[tgrayson]

not let you take off in that direction.

For IFR departures, the FAA assumes a relatively poor amount of performance. Plus, you have no course guidance when taking off...and you can't see anything, in theory, because you're in the clouds. For pattern operations, you're in visual conditions and you're descending, which is easier than climbing.

Lights - interesting. You would think there would be better lights on the main approach runway. I guess they are expecting the pilot to exercise caution and not mtn. fly in the dark or bad conditions.

Why do you think 33 is the main approach runway?

I see about the circle-to-land. You need that extra distance to scrub speed off.

Not sure what you mean by that. The minimums are high on the approach and the missed approach is far from the runway in order to take into account how shallowly the airplane will climb if you go missed. If it took you lower or closer to the runway, if you went missed, you wouldn't clear terrain. You probably can't descend any earlier due to terrain.

You shouldn't have any extra airspeed to bleed off by the time you reach the FAF, I would think. The difficulty is getting rid of altitude.

I don't see how this approach could be done in any plane at night. Seems there would be no way to see the tops of mountains when you are circling down to land.

In theory, you don't need to, because you should remain within the approved circling area. I seem to recall this approach was N/A at night, anyway.