Santa Fe to Sedona

the400kid

the400kid

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Sep 2, 2013
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I’m planning a late April flight in my normally aspirated Mooney from Santa Fe to Sedona. I don’t want to file IFR due to the altitudes I may be assigned and would like to fly it at a maximum of 10,500. Can anybody recommend a route suitable to that altitude?
 
Take off from Sante Fe. Head SSW to the ABQ VOR, that avoids the hills directly to the west, then ZUN then stop at Winslow and check out the famous corner which takes you right into Sedona at 10500. Or just head west, on a clear day you'll see the two higher areas you'll need to avoid. I do this in my little cherokee 180, you shouldn't have any problems other than remember to fly in the mornings to avoid DA heat in the afternoons.
 
Direct works fine. I've flown it a few times. Jog slightly north over Meteor Crater. Pretty impressive. Can follow 89A through the red rocks west of Sed. Pretty impressive.
 
I used to live there. Direct at 10K in VFR will work. Or you can fly the airways.
It's incredible how much runway you need to get outta dere.....
 
At Sedona ...

Upwind takeoffs are helped by the plateau's upslope.
Downwind takeoffs can encounter a downdraft.

Remember air flows like water.
 
As it turned out, I had to cancel the trip because the autopilot (KAP 150) crapped out a few days before I was going to depart. Since April was the only time I had a large enough block of time to make this journey, I'll shoot again for late September, once everything cools down.
 
Direct at 10,500 will work if the Wx holds and you want to go VFR. Do you happen to have ForeFlight and have you ever used the Hazzard Layer? It will quickly show you were the peaks are and what parts of the mountains are lower if you can't get up to 10,5. But then you need to worry about mountain obscuration, so I'd say to go IFR.

One Route that came up was KSAF ZIASE5 GUP INW KSEZ at 8,000. So I'd file for 9,000 or 11,000 and see what they say (higher is always better over the mountains). Should be around 2hrs or just over, pending what your cruise power settings are.
 
I don't intend this to be mean or disparaging, but why can't the 300 nm flight be made VFR without an autopilot?
 
the400kid said:
I'll shoot again for late September, once everything cools down.
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October has been pretty good for us on our last 2-3 X-US flights. The trip 4 yrs ago we were traveling for 3+ weeks and the only IMC I had was leaving AWO starting our way back east and ATC had me depart West vs South, so I logged .2 Actual for the entire trip out west and then back east. Had they sent me south I would not have even been close to the clouds.
 
M20K said:
October has been pretty good for us on our last 2-3 X-US flights. The trip 4 yrs ago we were traveling for 3+ weeks and the only IMC I had was leaving AWO starting our way back east and ATC had me depart West vs South, so I logged .2 Actual for the entire trip out west and then back east. Had they sent me south I would not have even been close to the clouds.
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As it turned out, the three weeks that I was going to do this trip in April turned out to be fairly bad weather at many of my scheduled stops, especially Houston and parts of the mid-west with tornadoes. So maybe it was a good omen.
 
Just curious - not sure of why you want to avoid IFR? If they give you 12,000 just say unable, and they'll give you 10,000. ????
 
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