Flying AZ summer 2014

french22

french22

Filing Flight Plan
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Apr 5, 2013
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France
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french22
Good morning to all

My son and I are planning to have a full week of flying next summer. He has selected Arizona as our next destination: Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, Davis Monthan, and maybe Vegas or further.

We will probably fly with an FI to be on the safe side and mix our discovery flights with some IFR training.

We will try not to change place to often considering the limited time we'll have.

Do you have any flight structure to recommend?

Thanks for your help
 
Make sure to put Sedona on your to do list. Forget the FI and flying IFR. Usually sever clear in the summer. ;)
 
Geico266 said:
Forget the FI. Usually sever clear in the summer. ;)
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Yeah but there can be some "interesting" density altitudes in the summer out there and, if he's a flat lander (which isn't a given), he might want a day or so of training.
 
Depending on the summer months chosen there are also the monsoon thunderstorms that like to pop up in the afternoon. Nothing some good flight planning can't avoid.
 
Make sure you are on the ground for the day by 11 am. You will NOT like flying in a little portable oven with temps in the 120s INSIDE! Evenings, on the other hand are spectacular!

Grew up in Phoenix. That's why I now live in Colorado.
 
Summer is Very Hot in that area. At mid day you will have a very bumpy flight with heat thermals and the Density Altitude will be high. Very slow climb rate!!
 
I second going to Sedona, absolutely beautiful. You will want to be off the ground though before daybreak depending on where you're going. What kind of airplane will you be flying? Between the density altitude and field elevations up north (Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff especially) you'll want to be light on fuel and on extra 'stuff'. Definitely fly either very early morning or around 9-10PM.
 
Thanks a lot guys for your prompt answers. I appreciate a lot.

@timwinters: I'm a definitive flat lander. Here in France, our base airfield is 2km from the sea with a 450ft altitude. Closest mountains are 3 hours distant.

About planes: I intend to rent a Skyhawk or a PA28. I know those planes and will get comfortable quickly in them in order to concentrate more on ATC (remember, I'm not a native English speaker - why don't the whole world speak French) and US procedures.

Looks like our plan to fly in AZ in August may not be the best choice. As the main goal is to fly in a cool places to have fun and practice, we could move to any other area (except FL where we flew last year)
 
french22 said:
Thanks a lot guys for your prompt answers. I appreciate a lot.

@timwinters: I'm a definitive flat lander. Here in France, our base airfield is 2km from the sea with a 450ft altitude. Closest mountains are 3 hours distant.

About planes: I intend to rent a Skyhawk or a PA28. I know those planes and will get comfortable quickly in them in order to concentrate more on ATC (remember, I'm not a native English speaker - why don't the whole world speak French) and US procedures.

Looks like our plan to fly in AZ in August may not be the best choice. As the main goal is to fly in a cool places to have fun and practice, we could move to any other area (except FL where we flew last year)
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Make sure it's 180 hp. The 160 hp is underpowered for new mexico, arizona, nevada in the summer.
 
AZ in the summer will be miserable hot, dry, and dusty. Northern California, Oregon, Washington might be of interest. Idaho back country will be spectacular if you're into mountains and grass strips.
 
Flying up the east coast has a lot of fun spots to visit. Charleston KCHS, Myrtle Beach KMYR, Kitty Hawk KFFA and many more cool places to go.
 
Clark1961 said:
AZ in the summer will be miserable hot, dry, and dusty. Northern California, Oregon, Washington might be of interest. Idaho back country will be spectacular if you're into mountains and grass strips.
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I didn't want to be the one to say it...but since it's said...why anyone would want to go to AZ in the summer? March would be a much better choice, French.

I have a brother who lives in Fountain Hills (above Phoenix). We don't go visit him in July...March on the other hand is wonderful.

And "the highlands" (Flagstaff, Sedona, The Grand Canyon etc) are acceptably warm that time of the year...at least they have been every time I've been out there.
 
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August in AZ is not a good time. I flew out there during spring time (Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon) and it was already too hot to be enjoyable. Assuming you had other reasons to be there, you would want to accomplish both your sight seeing and any IFR instruction to early morning and late evening. Flying in the heat is very stressful.

If you want to see the scenic western US in August, going north would be my advice. I've spent some time flying in Montana out of Bozeman and Livingston. The scenery is breathtaking, there's Yellowstone Park nearby, plenty of mountains, superb trout fishing and the weather is rather pleasant in August. That along with Idaho as others have suggested might give you what you are looking for. Washington, Oregon, Northern California would be other good choices for a flatlander looking for some different terrain.
 
Monument Valley and Sedona for sure
 
Bill Watson said:
August in AZ is not a good time. ... Northern California would be other good choices for a flatlander looking for some different terrain.
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I fly all the time in summer in the desert. Early departures are great. If you can't 9500 and 10500 MSL works fine and temps are cool(er). Was over Blythe this summer when it got to 125 F*. August storms are not fun. Thermal activitiy and mechanical turb from the mountains makes it not so enjoyable.
 
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