Crossing the Appalachian Mountains

kontiki

kontiki

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Kontiki
Can anyone recommend the best VFR route for crossing the Appalacian mountains somewhere between West Tennessee and Delaware. I did it once before years ago, it went fine, but the route I chose really didn't leave me a lot of options if I had a failure of some kind. Thanks in advance.
 
kontiki said:
Can anyone recommend the best VFR route for crossing the Appalacian mountains somewhere between West Tennessee and Delaware. I did it once before years ago, it went fine, but the route I chose really didn't leave me a lot of options if I had a failure of some kind. Thanks in advance.
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They’re really not that big a deal, as mountains go. True, in some areas there aren’t many airports, but even in Pa or WV, there are generally plenty of fields, roads and even major highways.

I’d plan my best route, study the vfr sectional and the aerial map, fly as high as you’re comfortably able and use flight following. You’ll be fine.

Fly safe. Enjoy your trip and good luck.
 
Not much terrain over 4K around there. Draw a line and climb to 7500 or 9500 feet and go. The highest point in the Appalachian Mts. is Mt. Mitchell and that's barely over 6K and it's in North Carolina.

Alternatively, from Knoxville, stay south of Roanoke, Virginia and you'll miss the mountains.
 
Fly as high as your comfortable with, mostly a non issue, maybe you want to plot a course over some “mountain” airports so you’ll have a place to land.
 
Meh, I’ve crossed them a lot of times. Fly high and you’ll be fine, it’s really not a big deal.
kontiki said:
I did it once before years ago, it went fine, but the route I chose really didn't leave me a lot of options if I had a failure of some kind.
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Well, that’s more or less any route over dense forest and mountainous terrain, not sure there’s any good solution to it. You’ll be eating tree bark more often than not if something happens out there.
 
Never realized how extreme that drop was from the Sierras to the valley.
 
I worry a lot more about the weather over the Eastern mountains than the rocks themselves. They don't climb that high, so they're easy to stay over with lots of options if things go south. And there's usually a road or a field. But those rocks make weather, and lots of it. The Western mountains are higher to be certain, but they're also quite a bit dryer and make less weather. VFR, you need to pick your day carefully.
 
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I think the original poster may have been more concerned with off-airport landings and not the altitude. I would suggest to just pick an interstate to follow 'some what' by keeping it in glide range.
Also, pick a less windy day if you want to go any lower than 7-8K to avoid being shook all about.
 
Pretty much the same as the Adirondacks. You have to fly over them to get to some fun places. TBH, I know of at least one incident of fuel exhaustion where the pilots simply flew under control in the woods and walked away. A long, long way. but basically without major injury. It just illustrates that even in the rare event that you have to make an emergency landing in inhospitable territory, it is possible to achieve a reasonable outcome. The chances of an in-flight engine failure, while possible, it pretty remote for a well-maintained aircraft. If possible, flying routes near interstate highways might offer more options, for more level ground, but even that is not all that attractive.

The biggest problem flying around the Eastern peaks is wind. There can be bodacious turbulence downwind of the ridges, especially after front passages.
 
EdFred said:
Never realized how extreme that drop was from the Sierras to the valley.
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I've seen it posted elsewhere that the referenced map isn't entirely accurate. Elevations over a certain amount are exaggerated, or something along those lines. I dunno, I live in the flatlands.
 
fasteddie said:
I've seen it posted elsewhere that the referenced map isn't entirely accurate. Elevations over a certain amount are exaggerated, or something along those lines. I dunno, I live in the flatlands.
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I pulled up a sectional, and if you go from Woodlake (O42) to the east, That's a 13,000+' rise in 30 miles. About 431'/nm, not exactly a shallow gradient.
 
I have crossed from NC to TN a few times going into Elizabethton (0A9) and Tri-Cities (TRI) in a 172. No issues. Easy peasey.
 
steingar said:
I worry a lot more about the weather over the Eastern mountains than the rocks themselves.
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Good point. Even the Piedmont and a bit of the Smokies I cross going from Atlanta to Louisville can cause some wonky weather and turbulence.

While you don’t have to find a pass to follow, just plan out the weather. Of course - flight following is always smart.
 
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eman1200 said:
while the east coast 'mountains' aren't overly difficult to navigate, they do pose their own challenges......

View attachment 105523
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LOL - I missed Godzilla the first time I saw your post.

Hey - the West may have snazzie ski areas, but the eastern mountains have Gatlinburg and DollyWorld - so there.
 
WDD said:
LOL - I missed Godzilla the first time I saw your post.

Hey - the West may have snazzie ski areas, but the eastern mountains have Gatlinburg and DollyWorld - so there.
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More apt comparison: the western mountains have the Grand Tetons, the eastern mountains have Dolly Parton.

;)
 
Going to Delaware? Fly northeast to MGW, follow I-68 pretty much due east through the mountains. Watch out for Camp David east of HGR. If you can make 5500' eastbound VFR you'll be fine.
 
kontiki said:
Can anyone recommend the best VFR route for crossing the Appalacian mountains somewhere between West Tennessee and Delaware. I did it once before years ago, it went fine, but the route I chose really didn't leave me a lot of options if I had a failure of some kind. Thanks in advance.
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You are correct that the Appalachian does not have many options for off-airport landing because it is heavily wooded. But it is no different than flying over New York city or Chicago. Just climb high to minimize the exposure. It is not big risk, in my opinion. You don't have the option of climbing high when flying in the rocky mountains.
 
steingar said:
I worry a lot more about the weather over the Eastern mountains than the rocks themselves. They don't climb that high, so they're easy to stay over with lots of options if things go south. And there's usually a road or a field. But those rocks make weather, and lots of it. The Western mountains are higher to be certain, but they're also quite a bit dryer and make less weather. VFR, you need to pick your day carefully.
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You really need to get out more.

Appalachians may generate t-storms in the warm months, but there are very predictable and easy to plan around and avoid.

In the Rockies, it’s the weather you can’t see that will kill you.
 
kontiki said:
Can anyone recommend the best VFR route for crossing the Appalacian mountains somewhere between West Tennessee and Delaware. I did it once before years ago, it went fine, but the route I chose really didn't leave me a lot of options if I had a failure of some kind. Thanks in advance.
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There are a lot more options to put down than many think. Even in the higher country there are enough farms and clearings that you can usually find a place to put down that is survivable. The key is cruising high enough in the sparsely populated parts.
 
Fearless Tower said:
You really need to get out more.

Appalachians may generate t-storms in the warm months, but there are very predictable and easy to plan around and avoid.

In the Rockies, it’s the weather you can’t see that will kill you.
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VFR sparky. Eastern rocks make lots of clouds and other obstructions to visibility.
 
Please don’t let the western folk try to convince you the Apps have no hazards. Ice, turbulence, convective activity, and mountain obscuration live at times in them there hills.
 
Clip4 said:
Please don’t let the western folk try to convince you the Apps have no hazards. Ice, turbulence, convective activity, and mountain obscuration live at times in them there hills.
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Those hills are bad to drive through alot of the time let alone fly through.

JST and 2G4 spend an awful lot of time at OVC002 1/4SM, not just in the winter nor just overnights/mornings.
 
I’ve crossed them more times than I can count. If it’s really windy just fly a little higher.
 
donjohnston said:
I’ve crossed them more times than I can count. If it’s really windy just fly a little higher.
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I’ve crossed many an Eastern mountains as well. But I have to pick my days very carefully indeed to remain VFR. Obscurations are more common than not, and they can climb high indeed.
 
Yep. VFR down low you definitely want to pick your days. Especially if you plan on landing in or close to the mountains. Asheville, NC can be sporting when the winds are blowing.

I should have mentioned that I was "crossing" the range and IFR so I was usually at 8000'+. Had to go up to 10,000' a couple of times.
 
crossing the mountains near asheville is super easy to do 364 days of the year. some of us happen to know which day it's almost impossible to get over them.
 
eman1200 said:
while the east coast 'mountains' aren't overly difficult to navigate, they do pose their own challenges......
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Mountains make their own weather. Here we are at 1B5 (Franconia, NH) It was great weather except for the clouds created by the mountain upslope.

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