Challenger 350 Lake Tahoe Visual Arrival Runway 29 Truckee Tahoe Airport (LPS)

Here I am flying the 'Lake Tahoe Visual Arrival' to runway 29 at Tahoe Truckee Airport (KTRK) in Truckee, California. This is my first time flying into this higher elevation airport (5904' MSL) which is surrounded by even higher mountainous terrain (8000 ' - 10,000' MSL). Since the terrain rises 4000' above field elevation within 5 miles southeast of the airport, there is no official published approach for runway 29. Instead, a visual procedure, developed by 'Whispertrack', provides guidance primarily for noise abatement, with specific fixes, crossing altitudes, and target speeds that can be programed into your FMS flight plan for lateral and vertical navigation.

In this video the procedure is being flown at published altitudes and speeds; however, the speed shown in the GoPro speedometer is ground speed in statute miles per hour (MPH) rather than indicated airspeed in nautical miles per hour (KIAS or 'knots') specified by the procedure. So, accounting for winds aloft and the 2% per 1000' rule, actual ground speed was 20 - 40% greater than indicated - in other words - pretty hot! For example, at about 12 seconds in, the GoPro speedometer is indicating 240 mph at 8000' MSL, but the indicated speed in the cockpit was approximately 170 KIAS. As a result of this excess speed, the space available to perform the turn to final and descend to the runway was fairly tight and necessitated ‘cranking it around’ a bit to achieve the target approach path and target speed.

Worked out fine for a first crack at it, but have some advice to anyone planning to fly this procedure in a Challenger 300/350 (or any jet for that matter), be fully configured and no greater than Vref + 20 before reaching the fix KNETH, keep your base leg just outside of the Northstar parking lot complex, use speed brakes as long as possible for speed control during the 3.9 degree descent to the runway, and have fun!