Density Altitude News Today

Density altitude robs an aircraft of its performance, and if the pilot isn’t aware of it, they can run out of runway and options.

Although density altitude does reduce performance of an aircraft, it doesn't automatically keep you on the ground.

A few cuts on the face and couple of teeth knocked out, i understand. >> the chopper has not fared as well. >> the helicopter was totaled, completely totaled. unusable. >> within an hour, a rueful dennis is not just walking and talking, hes giving the news conference he had always hoped to avoid. dennis, the safety evaluator, has to assess his own performance and realizes where hed gone wrong. hed forgotten one adjustment to his program and had fallen victim to the high density altitude at the a...

Called high density altitude, which actually means hotter, thinner air, giving the pilot less lift and less power. >> i had to take certain steps, make certain changes to my routine. >> dennis calculates the changes hell make and at first, everything goes smoothly. >> the standard display routine commences with a pirouette on the left front skids, rotating the helicopter. >> i got my camera out to take footage of his performance. i was excited about capturing it on camera. >> i turned to 300 fee...

A few cuts on the face and couple of teeth knocked out, i understand. >> the chopper has not fared as well. >> the helicopter was totaled, completely totaled. unusable. >> within an hour, a rueful dennis is not just walking and talking, hes giving the news conference he had always hoped to avoid. dennis, the safety evaluator, has to assess his own performance and realizes where hed gone wrong. hed forgotten one adjustment to his program and had fallen victim to the high density altitude at the a...

>> both those factors spelled danger for a pilot. >> in utah, its about 5,000 feet elevation and it was a warm day that day. >> this creates a condition called high density altitude, which actually means hotter, thinner air, giving the pilot less lift and less power. >> i had to take certain steps, make certain changes to my routine. >> dennis calculates the changes hell make and at first, everything goes smoothly. >> the standard display routine commences with a pirouette on the left front skid...

Out of the chopper, shaken but only slightly hurt. >> he actually wasnt even hurt that bad. a few cuts on the face and couple of teeth knocked out, i understand. >> the chopper has not fared as well. >> the helicopter was totaled, completely totaled. unusable. >> within an hour, a rueful dennis is not just walking and talking, hes giving the news conference he had always hoped to avoid. dennis, the safety evaluator, has to assess his own performance and realizes where hed gone wrong. hed forgott...

>> one of the cups up there behind me is for the first place. >> dennis skills are on display at an air show in utah in june of 2008, and one person eager to see it, and videotape it, is tina tyler, an american gyrocopter pilot. >> i packed up my gyro and headed out to utah with my camera in hand. >> for dennis, theres a setback at the beginning of the event. the helicopter, a schweitzer, is unfamiliar and its heavier than hes used to. >> i normally fly with ten gallons on board, which weighs 80...

>> this creates a condition called high density altitude, which actually means hotter, thinner air, giving the pilot less lift and less power. >> i had to take certain steps, make certain changes to my routine. >> dennis calculates the changes hell make and at first, everything goes smoothly. >> the standard display routine commences with a pirouette on the left front skids, rotating the helicopter. >> i got my camera out to take footage of his performance. i was excited about capturing it on ca...

>> he actually wasnt even hurt that bad. a few cuts on the face and couple of teeth knocked out, i understand. >> the chopper has not fared as well. >> the helicopter was totaled, completely totaled. unusable. >> within an hour, a rueful dennis is not just walking and talking, hes giving the news conference he had always hoped to avoid. dennis, the safety evaluator, has to assess his own performance and realizes where hed gone wrong. hed forgotten one adjustment to his program and had fallen vic...