look at his Gulfstream.  As he drove away he told the captain to give me a “full tour” of the jet.

As I headed up the stairs into the Gulfstream, the Captain met me at the top and told me I had to leave.  He had never flown out of Aspen in the summer and as he said, “The altitude was rising by the second.”  Complying with his boss’s orders, he started to give a tour; but, I could tell he was nervous and I politely excused myself much to his relief.

Barely reaching the bottom step, the jet’s engines began to spool up.  In less than five minutes the Gulfstream II was taxiing to the runway.  It was about 11:00 in the morning and the temperature was already 75 plus degrees.  The density altitude at that point was probably approaching 10,000 feet but this was a Gulfstream! 

The speakers out on the ramp where you could hear the tower and aircraft communicating suddenly crackled with the panicked voice of the Gulfstream Captain.  Requesting an expedited departure, the Captain indicated that they would do their “engine run-up” at the end of the runway.  He was going to waste no time getting out of here.

The Gulfstream sat on its brakes while the engines came up to full power.  You could hear this Gulfstream anywhere in the valley as its brakes struggled to hold it in place.  Suddenly, the jet lurched forward as it began its take-off roll.  By now the engines were exceeding the 100% power setting as the pilots rushed to get enough speed to take-off before running out of runway.   At the time, the runway was just over 5,200 feet in length with a slight downhill angle for departing aircraft on runway 33.

With the amount of power the Gulfstream was producing, the nose lifted off the runway in just over 1,200 feet and was airborne in less than 2,800 feet.  This Gulfstream was gone!

About a week later the jet and crew were back to pick up Mr. Teets.  This time they were much more relaxed and I was given a great tour of the jet.