Aspen Flying Club

After the great success of our first Member Event Series, we are excited to announce the next installment coming this month 🛫

Join us as we bring in former members and instructors to talk about where they are now, and their journey getting there.

Details and a registration link will be emailed to members of American Flight Schools next week, so keep an eye on those inboxes.

*This is an informational forum only. It is not a job fair or interview event, and resumes will not be accepted

Osh ‘26 nights with Derick Vo 𓃱, Sprouted and ._thanh ⛺️🌅

It’s that time again! Join us next Sunday, July 26th at for a summer Mountain Flying Course ⛰️

Our expert mountain instructors will give you a comprehensive classroom lesson covering the ins and outs of flying in the Rocky Mountains. This ground course is a prerequisite for your mountain checkout flight.

Registration link is in our bio. All members and non-members are welcome!

Seeing “FU” in the forecast? Know the risks!

Would you believe that all of these pictures from our CFIs were taken when conditions were reported to be perfect VFR?

With the unfortunate amount of wildfire smoke across Colorado and surrounding states, it’s important to take the impact of this phenomena into consideration when planning your next flight.

You may have noticed the METAR reporting 10 miles of visibility with no ceilings, only to get up in the air and be faced with what seems like significantly reduced visibility.

Why is that?

Smoke particles are a fraction of the size of water molecules in the atmosphere. This can throw off the visibility reporting of AWOS/ASOS stations as they take measurements via infrared light which has a longer wavelength than visible light.

This results in AWOS/ASOS stations reporting much greater visibility than actual.

“Slant visibility” then reduces your airborne visibility even further, which is exactly what we see in these pictures. What is reported as 10 miles then becomes more like 3-5 📐

To the unsuspecting pilot, this could result in disorientation, loss of situational awareness, or even just difficulty finding your intended destination.

So what can you do to stay safe?

1.) Acknowledge the risks!
2.) Maintain your instrument proficiency
3.) Obtain PIREPs and condition reports from local pilots
4.) Look at webcams along your route
5.) Have an alternative plan or be prepared to turn around

When in doubt, you can always stay on the ground!

With wildfire conditions likely to continue through the summer, familiarize yourself with these challenges and be prepared for anything. Even a clear day can turn smoky in an instant.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can always ask one of our friendly instructors for help! Fly safe 🛫

twf you butter the last landing of the lesson 😮‍💨🧈

Excellent shots of one of our fleet favorites by 📸

250 year of independence 🇺🇸 Happy 4th from your American Flight Schools family 🎉

Are you ready for our mountain flying ground course on Sunday? Join us at KAPA for a 4-hour course covering the basics of flying through the highest average terrain in North America!

Register via the link on our profile and start your mountain checkout process this weekend ⛰️

This might be our biggest mountain flying course yet ⛰️

We are bringing the whole family together and inviting all Colorado members and non-members alike to join us for this x crossover course on Sunday, May 17th!

This course will be led be expert mountain instructors Andy Holmes from Aspen Flying Club and from Western Air Flight Academy!

Learn mountain flying essentials in this 4 hour ground course ahead of the summer flying months! This class is a prerequisite for your mountain checkout flight.

Enrollment link will be in our bio. See you there 😎

FRONT 👏 DESK 👏 LEGACY 👏 has continued the tradition by doing her first solo under her former front desk instructor

What can we say? There must be some magic behind that counter 🛫

(Swipe to see the real first solo plane 👉)

In case you were wondering what springtime in Colorado looks like 🥶