A GULFSTREAM III IS KEPT TOO HIGH; FL180 AND 4 MI N OF THE VOR; WHILE ON THE ASPEN VOR DME APCH AND HAS TO ASK ATC FOR A CIRCLE TO THE N OF THE ASE VOR IN ORDER TO CROSS THE VOR AT 14000 FT FOR THEIR APCH.

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WE WERE PUT ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE VOR/DME TO ASPEN; CO. ONCE ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE; YOU MAY DSND TO 14000 FT MSL; AT WHICH TIME YOU CROSS DBL VOR AT 14000 FT AND THEN PROCEED DOWN THE 164 DEG RADIAL TO MEET VARIOUS STEPDOWN FIXES FOR THE VOR/DME APCH TO ASE. WHEN WE WERE 3-4 MI OUTSIDE OF THE VOR; THE CTLR STILL HAD US AT FL180; AND THEN CLRED US FOR THE APCH. WE STARTED TO DSND TO 14000 FT WHEN WE REALIZED THERE WAS NO WAY WE WERE GOING TO LOSE 4000 FT IN 3-4 MI TO CROSS DBL AT 14000 FT -- ESPECIALLY WITH A 15 KT TAILWIND. AFTER PASSING 17500 FT; WE ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD GO AROUND ONCE IN THE HOLDING PATTERN TO LOSE THE ALT. HE CLRED US BACK UP TO FL180 AND VECTORED US AROUND AGAIN FOR THE APCH -- THIS TIME IN A BETTER POS FOR THE APCH. LOOKING BACK; I THINK THAT ATC NEEDS TO BE BETTER AWARE THAT AN ACFT LIKE A GULFSTREAM CAN'T LOSE 4000 FT IN A MATTER OF 2-3 MI SAFELY AND BE EXPECTED TO SHOOT THE APCH EFFECTIVELY. THE APCH TO ASPEN IS TRICKY ENOUGH. IT REQUIRES THAT YOU BE CONFIGURED REAL EARLY IN THE APCH DUE TO THE ELEVATION OF THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN. IF ATC IS KEEPING YOU A FEW THOUSAND FT ABOVE ALL PUBLISHED ALTS CLOSE IN; THEN THEY HAVE TO REALIZE THAT BIGGER ACFT CANNOT GET CONFIGURED PROPERLY FOR AN APCH. I RECOMMEND THAT ATC (AT ASE) AT LEAST GET THE AIRPLANES ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE A LITTLE FARTHER OUT FROM DBL VOR SO THAT THE CREW CAN GET THE AIRPLANE CONFIGURED SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A REASONABLE ATTEMPT OF SHOOTING THE APCH.