Blake flies from Leadville, Colorado, to Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California. The video shows landings at high and low elevation airports in America.
What the video covers
Written in our own words. It only describes what the video shows and says.Leadville and the high elevation task
Blake begins by saying that he is flying to the highest elevation airport in America and then direct to the lowest elevation airport in America. He names Leadville, Colorado, almost 10,000 feet above sea level, and Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, over 200 feet below sea level. He lists tasks for the day, including landing at Leadville, lunch in the highest city in America, a takeoff in thin air, a flight over 600 miles west, and a landing on a poor runway. He says that at 10,000 feet takeoff can require over 4,000 feet depending on temperature, but cooler air and a runway over 6,000 feet give room. He mentions a temporary flight restricted area for search and rescue and identifies Mount Elbert as the highest peak in the Rockies. His traffic pattern altitude is 10,934 feet, and he says density altitude is around 11,000 feet. He lands and receives a Certificate of Navigation naming Leadville Lake County Airport and the date 29 October 2026.
Crossing the Rockies toward Death Valley
After lunch at Leadville Cantina and Grill, Blake departs and says the takeoff roll is long. He says he is above a temporary flight restricted area because that area extends from the surface to 1,000 feet above ground level while he is 5,700 feet above ground level. He begins the flight west at over 16,000 feet to cross the Rockies, then steps down as he proceeds. He states that only two airports in the world are lower than Furnace Creek. He says he is flying over Canyonlands National Park and Capitol Reef National Park, and that Capitol Reef extends for about 100 miles. He mentions a 14 knot headwind at 10,500 feet and a descent to 8,500 feet that reduces it to 4 knots.
Furnace Creek and the failed runway
Blake says he already knows the runway at Furnace Creek will be poor and that the National Park Service is responsible for the airport. He says the runway is not going to be maintained anymore and may be closed when it becomes too bad. He explains that the FAA grades runways from excellent to poor and that this runway has a grade below poor, called failed. He says notes describe up to four inches of heave around cracks and warn against wheel fairings. He says only about 10 airports in the country have only a failed runway. He notes his tyres run at about 60 pounds per square inch. He says the wind is dead calm, so he goes for the landing. He lands, says it is rough, checks his wheels and tyres, and notes that the airport elevation sign reads minus 211 feet. He taxis back for takeoff, rotates a little early, and says he lost about two miles of altitude during the day.
