Total Chaos Landing at Wealthy Airport 

Yea you were cleared #2 following the Cirrus and just prior to that he had told the Lear to keep speed at 170 on 15 mile final following Baron 5 miles out, no factor... Next thing we hear is him asking you if you have the Lear in sight on 5 mile final, so yea something got mixed up there with his spacing plan. But overall I thought it was no big deal, literally cost you a few minutes tops. Just about everywhere small props are asked to make way for faster jets when things get tight around the airport, assume it is a bigger deal for a Lear to make a go around at that airport with that terrain than for you to make a 360 on final. Also in my experience the plane on the side taxiway usually yields to the one already taxing on a main taxiway. I do not think your socioeconomic class had anything to do with either event. Also let’s remember to the outside observer on RU-vid your life would appear to consist solely of flying to cool places and eating, most would consider that a rather privileged class too. Anyway thanks for the vid keep em coming.

Jackson Hole was one of the last trips I made with my 99 year old dad; Brught a tear by my eye seeing, especially the ned of the video. Thank you.

Class D tower controller here (not the one from KJAC lol). I don't know but if I had to make a guess, I would say that this controller was probably training at the time. We shouldn't be too terribly hard on him in terms of getting the spacing and sequencing correct. It's something that is not easy when dealing with a wide mix of aircraft, and you really only get better at it by simply working more and gaining more experience at your specific airport and with the speeds and capabilities of the specific variety of aircraft you deal with there. The thing that troubles me (and what we probably should give him a hard time for) is that he said something that implied that runway separation was somehow your job when it most definitely was his. In theory, the process is simple. You pick out a logical sequence, adjust spacing by extending downwinds or upwinds, and then clear everybody in turn. Sometimes, just due to the inherent limitations of controllers, pilots, and aircraft, that sequence and spacing does not work out, and if you continue to stick with it, it will result in runway separation being broken. So in those instances where your plan won't work and it's too late to change the plan, you simply send the next guy around. Telling you to S-turn and telling the jet to expedite off the runway are acceptable tools to try to make the plan work, but telling you the criteria for maintaining Same Runway Separation for consecutive arrivals is a little odd to me, and I don't understand why any controller would say that over the freq, besides to try to imply that it was the pilot's responsibility.

"Hopefully we can get something to eat" While clutching a bag of Tide Pods. Thanks Matt :)

Pretty Awesome Seeing Our 3+ Parked behind your plane in Jackson Hole. Enjoyed the Video! Safe Travels Matt.

Lol. Reminds me of the time my boss and his wife flew me and my wife to Martha's Vinyard. At the time he was flying our local airport's rental plane - a rode hard and put up wet Piper Arrow 180. When we landed I was actually marveling at all the fancy little jets parked near the airport buildings and was looking forward to getting a close look at them after we parked. But no. As boss taxied the plane near the fancy planes, the guy on the ground gave a hard, angry shake of his head and gestured us out to the 'back 40' and made us park next to a rusting trailer and a bunch of other 40-50 year old single engine prop planes. Sadly, that noble Arrow 180 was crashed and destroyed by a student pilot a few months later (thankfully, no fatalities). My boss bought 1/4 of Cirrus sr22 after that, which I never got that chance ride in before one of his partners buried the prop in the runway at Lake Placid (also, thankfully no injuries!). I wonder what's next....

I’m a retired controller and a life long pilot. I get a little peeved too when I don’t get great service, but I deal with it myself. All in all we get great service on a daily basis and have little to complain about.

A36 pilot here. Depending on how much energy you've got, raising the gear when close to the runway can be a bad idea (1:40). There's a momentary but noticeable increase in drag when a Bonanza's gear comes up, and airplanes on the edge of high, hot and heavy have been known to settle back down onto the runway sans rollers. Better to wait a while and let the situation stabilize with the ground well below you. As for Casper, at least it's not Rock Springs.

Always wondered what went on in GA cockpits. I’m a retired Navy pilot, flew props and jets off carriers, a former NetJets Sovereign driver and only experience with GA was landing at fields with lots of GA aircraft flying around. I’ll keep my opinion to myself for now, research this a bit. Entertaining video.

I like how ATC is also the tour guild, great videos Matt!

You started off as 3 in sequence. Then 2, BUT you never reported that you had the Lear in sight until he was too close, that's why controller gave you a plan B. He did right to maintain spacing and safety. Kinda sucks the space was so busy that day but it happens. I'm sure the Lear was grateful ;)

Tower, possible ATC deviation, let me know when you’re ready to copy a number.

Love the "your average minivan of the sky" vibe. Keep it up!

Matt I love your videos! You were one of the major influences on me to start my own RU-vid channel to share my aviation experiences. Thank you so much for the inspiration and what you do for the aviation community!

Of all the aviation channels I watch, this is BY FAR the best one. You guys provide amazing video scenes, perfect editing, and great music. Thanks!

My initial thought something was up when the learjet was asked to keep speed up (170) on a 5 mile final and you were on the downwind still. That controller made a mistake, like they often do thinking a jet is going to be worlds faster than a bonanza getting to the runway. At least it wasn't a Cirrus Jet, you would have done 3 360's

Fun fact: JAC is the only commercial airport in the US inside a National Park (just inside Grand Teton NP). And it has a really beautiful passenger terminal that was renovated in the last decade. One of my fav airports to transit

"Now that we got you out of the way for everybody, can you just leave?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

You have more flight time than I will ever have, but it looks like you're layering a lot of risks. Chatting with pax on takeoff, depending on ground effect in gusty weather for lift with gear up close to ground, dodging heavy weather rather than stopping short for the night. The list is a lot longer. Be safe! There are no old, bold (or complacent) pilots.

As someone who has spent more time outside on foot in the mountains of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho than most people have spent outside their houses I highly suggest a good pair of leather boots like Irish Setter Elk Trackers. A pair of shoes is great for trails, but you're going to have a bad time if you ever want to see the REALLY neat stuff like abandoned mines, ghost towns and factories scattered throughout the draws and valleys of the ranges.

So basically you and the mighty Bonanza caught him off guard making that 5 mile point for base so fast. (Hence him telling the Lear to speed up!) He should have extended you further on the downwind ensuring you didn't turn base until you were adequately separated BEHIND the Lear as he originally instructed with placing you as number 3 in sequence. This could have all been avoided if he simply told the Cirrus and Lear to speed up and the mighty Bonanza to slow down 😄

Wish this was a weekly Netflix series . Thanks Matt!

I used to fly in a glider club at an airport which seasonally had a lot of private jet traffic. Of course we occasionally would have to cut them out on their final approach ( gliders obviously can't go around ). Man they hated our guts. Pretty tasty.

You're so lucky to have Rachael in your life. She seems great!!!

A thought about navigating passes in the mountain west...I learned to fly in the Rockies and the high deserts of the west a decade and a half before the first iPhone so I am used to carrying a case full of paper charts. One thing I always carry is a Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer. It's not handy like a tablet or a phone but a book of topo maps is a great reference. The large format isn't as convenient to use if you're used to digital formats but being able to scan a large area of terrain in detail at once is, for me, invaluable.

As a Jackson native and one of the Ramp Rats at KJAC I can imagine it gets a little chaotic at times. There's no radar service, there's usually a line of jets every five miles all day every day, and the controllers have me yacking in their ear looking for towing clearances. Hey though, at least the airport got rid of landing fees for those of us below 12,500 gross! Now all you have to do is be able to find a spot to park.

A busy day flying!! Keep up the good videos Matt!!

Hi Matt, that was great, I'll not repeat what others have said below but you wouldn't have the same adventures in a LearJet as you do in HP so ignore them! I think your pal in the cub deserves a medal for his resilience and endurance! Great scenery, love the US ATC and look forward to the next one! P.S. be interested to have a video showing us the G36 in more detail, performance envelope, fuel consumption, range etc and why you chose that over other high performance piston singles. Best wishes.

Edited perfectly. These videos keep on getting better I was actually gutted when it ended. Superb Matt and team

This will probably get buried since I'm four weeks late to the party, but there are a couple red flags here that could be useful to learn from. Obviously in this case, the tower controller had a few slip-ups that led to the confusion. But equally, this confusion was preventable by the pilots both in the Learjet and in 7HP. As pilots, we all need to be responsible for maintaining situational awareness, and we always need double check ATC's instructions with our own situational awareness to make sure everything makes sense. Here are a few key moments and my armchair analysis of what I think could have been done differently: 20:36 - Tower sequenced 7HP #3 behind the Learjet. 20:55 - Tower told the Learjet that he'd be following the Bonanza, and that the Bonanza was "close in, no factor for you." This should have raised red flags for the Learjet, since the Bonanza wasn't close in, and wasn't no factor to the Learjet--that was the Cirrus that was landing in front. It should also have raised red flags in 7HP, because just a bit before, tower had sequenced 7HP behind the Learjet and never informed 7HP of the change. 21:04 - Tower said "N7HP, looks like you're inside ZUGEN, number 2 following a VFR cirrus ... rwy 1 cleared to land number 2." ZUGEN is the final approach fix on the RNAV 1 into JAC. 7HP should have confirmed that the transmission was for him, since his mention of ZUGEN should have felt strange. He should also have confirmed the change in sequence from what was issued 30 seconds before. Equally, the pilot of the Learjet (who presumably had the approach plate in front of him) should have known that *he* was just inside ZUGEN and that the transmission was probably intended for him and *not* 7HP. He should have asked about this. He should also have asked about the change in sequence. Maintaining situational awareness even (especially?) at a towered airport is one of those things that I hammer hard into my students. The airport where I teach combines lots of student pilots with tower trainees, which regularly results in some pretty interesting situations that are usually resolved by a quick radio call to confirm. Remember, when in doubt, ask. As shocking as it may be, pilots and controllers are both human. Both groups make mistakes, and both need to be watching out for each others' backs. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Great takeoff at 12mins into the video. I've never seen a GA plane takeoff at relatively high alt and at max gw takeoff before, nicely done!

Great video Matt! Always look forward to your next video.

Quick, get the Cub around the corner, you're spoiling the look of the apron. Ha ha.

Very cool with the tour guide on the radio showing you Mr. Rushmore and Crazy Horse....

Having Burbank as my home base during my time in aviation, stuff like this is very common when you are mixing jet aircraft with light single engine aircraft. There are always last minute changes when your already set-up for landing, as they know in that moment that you cannot get you off the runway fast enough and they could force a go-around in the jet that is eating the seperation. Aircraft are always changing speed on the approach, so things like seperation change rapidly. They are often going to give priority to jet aircraft that would burn hundreds of dollars of fuel in a go-around.

I haven't had a restaurant meal since February, so even that aspect of the ep was thrilling. The rest of it--even more so. THANKS Matt. !!!

9:05 when the only thing you have to eat after a long day of flying is a delicious bag of tide pods

I spent a summer towing and hopping glider rides at Jackson Hole. One of my years as an airport bum after I was fired from SEARS after 21 years and on my 50th birthday. Best thing that ever happened to me.

Spectacular views as always Matt including those storms on approach in Wyoming!

Seemed pretty straight forward with the controller. Asked to report the Lear in sight and it wasn’t reported in sight by Matt before he made his base turn. Probably would have been ok if reported in sight sooner, but the window of opportunity was probably too close to safely let him land before the Lear.

Billionaires have right-away over millionaires, and young up-n-comers gotta do 360's waiting their turn. It's written someplace in the FAR's, I'm sure of it.

Its interesting when you have wider conversations with ATC, I realise that everyone needs to stay professional but those titbits that show everyone is human are little gems, especially the tour.

Lol the top 1% must always go first buddy. Don’t you know that?😂😂 happened to me at Henderson NV

There is a significant difference in approach speed between a Lear and a bonanza. Slow behind fast always works. Additionally general aviation pilots have a very wide range of skills and reliability thus making them less reliable at following directions and clearing runways. Clearly the Lear was moving fast on the parallel taxiway. That too was a good call. Suck it up. That is not a cheap bonanza to be flying around in so the poor little guy shtick is a bit comical.

Glad to see your back at it, Matt. Those new cameras are awesome.

@ 20:35 tower told you number three and then soon after cleared you to land behind the Cirrus on short final with the Learjet still on an extended straight in. Yes, he made that mistake, however, personally I would have simply asked for clarification. Except for that error, I thought the plan was a good one.....put you on an extended right downwind for Runway 1 for spacing behind the Learjet. He doesn’t know if you could land short enough to get off the runway in time for the Learjet to land. Suggestion...don’t talk to your passengers when landing. Especially in a relatively complex situation like that. Listen to the radio and every single call to and from the other aircraft. Helps to better understand the big picture.

What a beautiful place Jackson Hole is we were there 58 years ago on our cross country trip to Ca and took that gondola ride to the top of the mountain. It is amazing from the air. Looking forward to the next video.

Superb camera work and great editing. Nice job, gentleman. Subscribed!

Get it in some perspective. In my country you simply cannot just decide to go somewhere in your private aircraft. You file a flight plan the day before and you are given a landing slot at your destination. You do a weather confirmation the morning before your flight. Your course, height and speed are set for you. You either keep to that or you abort and return to your departure point. And thats even for the smallest local airport and all airspace is either civil or military control now. Commercial jets get top priority then commercial propeller, them private jets then private propellor. A casual trip is put at the bottom of the list.

Great video matt keep them coming , beautiful place

Hey Matt! I’d like to thank you for making these videos I’m a pilot in training and your videos have inspired my passion for flight. I simply can’t thank you enough 😀🙏

You kill it with content.

As someone in the medical field, I can say harvested organs are usually flown on small private jets and I’ve heard from the staff who carry the organs say they’re always given preferential service when landing and departing. It may not seem like much, but even a small delay can mean organs end up not being viable for transplant.

Cool little adventure once again Matt . Thanks for bringing me along with ya.

Awesome video Matt. Nicely handled and flown. ❤️

I turned on base at Ellington Field one evening and ATC called me #2 for 2 T-38s 7 miles long final. I could see their landing lights over downtown Houston. I was close to final and they still beat me in.

I'd probably still land there like you did. But I understand your pleab comment. We were in Jackson exploring the Grand Teton's and Yellowstone in August pulling our RV this summer. It was nice but you definitely know that community caters to the wealthy. Cheers.

I love that controller; pointing out the sights!

Casper, Wyoming, Home of the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps!

Another great video. Let's not be too hard on the controller. 👍

"Welcome to Da' Hole" that's what they say down there. But honestly the hole is amazing I was down there not too long ago with some buddies on a ski trip in my piper tri pacer and you get there and it's all white out and you just see the white pure powder on the mountains and I remember saying to my buddies "whelp boys this is why we bought this plane together, for s**t like this, right". Great video

Amazing video as always Matt! Great stuff. Thanks for keeping those of us in training motivated every day!

This is one of your best vids! Love your Bonanza manufactured here in my hometown of Wichita, Kansas. Proud you chose the best!

When he cleared you #2, I am wondering if he confused your N-number with the Lear's and thought he was clearing the Lear #2 following the Cirrus.

Should have just landed at driggs. One of the best airport restaurants you’ll ever see. And a grass runway to boot!

He did say before you got on the downwind you were #3 behind a leer jet. Yes i think he could’ve got you in no second thoughts before the leer had he planned it properly and not told him to keep his speed up but to put fault on anyone for being safe rather than sorry is a no from me

Great stuff as always. Good to have something to cheer us all up with COVID effecting our lives!! Thanks for sharing.

Controller was awesome, cautious doesn’t make him bad and he was extremely courteous.

Hey matt, Love your videos man! They were the videos that got me and my sister started into aviation, and they really inspire us to go out and work hard so that we can become pilots, I don't know If you will see this but keep up the great work stay safe!

6 ads in 20 mins and a paid promotion unwatchable now. Before the you tube premium comments start it’s not worth it. I get people need to make money from ad revenue but 6 ads and a paid promotion is a piss take.

great fun flying with you

Very nice

Outstanding video...cheerful stuff...as opposed to local mess here in Louisville KY... keep it up!!! thanks!

what a freaking cool controller haha.

Wish lookie had a youtube channel for the Cub. I wanna watch that footage

LOL. The Lear was asked to do 170 knots, and you wanted to cut in front? Do you have an idea how much fuel burn jets have flying at low altitude, or even taxing on the ground? When I'm flying my piston toy at a non-towered airport I go out of my way to give jet traffic the shortest approach possible (usually long final off the RNAV). When I'm flying my jet, I expect the piston pilots to extend downwind a little if necessary (like you were asked to do) so that I can get in quicker flying the instrument approach rather than circling the pattern (burning $10-20/minute).

Matt, you need to bring your plane to Ada and have it turbonormalized. Game changer when we did it.

Ha, I'm just getting back into sim flying with the new FS2020 and flew into KJAC a few days ago in a C172. Super cool that it translates a bit. What a beautiful place.

20:55 Yeah tower was all jacked up on this one. Hear he tells the jet to keep his speed up and he’ll be following a bonanza... then tells 7HP that he following the Cirrus and is #2.

That wasn’t really that bad. Try summer rush hour at HTO or a summer Friday after at TEB. Napa is another that’s eye opening. There are tons more, but you guys did just fine👍. Enjoy what’s to come in the flying years ahead.

Love your videos Matt. Very professional and very ‘watchable’. Keep it up.

Epic video, shame about the Learjet issue, but it is what it is. Thank you for taking your time to make this video. Rog from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Great adventure! Nice scenery and very good piloting 👌

What a cluster! You were definitely cleared 2nd after the Cirrus. I guess you will need to get you a Lear before coming back again. They'll have more respect for you.

Exception video. Very enjoyable to watch!

I flew a similar route to this in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the change in terrain and altitude was incredible! Why not post maps of the routes you fly so we can follow along with the sim.... For the first time ever, we can actually see what you see!

ATC tour guide is a total bro.

Me, I'd be glad to be sequenced number 3 behind a Lear. Kinda odd the controller tried to stick you in there and then put you thru the ringer. Like you said, you do what the controller tells you to do. On my long cross country many moons ago, I was sequenced number 1 with an F111 and a P3 and a KC135 inbound to KBGR and they told me downwind to 33 to "hustle it up and make a short approach". Being a student on my long cross country, that was rather intimidating but I knew that was a ton a wake turbulence and a long long long extended downwind or a bunch of right 360's had they put me number 4 so I did what they asked and hustled that Cherokee 140 down to the runway, side slipped the shit out of it over the numbers, greased it on, made that first taxiway and got the hell out of the way. Controller told me, "nice job". Today, like I said, I guess I woulda just asked to be number 3.

My favorite of your videos to date! Thanks for sharing!

Always enjoy your videos.

These last two video... wow.. well done!!!

I expected a gold runway at Wealthy airport. Disappointed.

Great video.....Just goes to show things don't always go smoothly.

We’re you number two behind the Cirrus but then ATC wanted to turn you out and bring you back in again behind the Lear by having you execute a 360 so the faster Lear could get by ? ATC didn’t explain thoroughly but that’s a fairly common practice for a slower aircraft in front of a faster one on final. You were correct though. You were number two behind the Cirrus until ATC gave the turnout instruction and you accepted it. Am I reading the situation correctly ?

expect this handling when there is IFR jet traffic and you are a vfr single engine piston. no surprise here.

I love that Bonanza.

Glad you got to experiance the famous Wyoming winds! I wrote TAFs in cheyenne for 2 years. It never stops lol Wyoming is beautiful country!

Wow delighted this was not LHR or CDG :) Thank you for sharing.

thanks for this.....most of us will never see this part of the country...so thanks for taking us along

Ellsworth approach is the best! Was just there last week! Super friendly and helpful!