Flying First True Cross (the) Country

webdaddy

webdaddy

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Webdaddy
About to leave this Weds for California to bring back a Piper Cherokee. Getting kind of excited. I will be putting updates on my blog. Can't wait to share the pictures, videos and stories with everybody.

Glad I was not out flying last night. By all appearances things were pretty calm around here but a tornado touched down and killed 2 people in Central NC.

Updates for the trip will be on http://aviation.pilottoolz.com/

Anybody flown a small plane over the Rockies? I am not doing that and don't think I would ever but wanted to know any experiences anybody may have had doing mountain flying in that part of the country.
 
Just got back. The lowest route seems to be:
Through Banning Pass to Blythe, CA. Get Gas at Buckeye, AZ (Cheapest we found during the 12 days). Then to Tucson. From Tucson to Cochise VOR to San Simon VOR to Las Cruces. Next to Newman VOR (North of El Paso), watching out for restricted areas south of Alamogordo, then Salt Flat VOR. From there, go east at your own discretion. Highest altitude we flew on these legs was 7500'
 
Kevin:

Sounds like a great trip. Enjoy!

I've flown east a few times. You have two basic choices - south to LA and then eastward or north to Reno. In the summer, I like the northern route better because there tends to be less turbulence. Right now, I'd go south to LA and east to NM. More or less the route that was already described.

If you're going to be close to SF/Sacramento, let me know!

Best,

-Felix
 
I'm soooo frakin' jealous...except for the going to California part.
 
I'm definitely getting excited the closer I get to the departure day (Weds). I am planning 4 or 5 days but we will see how the weather holds out. It's either gonna be a shorter trip than I plan or it's gonna end up feeling like I'm making absolutely NO progress. I'll pretty much know what to expect after the first day.

I am gonna check my flight planning with the route suggested and see if it will save me any time. I know I was planning on flying south for quite some time from San Francisco before heading east. I saw those lovely rockies at 10000 ft and higher and said Um no way....
 
Lots of fires in SoCal right now. Smoke is a big problem, so are the TFRs.

Joe
 
webdaddy said:
I'm definitely getting excited the closer I get to the departure day (Weds). I am planning 4 or 5 days but we will see how the weather holds out. It's either gonna be a shorter trip than I plan or it's gonna end up feeling like I'm making absolutely NO progress. I'll pretty much know what to expect after the first day.

I am gonna check my flight planning with the route suggested and see if it will save me any time. I know I was planning on flying south for quite some time from San Francisco before heading east. I saw those lovely rockies at 10000 ft and higher and said Um no way....
Click to expand...

The route we followed coming from SF will also work at 7500'. Fresno, Bakersfield, Barstow. You can cut across to Wingate then Tucson. Phoenix to San Simon is higher than the route from Tucson. We were at 8500 from Deming to Phx and the terrain alert was showing lots of cumulo-granite less than 1000' below us.
 
Yep I have flown many different planes and really like the Sky Arrow. I am saddened that the company is having financial problems right now and there may not be any more Sky Arrows coming to the US until they get their bankruptcy worked out.

I like the aircraft it truly is a nice flying plane and gentle to fly. It's very nice for long trips and is comfortable.

I will definitely keep everybody here in the loop. I just found the site and am happy that its an active area for pilots to share stories and opinions.

Till next time take care. I will post my SPOT satellite messenger link on my blog when we leave California so people can track us in real time.
 
The Old Man said:
Get Gas at Buckeye, AZ (Cheapest we found during the 12 days)
Click to expand...

You should have flown the extra 50 miles to Casa Grande. We're always the cheapest from Phoenix to Tucson. The airport manager works very hard to keep it that way.
 
You're probably already on your way, but I flew from Iowa to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. We crossed the big rocks just south of Santa Fe, but we had O2. IIRC, you can pass easily through ABQ without O2. Although the field elevations are pretty high in the area, the terrain is pretty forgiving - not a log of rocks/cliffs/etc. like I expected if I had gone farther north.

Good luck and have fun!

TKX - Kennet, MO is a good fuel stop if it works into your flight plan well.
 
webdaddy said:
Anybody flown a small plane over the Rockies? I am not doing that and don't think I would ever but wanted to know any experiences anybody may have had doing mountain flying in that part of the country.
Click to expand...

Yep - But I first took a mountain flying course, and I did it in a plane that I have a boatload of time in (not time in type, time in that particular airplane). Now that I've done that, I might consider doing it again in a less-familiar airplane. But, I wouldn't pick up a new-to-you plane and do it. Too much going on at once, too much chance of an error.
 
Bags are packed and we are set to leave here at 4:15AM. We will be flying out of here commercially at 6:30AM and should arrive in Cali around 2:30PM. We decided tonight that we may just fly all the way from San Francisco to Kitty Hawk just because we can. I think it would definitely be fun and we are in no hurry.

I will update everybody when I can from the road or will post all the pics, video, etc when I get back. Hope you are all having a good day and will talk to you all sometime over the weekend....
 
Have a great trip! I am looking forward to following your progress.:thumbsup:
ApacheBob
 
Progress was derailed due to the fact that what was represented with the aircraft and what was actually the case was totally different upon arrival. GPS'es missing, logbooks now there, information that the broker knew and did not disclose being the third thing.

In the end I feel bad for the broker in a sense because she will need to get alot more for an aircraft in a down market that is not worth what she needs to make to break even. Had they financed the first aircraft I suggested that was new we would not have been in this situation but I thought I would have a look at a 4 place that would have been a deal had everything been as represented in the ad.

Still on the hunt for a nice sport plane or 4 seater.
 
Wow, that sucks. You flew commercial out to California and then found this out,... I'd be more than a little upset,...

Best of luck, it seems to be a good market out there for buyers,... keep on looking.
 
Lots of Cherokees out there, and now is the time for a bargain. This one seems like quite something, and its even being sold by a POA member.
 
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