To stay current, pilots with an instrument rating — navigating by instruments only — need to perform a certain number of instrument-only landing approaches each year. To save time and fuel, pilots will often just “shoot approaches” — approach and fly low over the runway of the airport without actually landing.
When pilots shoot approaches at Sedona Airport in a small two-seater propeller plane, few notice it.
But when a Boeing 737 comes in for an approach and glides 100 feet above the mesa before pulling out, folks notice.
That happened three consecutive afternoons the week before Presidents’ Day, when a 737 owned by AerSale Inc — a large aviation company with a facility in Goodyear — flew approaches over the Sedona Airport and then Laughlin Airport in Nevada. The approaches — and their regularity — raised some questions for residents.
From below Airport Mesa, the 737 appeared to be taking off or landing at the airport, so some wondered if the approaches were a prelude to more jetliner traffic at the airport — maybe even commercial service.
But large commercial jets will not be landing at Sedona Airport in the foreseeable future, Airport Manager Ed Rose said.
In an emergency a 737 might be able to land at the airport, Rose said, but “he’d never get out of here.”
The posted weight limit for the runway is 30,000 pounds, and an empty Boeing 737 weighs 80,000 pounds. Its minimum takeoff distance is 6,161 feet, and Sedona’s runway is 5,132 feet. And since Sedona’s runway is limited by the length of the mesa, this will not change in the foreseeable future.
Rose said the largest aircraft the Sedona Airport can regularly handle is the Global Express business jet made by Bombardier Aviation, which can carry 13 to 17 passengers.
AerSale did not respond to a request for information, but part of its business is refurbishing and upgrading mid-life aircraft, including upgrading the instrumentation on aircraft. In September, the company announced that it was testing a new imaging system for pilots called AerAware on a Boeing 737- 800 — the model that flew the approaches over Sedona. The approaches over Sedona may have been part of the testing for AerAware or another technology.
Rose said he met with some concerned residents about the flights. Rose said that the plane wasn’t violating any FAA rules. He added that the 737 appeared to make an effort to avoid residential areas.
He was able to check the 737’s exact flight path and altitude using a program called Virtower, which he started using this year.
“It’s been a tremendous tool, answering concerns with facts,” he said.
