Florida to Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Nevada

[JOhnH]

This darn pandemic is interfering with our plans to hit all 49 Continental states. When it is over, we want to take a trip in the Bonanza to the States listed in the title. It doesn't really matter where in each state we land, but we'd like to find a route that won't require too much O2 (we have a 22 cu ft tank with oxy saver cannulas) and we'd like to find decent places to spend the night and have a nice meal.

We are not highly experienced mountain flyers, but we have flown over the Rockies several times, including round trips from Florida to Oregon, Alaska, and San Diego. (San Diego was the easiest if I recall), so we are not exactly rookies either.

Also, we don't have to hit all four states in one trip.

I am looking for suggestions for routes and cool places to spend a night or two (or three).

Depending on the timing and time of year, I will also be looking for a similar trip up to the North East (Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island and Delaware) which would complete our 49 state goal. Then we will set a new goal. Maybe we will try to take in the top National Monuments before they are destroyed or renamed.

 

[denverpilot]

Well in CO there’s always the stop at KLXV to say you’ve landed at the highest public use airport... and get a certificate.

Of course solid planning is required to this when it’s cool out and performance planning is a must.

 

[murphey]

Well in CO there’s always the stop at KLXV to say you’ve landed at the highest public use airport... and get a certificate.

Of course solid planning is required to this when it’s cool out and performance planning is a must.

While you're at it, stop at one of the Front Range airports, get a lesson in high altitude airports. Most of the time, the lesson includes a flight to Leadville.
Hint: If you announce "Lake County Airport" we know you're a flatlander....locals call it "Leadville"
Grab one of the crew cars and head to town for lunch.

 

[danhagan]

While you're at it, stop at one of the Front Range airports, get a lesson in high altitude airports. Most of the time, the lesson includes a flight to Leadville.
Hint: If you announce "Lake County Airport" we know you're a flatlander....locals call it "Leadville"
Grab one of the crew cars and head to town for lunch.

I'm not a flatlander, and I'll call what's on the sectional EVERY time. When I was flying the RV home 2 years ago, someone made that type of announcement (local name of field - not whats on sectional) while descending into the pattern (didn't announce that part either) and nearly ran me over. His overtake was from behind and above ... luckily I have a plexi canopy and saw it at the last second and dove ... he never saw me ...

 

[bflynn]

A few cool ideas come to mind - some of these are thing I want to do but haven't.

CO - Durango CO is in the south west part of the state and features the Durango Silverton narrow gauge railway. KDRO is probably the right airport, 7000' elevation, 9200' runway. If you come to Albuquerque and turn north, you miss most of the really high stuff.
Lots of common things in the Denver area. Some interesting drives through the mountains to the west
Colorado Springs / Air Force Academy, although I'm not sure what to do.

AZ - I'd head to flagstaff for a few days at the Grand Canyon if you haven't seen it. Spring for a hotel room on the rim. Family friends visited a month ago and said it was dead.
Sedona, west of Phx, scenery is almost as nice.
I've always wanted to see Canyon De Chelly (Native American cliff dwellings), but it's tucked up in the NE corner of the state and accessibility by plane is questionable.

NV - Las Vegas is an obvious choice for Nevada and you could day trip to the Grand Canyon from here.
Maybe Lake Tahoe, but not a lot of choice for NV.
Also from Vegas, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and Monument Valley as well as Seligman AZ, the inspiration for Radiator Springs in the Disney Cars movie.

Utah - Bryce Canyon if you like hiking
Otherwise...Salt Lake City? IMO, the Grand America hotel downtown is a great location. If you're here on a Sunday, you might be able to get a performance of the choir or during week, see a rehearsal. The historic grounds around the temple are worth a visit to learn the history, but most of it closed on Sunday.
Out of SLC, there are some really nice drives up toward Park City.

 

[RussR]

I'm not a flatlander, and I'll call what's on the sectional EVERY time. When I was flying the RV home 2 years ago, someone made that type of announcement (local name of field - not whats on sectional) while descending into the pattern (didn't announce that part either) and nearly ran me over. His overtake was from behind and above ... luckily I have a plexi canopy and saw it at the last second and dove ... he never saw me ...

Yes. The AIM specifically says "Pilots use the correct airport name, as identified in appropriate aeronautical publications, to reduce the risk of confusion when communicating their position, intentions, and/or exchanging traffic information."

The airport name. Not the city name, not the previous name of the airport, but the current airport name.

HOWEVER, I will admit that strict following of this rule can sometimes result in some absurdity. For example, if LIT tower was closed, for example for COVID, the by-the-book transmission would be "Bill and Hillary Clinton National Adams Field traffic, Cherokee 12345 left downwind runway 22L, full stop, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Adams Field." But when the tower is open it's just "Adams Tower".

MWA is another one. A part-time tower and it's "Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois". Or "Marion Tower" when it's open.

Of course, both of those have their own dedicated CTAF frequency (tower freq), so the risk for confusion is minimal.

But for an uncontrolled field, BFF - "Western Nebraska Regional William B Heilig Field". I could definitely understand if locals called it "Scottsbluff".

 

[sourdough44]

‘We’? How much margin do you have with performance? Are we talking the heat of Summer or cooler Fall months?

We went to the Grand Canyon with an overnight in Raton, NM(Whittington Center) then North of ABQ, near FMN/Ship Rock through Monument Valley to GCN. Once there, SGU, BCE, & CNY are nearby.

I’m a tad picky about airports, especially approaching performance limits. I don’t care for nicks in the newer prop either.

I would keep max flexibility, no reason you have to be anywhere. FL to out West is a good haul, keep that plate reasonable.

 

[JOhnH]

‘We’? How much margin do you have with performance? Are we talking the heat of Summer or cooler Fall months?

It would just be two of us in a Bonanza and we don't pack to heavily, so we would be a few hundred pounds under gross max wt. And it would be in the cooler months. We plan to do a North East trip in the warmer months.

We went to the Grand Canyon with an overnight in Raton, NM(Whittington Center) then North of ABQ, near FMN/Ship Rock through Monument Valley to GCN. Once there, SGU, BCE, & CNY are nearby.

I’m a tad picky about airports, especially approaching performance limits. I don’t care for nicks in the newer prop either.

We plan to look for paved runways, although we have no problem landing at a grass strip if we need to. We do avoid gravel. And we have no desire to find the highest altitude airport.

I would keep max flexibility, no reason you have to be anywhere. FL to out West is a good haul, keep that plate reasonable.

We do have a lot of flexibility This will be a shorter round trip than our last few, but we will be spending more time in and around the mountains than prior trips. Although we saw a lot of mountains on our Alaska trip and on or Washington State trip, but they were mostly over and through the mountain passes. This time we will be doing more landing and taking off.

 

[RussR]

Yes. The AIM specifically says "Pilots use the correct airport name, as identified in appropriate aeronautical publications, to reduce the risk of confusion when communicating their position, intentions, and/or exchanging traffic information."

The airport name. Not the city name, not the previous name of the airport, but the current airport name.

HOWEVER, I will admit that strict following of this rule can sometimes result in some absurdity. For example, if LIT tower was closed, for example for COVID, the by-the-book transmission would be "Bill and Hillary Clinton National Adams Field traffic, Cherokee 12345 left downwind runway 22L, full stop, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Adams Field." But when the tower is open it's just "Adams Tower".

MWA is another one. A part-time tower and it's "Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois". Or "Marion Tower" when it's open.

Of course, both of those have their own dedicated CTAF frequency (tower freq), so the risk for confusion is minimal.

But for an uncontrolled field, BFF - "Western Nebraska Regional William B Heilig Field". I could definitely understand if locals called it "Scottsbluff".

Ran across another good one this morning. O'Neill, Nebraska, ONL:

"The O'Neill Muni-John L Baker Field traffic..."

 

[Ed Haywood]

In your planning for this, did you identify seasonal windows that are less likely to encounter severe thunderstorm complexes in the midwest and plains states? Asking because I am considering a FL to CO trip this fall in a very slow VFR aircraft. Don't want to wind up taking a ride in an Oklahoma tornado.

 

[Pilawt]

Sedona, west of Phx, scenery is almost as nice.

Sedona is just about 85 nm due magnetic north of PHX, and always a worthy destination. Also consider Page, just south of the Utah border, jumping off point for Lake Powell recreation. Ten miles west of KPGA is Marble Canyon (L41), one of the most beautiful places you can land.

I've always wanted to see Canyon De Chelly (Native American cliff dwellings), but it's tucked up in the NE corner of the state and accessibility by plane is questionable.

Chinle (E91) is close to the canyon, but I'm not sure of transportation options there.

 

[RussR]

In your planning for this, did you identify seasonal windows that are less likely to encounter severe thunderstorm complexes in the midwest and plains states? Asking because I am considering a FL to CO trip this fall in a very slow VFR aircraft. Don't want to wind up taking a ride in an Oklahoma tornado.

I wouldn't worry too much about being caught by or being surprised by a tornado. While tornadoes themselves are impossible so far to accurately forecast, the severe weather that causes them is pretty well forecasted even a few days ahead of time. In addition, most of the tornado-causing severe weather is in the afternoon or evening - the morning is usually fine. Especially in a slow airplane, you are likely planning many stops along the way, so it would not be much of a problem to call it a day if the storms start popping up. You should have plenty of notice with current technology, and be able to stay away. What you're usually NOT likely to be able to do in a slow airplane is go around the weather - the systems are usually pretty big. But I would make sure you can get it in a hangar. (There's no guarantee the hangar won't be blown over, of course, but at least it will protect it from hail and "normal" wind.)

 

[Ed Haywood]

I wouldn't worry too much about being caught by or being surprised by a tornado. While tornadoes themselves are impossible so far to accurately forecast, the severe weather that causes them is pretty well forecasted even a few days ahead of time. In addition, most of the tornado-causing severe weather is in the afternoon or evening - the morning is usually fine.

Thanks ... similar to Florida. Is there any particular seasonal variation to that pattern?

 

[RussR]

Thanks ... similar to Florida. Is there any particular seasonal variation to that pattern?

March-May is the main tornado season, with a secondary one in October, at least for Oklahoma.