Highest altitude you’ve ever had your 170?

A place to relax and discuss flying topics.

Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher

User avatar
Vertical
Posts: 151
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:41 am

Re: Highest altitude you’ve ever had your 170?

Post by Vertical »

DaveF wrote:FL200, January 2018, near Greeley, Colorado. Two aboard, half tanks at takeoff.

Climb through 18000 went pretty fast. I didn't record the data, but I wasn't climbing Vy the whole time, either. Climb slowed through FL190, and was very slow the last 500 to FL200. Interestingly, the climb topped out at exactly FL200. 65mph indicated. Any slower or faster and we descended. From the timestamps on my pictures, it looks like we flew level at FL200 for about 10 minutes.

We didn't file an IFR flight plan, we just called Denver Approach at about 17500 and requested a clearance to FL200 for a test flight. "Say type" ... "Cessna one-seven-zero!"

Lycoming O-360, MT propeller.
FL200.jpg
I see you're based out of Colorado. My wife and I may be looking at a move to SW CO at 6500', south of 14k mountains and East the Utah desert. We worry that we might have to leave our o300a powered 170B behind since we like to do a lot of off airport camping and exploring. Is the o-360 a viable option for hot Utah and high Colorado flying in your experience?..do we just buy a 180? If it's our forever plane, then the cost of the conversion is pretty easy to justify.
User avatar
DaveF
Posts: 1516
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2007 1:44 am

Re: Highest altitude you’ve ever had your 170?

Post by DaveF »

A 180hp 170 is ideal for Utah and Colorado. Last year I was at Mexican Mountain, Mineral Canyon, Hidden Splendor, and a few other strips. Two, camping gear, and half tanks, no problems at all. The airplane gets off the ground in a hurry and climbs. Has that great light 170 control feel. But it's not a 180. It doesn't have the useful load, range, or speed of a 180. I'd much rather have a 180hp 170 than a 180 because I don't want something that big and truck-like. But it depends on your mission. When my family was young we had a 182 and a T210 and they were perfect, but I don't need that anymore. And I'll never buy another Continental 470 or 520 cylinder.

My opinion: if you're going to pay for an engine conversion, go with a constant-speed prop, not a fixed-pitch. And in my opinion, money spent on an MT propeller is money well spent if you're going to be operating on short rough runways at high density altitudes.

All that said, lots of guys operate in that area with stock 170s. My airplane's first owner was in La Sal, UT, just south of Moab.
User avatar
ghostflyer
Posts: 1390
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:06 am

Re: Highest altitude you’ve ever had your 170?

Post by ghostflyer »

In my 180hp 170a I tried to go the highest I have ever been in a GA aircraft and I got to about 13500ft but I then acquired a hang over feeling so it was down to 8500ft for the rest of the trip. The aircraft was performing excellent but the pilot wasn’t. Maybe I am getting too old for that sort of thing.
Post Reply