Planning AZ visit after Christmas

Jim_R

Pattern Altitude
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Jim
I'll have a ~10-day window to do something between 12/26 and returning to work on 1/7, and am planning a visit to Arizona. My traveling companion has a broad itinerary established: Base in Tucson for a few days and explore the environs, move up north a bit and explore the Painted Desert and maybe Canyon de Chelly, then take a day to fly over the Grand Canyon and start heading home. I figure that makes for 5-7 days in AZ, with 2-3 days of travel to/from Houston, plus a couple of days for weather margin.

We'll be two people plus a week's luggage in a Cherokee 180. I'm used to flying from sea level (and over flat terrain), so I know it'll be a bit different at these altitudes (and around the mountains). I flew to Santa Fe in March a few years back, so I've had some small experience here before. Probably won't be flying with full tanks!

We'll be traveling from Houston, and will essentially follow I-10 west to Tucson. Current thought is to return home via a route crossing the mountains just south of Albuquerque (ONM VOR).

I've read messages here and elsewhere about "how to fly the Grand Canyon", and watched some YouTube videos, and of course have reviewed the Grand Canyon VFR chart, so I feel like I generally understand that situation.

Some questions for anyone familiar with the area:
  1. Recommendations for best airport/FBO in Tucson area? Based on about 10 min of poking around on Airnav, I'm leaning toward Tucson Jet Center at KTUS. (Any reason to prefer Velocity at KRYN?)
  2. Any good ideas for best way to get to the Painted Desert? Looks like Winslow and Taylor are the closest options with rental cars. If we include Canyon de Chelly, though, maybe Gallup would be a better choice?
  3. Any words of wisdom on flying in this area in December?
    1. I'm conscious of the density altitude (a big reason we're going in December).
    2. I'm conscious of my inexperience with mountains, but think I can plot a route that avoids typical "mountain flying" concerns (won't be flying narrow passes or close ridgelines). What should I be thinking about to avoid complacency/surprises?
    3. Am I wrong to think that icing concerns are relatively low due to the arid climate?
    4. Any additional advice re: Grand Canyon aside from "stay in the VFR corridors and don't fly too low" and "expect big up/downdrafts near the rims"? (Are there any specific areas aside from the corridors we should make sure to fly over while we're in the neighborhood?)
Thanks,
Jim
 
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Give a shout when you're in the area. Several of us in the PHX and TUS areas get together from time to time.

Last year I did a round-robin in my C-172 from Goodyear, over the Canyon throught the Zuni Point Corridor, to Page for fuel. From there I flew the length of Lake Powell then down to Monument Valley, and back to Grand Canyon, where I met up for lunch with my wife and a couple of her friends who were on a motorcoach tour.

Videos (part 1 and part 2) from that trip:


 
However, you should anticipate heavy frost if tied down outside.
Thanks for all your info, but this in particular--this is the kind of thing i'm unfamiliar with. In practical terms, what does this mean? Should I expect not to be able to fly early in the morning until temps warm up a bit? Should I pack a big towel and expect to be able to brush off the frost as part of my pre-flight?
 
Tell me about it. I just took the photo below. We're in Pinetop-Lakeside AZ, about 12 nm south of Show Low (KSOW), 7,000' elevation.
Hah. OK...so maybe few worries about ice or snow in Tucson, but for the Flagstaff/Gallop, portion...yeah. Guess I probably need to make some FBO phone calls, but wondering if there's any transient hangar availability in Gallop or Flagstaff, or at least a spot to warm up after an evening that looks like the above....
 
Hah. OK...so maybe few worries about ice or snow in Tucson, but for the Flagstaff/Gallop, portion...yeah. Guess I probably need to make some FBO phone calls, but wondering if there's any transient hangar availability in Gallop or Flagstaff, or at least a spot to warm up after an evening that looks like the above....
Flagstaff has a ski area. North part of AZ is 5000msl and higher. Grand Canyon is snow and cold and miserable in the winter.
Also consider Prescott as an alternate airport.
 
I am based at Ryan and it is a nice airport with a touch and go cafe on the field, depending on who is cooking. I believe the tie down fee is $5 a night to the airport authority, not Velocity. They just run a rip off fuel operation, currently $5.19. I would check on overnight parking costs at Jet Center. Good people there also, my kid was a line guy there before he became a pilot. Call and ask for Amanda for info. Hope that helps.
 
Also consider Prescott as an alternate airport.
What's the traffic like there with ERAU? I'm familiar with their operations at Daytona Beach, and it's like bees buzzing around a hive. Waiting in line to take off is no fun, either. I was assuming Prescott was similar, so had kind of written it off.
 
I am based at Ryan and it is a nice airport with a touch and go cafe on the field, depending on who is cooking. I believe the tie down fee is $5 a night to the airport authority, not Velocity. They just run a rip off fuel operation, currently $5.19. I would check on overnight parking costs at Jet Center. Good people there also, my kid was a line guy there before he became a pilot. Call and ask for Amanda for info. Hope that helps.
Yeah, prices didn't seem to be too different. TUS Premier says $15 overnight (first night waived with fuel), and FS fuel price at $5.30 is only a few cents higher than SS RYN Velocity ($5.19). RYN just didn't seem to be slam-dunk better. Same with AVQ. Just figured it might be easier to go to the "main" airport...but I might still be missing something.
 
Yeah, prices didn't seem to be too different. TUS Premier says $15 overnight (first night waived with fuel), and FS fuel price at $5.30 is only a few cents higher than SS RYN Velocity ($5.19). RYN just didn't seem to be slam-dunk better. Same with AVQ. Just figured it might be easier to go to the "main" airport...but I might still be missing something.
You may be right, much easier to get transportation at KTUS, no rental cars or courtesy cars at AVQ or RYN, just a smaller atmosphere and both have cafe's. Good luck!
 
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