Flying school around Phoenix / AZ

[pilotmarcus]

Hi,

my wife and I are on a road trip and the next stop is south of Phoenix / AZ (Eloy). Does anyone has a recommendation for a place where we could book a Cessna and an instructor for a sightseeing flying over the Grand Canyon for a day?

cheers,
Marcus

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

Nearly all the FBO's have a school. I like Chandler, AZ on the south side. Deer Valley is just north of town on I-17.

Technically I do not think they can give you a flight you are requesting. I'd ask for an introductory flight that happens to go to (Lake Powel) Page, AZ and back.

If you do not have luck with that Page has a tour operator with Cessna 207's that seat 7/8 people and they go back to back day light hours.

 

[Z06_Mir]

The Grand Canyon is a pretty long flight in a 172 from KCHD. I'm based at KCHD and have done all my training at Chandler Air Service, top notch place! They only have 2 172's and the rest are all Pipers (mostly Warriors, but they have a couple Archers, an Arrow and a Dakota too). You may be able to ask them for a "mountain flying" course as there are some mountains up there. You could also skip the Grand Canyon and do an aerobatic flight in the Great Lakes.

 

[pilotmarcus]

why can't they provide me a rental Cessna with a CFI, I guess I just need a safety pilot, since I'm current and rated on a C172?

Or do I have to declare that as a checkout flight?

M

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

You can get a 172. He is saying that is a 2.5 hr flight each way at 100 knots or close to 5 round trip as you will have to go around phz controlled space a bit. Once there are many no fly areas to navigate around.

School and CFI do not have the legal ability to give you a tour or charter but they certainly can give you an area familiarization flight just about anywhere.
Tell them what you would like to accomplish and don't label it touring.

BTW about 8 years ago a couple did the same thing in Hawaii and the CFI got too close to the big mountain with turbulence and pushed them into the ground. FAA probably got a little charred about that. So just be aware of what you ask for.

 

[Z06_Mir]

why can't they provide me a rental Cessna with a CFI, I guess I just need a safety pilot, since I'm current and rated on a C172?

Or do I have to declare that as a checkout flight?

M

Just tell them what you want to do. Don't tell them you want a sighseeing trip though as that's not exactly legal. Tell them you want an instructional flight to the Grand Canyon in a 172. If you want to do it without a CFI I'm sure they'll make you do the full checkout.

You can get a 172. He is saying that is a 2.5 hr flight each way at 100 knots or close to 5 round trip as you will have to go around phz controlled space a bit. Once there are many no fly areas to navigate around.

School and CFI do not have the legal ability to give you a tour or charter but they certainly can give you an area familiarization flight just about anywhere.
Tell them what you would like to accomplish and don't label it touring.

BTW about 8 years ago a couple did the same thing in Hawaii and the CFI got too close to the big mountain with turbulence and pushed them into the ground. FAA probably got a little charred about that. So just be aware of what you ask for.

Just get a bravo transition. Especially if there's a CFI on board there's nothing scary about it. They'll give you the east or west transition and just follow the TAC. Everyone is so scared of the bravo and it's really not that scary.

 

[pilotmarcus]

thanks very much for the info and tips. Will give Chandler a call tomorrow.
Tony: I actually did a flight around Oahu 2010 with a CFI was good fun.

Rental at Chandler seems to be much cheaper what I'm used to but instruction rates are a bit steeper than on the East Coast, so maybe I do a checkout instead first.

cheers,
Marcus

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

thanks very much for the info and tips. Will give Chandler a call tomorrow.
Tony: I actually did a flight around Oahu 2010 with a CFI was good fun.

Rental at Chandler seems to be much cheaper what I'm used to but instruction rates are a bit steeper than on the East Coast, so maybe I do a checkout instead first.

cheers,
Marcus

That is a great idea then you can do a few flights. I'd recommend you get down to the aviation bone-yard just past Tuscon, and the Titan missile museum as well.