Florida to West coast... and back

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bjornvil

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bjornvil
Hi Guys

I'm from Iceland, staying in Florida now going 3 weeks building time. I have gotten comfortable with flying here in the US and am growing tired of flying around Florida so I am planning a trip to the West coast and back.

I am flying a PA-28-140 with a new 160 hp engine, well equipped with GNS430. I am instrument rated and I will most likely do most of the flying on an IFR flight plan.

I will be flying two 3-4 hour legs per day, then maybe stop for a few days to fly around the west coast (L.A., Las Vegas etc.)

Now... I am a little lost as to where to plan my fuel stops and overnights, and which airport to stop at in Los Angeles, and other popular destinations on the west coast. I would like to keep cost down as far as possible, i.e. fuel and fees.

So I'll just cut to the chase:
Is there I website which shows me fuel price and airport fees along a particular route?
Which airport should I stop at if I want to visit LA?
Any advise regarding planning a long trip like this?

Many thanks!
Bjorn
 
Sounds like a fun trip. You can look up airports and get an idea on fuel prices from airnav.com

No other advise on stops.
 
ChemGuy said:
Sounds like a fun trip. You can look up airports and get an idea on fuel prices from airnav.com

No other advise on stops.
Click to expand...

Thanks! :) The next thing I did after posting this was stumbling upon a fuel stop planner on Airnav.com, pretty much exactly what I was looking for... although it might not be the most fun places to stop...
 
bjornvil said:
Hi Guys

I'm from Iceland, staying in Florida now going 3 weeks building time. I have gotten comfortable with flying here in the US and am growing tired of flying around Florida so I am planning a trip to the West coast and back.

I am flying a PA-28-140 with a new 160 hp engine, well equipped with GNS430. I am instrument rated and I will most likely do most of the flying on an IFR flight plan.

I will be flying two 3-4 hour legs per day, then maybe stop for a few days to fly around the west coast (L.A., Las Vegas etc.)

Now... I am a little lost as to where to plan my fuel stops and overnights, and which airport to stop at in Los Angeles, and other popular destinations on the west coast. I would like to keep cost down as far as possible, i.e. fuel and fees.

So I'll just cut to the chase:
Is there I website which shows me fuel price and airport fees along a particular route?
Which airport should I stop at if I want to visit LA?
Any advise regarding planning a long trip like this?

Many thanks!
Bjorn
Click to expand...

AirNav is your friend, my friend.

https://www.airnav.com/

You can go to the fuel section and do flight planning. It will even show you where the best prices are. Check out the comment section to see how others liked that airport. Sign up and add your comments as you go.
 
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bjornvil said:
Thanks! :) The next thing I did after posting this was stumbling upon a fuel stop planner on Airnav.com, pretty much exactly what I was looking for... although it might not be the most fun places to stop...
Click to expand...

you can say that again, usually cheap fuel equals no local attractions and maybe even bad food choices

Plan to overnight at a minimum at a class delta airport (if a charlie isn't around) and buy cheap gas where you can. 100LL.com is a good resource for cheap gas.
 
On your trip west you may want to stop at some fun cities like New Orleans LA, Austin TX, The Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas.
 
Do you use ForeFlight? If so, you can select fuel prices to display on the map and look for cheap fuel stops along your route that way.

I found that feature extremely handy going to AZ and back last week. When you are buying 100 gallons at a time, the difference between $4 and $5 bucks a gallon is $100 savings.
 
bjornvil said:
So I'll just cut to the chase:
Is there I website which shows me fuel price and airport fees along a particular route?
Which airport should I stop at if I want to visit LA?
Any advise regarding planning a long trip like this?

Many thanks!
Bjorn
Click to expand...

Skyvector.com is good, you can plan out your route and it shows a sectional or what you choose with fuel prices at airports/weather/winds. Its all able to be selected from a drop down menu. Hope this helps!
 
bjornvil said:
Hi Guys

So I'll just cut to the chase:
Is there I website which shows me fuel price and airport fees along a particular route?
Which airport should I stop at if I want to visit LA?
Any advise regarding planning a long trip like this?

Many thanks!
Bjorn
Click to expand...

www.airnav.com
 
I second SkyVector.com (and also airnav).
Mostly, just wanted to say "Enjoy your terrific adventure!"
 
And one other thing, if you let folks know what your planned stops are you might find that you have some new POA friends. Despite the bickering we're usually good for a lunch or dinner when someone new is in town.
 
Tulahoma TN for the Beechcraft Museum.

Silver Springs TX for the Legend Cub factory, no taxi, call early to the FBO for the Pilot Car. Nice place for breakfast across from the airport, but the hotel is a good distance away.

Winslow AZ, did have a nice Mex resturant on airport, self serve fuel is hidden behind the FBO.

Sedona AZ, a must stop for an overnight. Lodging on the bluff next to the airport.

Mojave CA, home to Scaled Composites and Space Ship Two.
Chino CA, Planes of Fame museum and some other neat stuff.
 
Stop in E Alabama at 06A to see historic Moton Field, where the WWII Tuskegee Airmen took primary flight training. There's a large museum run by the National Park Service, 5000' runway with VOR & GPS approaches and fairly cheap fuel. Food, though, we ain't got, but call ahead you may get a crew car to go eat, town is only a few miles.
 
Clark1961 said:
And one other thing, if you let folks know what your planned stops are you might find that you have some new POA friends. Despite the bickering we're usually good for a lunch or dinner when someone new is in town.
Click to expand...

I'll second this. When I started talking about my trip home from Texas with my new plane I got lots of help with planning, someone went and checked out the plane before I went out to make a purchase decision, and another guy met me at my overnight stop and offered me a place to stay for the night. The hospitality among pilots is pretty staggering I've found.

Skyvector is my favorite site for planning a route and a quick look at prices, with airnav being used to get all the fine details.

LA has a TON of airports to choose from, so it really depends on what part you wanna see. Chino would be a great one to stop at if you wanna see some cool old planes and get some good food and cheap fuel. SMO is about as in the middle of LA as it gets, and is near some good tourist areas, but will cost you a bit. If you wanna venture south to San Diego there are a bunch of POA members at both CRQ and MYF and I'm sure a few of us would be happy to give you some pointers and probably show you around.
 
In LA:

Chino is great for low fuel prices.
Santa Monica is great because it's next to the beach.
Camarillo is great for the cafe/lunch.
Van Nuys is great as a busy GA airport with mixed jet and piston traffic.
El Monte is great because it's friendly, cheap and has a decent cafe.
 
One must stop is Carlsbad Caverns. I haven't flown in in decades so I don't know what the current situation is, but there used to be a nice gravel/desert strip there and at the end there was a pole with a telephone that got you through to them and they come pick you up.
 
BillTIZ said:
Tulahoma TN for the Beechcraft Museum.

Sulphur Springs TX for the Legend Cub factory, no taxi, call early to the FBO for the Pilot Car. Nice place for breakfast across from the airport, but the hotel is a good distance away.

Winslow AZ, did have a nice Mex resturant on airport, self serve fuel is hidden behind the FBO.

Sedona AZ, a must stop for an overnight. Lodging on the bluff next to the airport.

Mojave CA, home to Scaled Composites and Space Ship Two.
Chino CA, Planes of Fame museum and some other neat stuff.
Click to expand...

Bill - you had a Type-O it is Sulphur Springs TX.
 
Clark1961 said:
you can say that again, usually cheap fuel equals no local attractions and maybe even bad food choices
Click to expand...
Not really. 4 bucks a gallon at T82 a few days ago (home of the Hangar Hotel and outstanding airport diner).

Also 4 bucks at Ponca City, OK Tons of airports with good attractions and food that have cheap fuel and also plenty of high priced ones with zero attractions/food.
 
If you plot you proposed route on Skyvector and click the fuel price option it will print fuel prices next to the airports.

I followed I-10 and then I-8 to Montgomery Field in San Diego (lots of aviation related sites in that town) and then flew to Oceanside, but didn't get any closer to LA.
 
Most airports have a hotel or two that will pick you up at the airport. Some have a courtesy car that you can borrow.

The MEA's out west are very high, and that frequently puts you into icing. So IFR may not be possible. The route through El Paso is the lowest, about 10,000' MEA's as I recall. Fortunately it is VFR much of the time. But on a trip that long, you are probably going to hit some bad weather and ice and be weathered in for a day or two.
 
Sounds like a fun trip. Consider stopping in New Orleans. Fredericksburg, TX is another good spot. And Santa Fe is too although that is probably more north than you want. Sedona is great. Lots of good options.
 
narchee said:
Sounds like a fun trip. Consider stopping in New Orleans. Fredericksburg, TX is another good spot. And Santa Fe is too although that is probably more north than you want. Sedona is great. Lots of good options.
Click to expand...

Agree with Sedona and Fredricksburg (T82). You'll find great food and cheap fuel at both. I'd go to Albuquerque (AEG) before I'd bother with Santa Fe though.
 
Wow thanks for all of the replies guys! If I put this into the fuel stop planner on Airnav I get these routes:
Cheapest fuel:
Fuel_Stop_plan.png

Shortest Route
Fuel_stop_plan_2.png


These routes is pretty much a great circle route, which is what I was planning on following, but I am open to suggestions and definitely need advise regarding crossing the mountains in the west... I am from Iceland so I am not unfamiliar with flying near mountains, but I really would like to stay as close to civilization as possible, because you know... single engine :)

Oh, and the Cherokee is IFR, but not equipped with a pitot heater so yeah... icing conditions are out of the question... And I'd like to cross mountains in VMC either way :)
 
Scott@KTYR said:
On your trip west you may want to stop at some fun cities like New Orleans LA, Austin TX, The Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas.
Click to expand...

Skip Austin ... every airport has fees. If you land at Austin Exec, you'll get toll road fees as well. Even Lakeside is charging now. I'd go to the recommended Hangar Hotel at T82 if over-nighting. If just stopping, hit Llano Tx and Coopers BBQ.

Be careful as our windy season is starting soon ... not uncommon to see 45G60 on the ground around here and lots of brown outs (west Texas).

Henning said:
One must stop is Carlsbad Caverns. I haven't flown in in decades so I don't know what the current situation is, but there used to be a nice gravel/desert strip there ....
Click to expand...

Henning, do you mean right AT Carlsbad Caverns (and not the airport miles away)? The caverns are at White City ... I haven't noticed any strips, but wasn't looking for one there anyway.
 
stratobee said:
In LA:

Chino is great for low fuel prices.
Santa Monica is great because it's next to the beach.
Camarillo is great for the cafe/lunch.
Van Nuys is great as a busy GA airport with mixed jet and piston traffic.
El Monte is great because it's friendly, cheap and has a decent cafe.
Click to expand...

Corona KAJO, 5 nm south of Chino, usually has the least expensive 100LL in the entire LA Basin. Tehachapi KTSP usually beats AJO on price. Chino KCNO has two aviation museums but I am partial to the Planes of Fame museum which should not be missed. Saturday is the best day since they are flying.

The café at EMT is more than decent. POC is decent but they make up for it with great service. Plus there is John's great aviation gift shop in the POC terminal.

St Johns KSJN is always my best price fuel stop when out that way. AirNav is showing FS 100LL at $3.80 right now.
 
danhagan said:
Skip Austin ... every airport has fees. If you land at Austin Exec, you'll get toll road fees as well. Even Lakeside is charging now. I'd go to the recommended Hangar Hotel at T82 if over-nighting. If just stopping, hit Llano Tx and Coopers BBQ.

Be careful as our windy season is starting soon ... not uncommon to see 45G60 on the ground around here and lots of brown outs (west Texas).



Henning, do you mean right AT Carlsbad Caverns (and not the airport miles away)? The caverns are at White City ... I haven't noticed any strips, but wasn't looking for one there anyway.
Click to expand...

AT the caverns, quick ride in the van, not sure it still exists, haven't been there in nearly 30 years, but it is a cool thing to see.
 
Bjornvil - Airnav fuel software does not consider Restricted or Military Operation Arears. You will want to go around these areas. Also they do not consider sight seeing or places to stay at night.

You may want to use SkyVector website to plan a route for site seeing and then use Airnav "Check local fuel prices" to find the best price around the area you want to stop.
 
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Taking the southern route you have planned you won't have any issues with mountains. You're well south of the high portions of the Rockies.
 
Thanks guys. I'm actually using Skyvector as well, but I didn't consider to plan around MOAs... I may have to look into that. But are they more often active than not?
 
You don't HAVE to go around MOA's if you are VFR. If IFR they will route you around active ones. If you try to go around all MOA's out west you may be detouring a bit, there are a lot of them.

I try to not fly right thru the middle of them, especially at altitudes used in the MOA but if I clip an edge here or there, well its a big sky.
 
bjornvil said:
Thanks guys. I'm actually using Skyvector as well, but I didn't consider to plan around MOAs... I may have to look into that. But are they more often active than not?
Click to expand...

The MOAs are not used often ... most of the high speed stuff stays in the restricted area(s) around White Sands Missle Range (Alamogordo NM). If on FF, they'll warn you.
 
bjornvil said:
Thanks guys. I'm actually using Skyvector as well, but I didn't consider to plan around MOAs... I may have to look into that. But are they more often active than not?
Click to expand...

You don't have to plan around them, you just have to be aware of them and the hazards they may present.
 
just remember that the MEA's across most of the west are 10k and above - you're not going to be flying much IFR in NM/AZ/NV/UT/CA in a 140hp airplane . . .
 
bjornvil said:
Thanks guys. I'm actually using Skyvector as well, but I didn't consider to plan around MOAs... I may have to look into that. But are they more often active than not?
Click to expand...

In addition to other folks' comments, DUATS has a link which depicts special use airspaces are active. It's handy for getting a quick overview of what to expect in terms of SUAs on your route.
 
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