Taking Off Heavy
I picked up some folks in Susanville the other day. Between the size of the passengers, their baggage, and the full fuel tanks, I was very near the "gross weight" of 3600 lbs on takeoff. Gross weight is the maximum total weight an airplane is rated by the manufacturer. The 6X's 300 horses do not usually have a problem with heavy loads, but Susanville is in the mountains at an altitude of more than 4000 feet, and it was a fairly warm day. This creates what pilots call a "high density altitude", which results in reduced engine performance and decreased lift. The bottom line is you need more runway to get off the ground, and once airborne, you climb slower than you would at sea level.
As we slowly climbed out to the west, I was wondering if the passengers noticed how slow we were climbing. About that time, one of the men said, "This plane sure climbs well! Most airplanes I've been in need to circle to climb out of the valley!"