Tips for planning a "long" VFR-only XC

MarcoDA40

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Marco
VFR only here.

I want to take a "longer" trip in the next couple of months but obviously being VFR only I have some limitations.
As always, driving to the destination is always an option that HAS to be kept in the back pocket but I want to minimize this possibility as much as possible.
I currently fly out of KPGV (Greenville NC) a DA40, G1000, full autopilot 40g tanks which puts me at 3.5 hrs endurance legally, personally its 3hrs. 135kt cruise, no preference on altitude.

I talked to my fiance and we came to an agreement that we would decide our destination a few days before the actual trip. I told her to see this as an adventure!
I have canceled sooo many flights in the past because of weather and I am tired of it so we want to have all the options possible come vacation day!
I am not currently in the position to start IR so lets not even get into that.

Flight will be Early to mid August.
Flying early in the morning to avoid TS and turbulance is a must. I am equiped with Stratux and the G1000 also has traffic.
Vacation will be 2 VACATION days and 2 buffer days, for weather or in case we decide to make a detour. Having those 2 days will give us a chance to leave or come back "late" as you all know.
These are the following destinations, asterisk cities are the ones we "prioritize". We love to eat good food and some good nightlife dancing! Any and all input is welcomed.

As I mentioned. I want to have all possibilities so we have some North, South and West desinations. Cant really go east from my home base lol.

New York City ****
Buffalo NY
Maryland
New jersey
Cincinati
Clevland
Detroit
Columbus
Indianapolis
Louisville ****
Nashville ****
Atlanta
Birmingham
Jacksonville
Daytona
Orlando
Tampa bay ****
Panama city
Tallahase
Charleston ****
Savannah
Pittsburgh

Again any and ALL input is welcomed!

Thanks!
 
Check the weather and some fuel stops along the way then go.
 
I do trips like this all the time...if you can shift your return home a day or two, being VFR-only is not a problem.
 
And personally, I don't like the heat of August, so all my August trips are to northern destinations.
 
Friend of mine just flew from Santa Ynez in CA to Middletown OH in 65HP Aeronca Chief with his son. It is the second time (20 years apart) they have done it to go the Aeronca gathering. That is a lot of miles in an under powered 70+ year old trainer. In a DA40 it is a piece of cake.
 
VFR only here.
New York City ****
Maryland
Savannah

Thanks!

I have done the above all VFR..
The Maryland was just a stopping point for me between RDU and Farmingdale [FRG] airport in Nassau county. Just be prepared to change your plans for weather as you already know. NY Tracon is fast pace and its rapid fire, so they expect you to respond and comply. Other than that great views doing NY. Not sure where and what airport you trying to land.
 
Check weather, have a way out (from weather), and have fun..!!!
 
I flew from FL to CA as a new wet behind the ears PPL and by biggest take away was be flexible. We would flight plan each let and set a our goals but rarely ended up executing the planned route or fuel stop adjusting to real time conditions both inside and outside the cockpit. Having ForeFlight and the wealth of real time information right at your fingertips made that possible. Had we not had that and been hellbent on sticking to the "plan" trip would have easily taken two days longer than it did.
 
With only 3 hours of flying available, Charlotte to Tampa seems pushing it even in DA40. You could have it done solo easily, but it all hinges upon what your passenger can take. My wife always is enthusiastic in theory, but she runs out of steam after just an hour and a half.
 
For what you're looking for, I recommend Nashville (use Tune airport, great experience and short/cheap Uber into town) or Tampa (use Knight (KTPF) so you can basically walk into town or cheap Uber). Although going north during August has a lot more appeal!

As for the flying, have your three options in mind as the week approaches and then look at weather patterns and pick what you're most comfortable with. If you're ok flying in the evening, you can always start first thing in the morning and stop for lunch and take a break for couple hours during the afternoon buildup and finish in the evening. Most importantly, have fun!
 
VFR only here.

I want to take a "longer" trip in the next couple of months but obviously being VFR only I have some limitations.
As always, driving to the destination is always an option that HAS to be kept in the back pocket but I want to minimize this possibility as much as possible.
I currently fly out of KPGV (Greenville NC) a DA40, G1000, full autopilot 40g tanks which puts me at 3.5 hrs endurance legally, personally its 3hrs. 135kt cruise, no preference on altitude.

I talked to my fiance and we came to an agreement that we would decide our destination a few days before the actual trip. I told her to see this as an adventure!
I have canceled sooo many flights in the past because of weather and I am tired of it so we want to have all the options possible come vacation day!
I am not currently in the position to start IR so lets not even get into that.

Flight will be Early to mid August.
Flying early in the morning to avoid TS and turbulance is a must. I am equiped with Stratux and the G1000 also has traffic.
Vacation will be 2 VACATION days and 2 buffer days, for weather or in case we decide to make a detour. Having those 2 days will give us a chance to leave or come back "late" as you all know.
These are the following destinations, asterisk cities are the ones we "prioritize". We love to eat good food and some good nightlife dancing! Any and all input is welcomed.

As I mentioned. I want to have all possibilities so we have some North, South and West desinations. Cant really go east from my home base lol.

New York City ****
Buffalo NY
Maryland
New jersey
Cincinati
Clevland
Detroit
Columbus
Indianapolis
Louisville ****
Nashville ****
Atlanta
Birmingham
Jacksonville
Daytona
Orlando
Tampa bay ****
Panama city
Tallahase
Charleston ****
Savannah
Pittsburgh

Again any and ALL input is welcomed!

Thanks!

What kinda music do you like to cut a rug to?
 
Pick on, fly it, don’t push the weather, it’ll be fun.

Only comment from here is a couple of those are some pretty dense airspace. Make sure you’re up to the task if you have to work with the controllers in those areas. Even that’s not hard, but don’t be the lost guy wandering around NYC. :)

Second thought is, dump some of the boring places off the list if you want the SO to enjoy their time whereever you go, so they want to go flying again. :)
 
Where is New Orleans on your list? If you can make it to Tampa, you should be able to make it to New Orleans. It's a great destination with lots of choices as far as food and entertainment (24 hours a day) are concerned. When I was at FSU, we used to trek from Tallahassee to New Orleans on US 90 (this was before I-10) every other weekend.

I've made three round trips from San Francisco to Jacksonville, FL, all VFR in a 172 during summer months, and as mentioned having the flexibility of delaying due to weather is key to having an enjoyable trip without stressing out over 'getthereitis'.
 
One thing about fuel stops along your route.... do a bit of preflight planning and call the FBO's or whoever that control the pumps. You want to make sure about items such as

1. Hours the pump operates (not all are 24hr)
2. Are the pumps working (@RussR tells a story about landing for fuel only to find the pump was inop)
3. Do they have fuel. Just because they are shown on sites such as ForeFlight, 100LL.com, AirNav and others, doesn't mean there is fuel to be had and the pump works.

IMPORTANT: Never overfly available fuel when you need it just because somewhere else nearby is 50-cents less expensive. No sense getting into a fuel starvation issue just to save $20.00 on a 40-gallon fill up.
 
One thing about fuel stops along your route.... do a bit of preflight planning and call the FBO's or whoever that control the pumps. You want to make sure about items such as

1. Hours the pump operates (not all are 24hr)
2. Are the pumps working (@RussR tells a story about landing for fuel only to find the pump was inop)
3. Do they have fuel. Just because they are shown on sites such as ForeFlight, 100LL.com, AirNav and others, doesn't mean there is fuel to be had and the pump works.

IMPORTANT: Never overfly available fuel when you need it just because somewhere else nearby is 50-cents less expensive. No sense getting into a fuel starvation issue just to save $20.00 on a 40-gallon fill up.

When we had a local gas station in town they would have a 5 cent fuel sale one day a week. I can't tell you how many people would nearly or actually run out of gas trying to save 5 cents a gallon. Figure on a 20 gallon tank that's a buck was it worth running the dregs through your fuel injectors for that?
 
Takes a special kind of stupid to go to Detroit for a vacation...

Haven't been downtown in a while have ya? Casinos, good restaurants, Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Detroit Zoo, Greektown, Comerica Park if you like baseball... Plus a bunch of different museums.

Hell, I walk downtown without any worries.
 
Since you don't care too much about the destination, just wait until 2-3 days in advance and pick one based on weather. [just not Detroit]
 
I think this is doable. VFR only is doable when you are as flexible as you seem to be. Most of my flying is for business, so I am not as flexible so I had to get my IR.

My suggestions:

1. Go VFR flight following. You get pretty much all the advantages of filing an IFR flight plan. Lots of help from ATC for vectoring around weather and identifying weather you might not see.
2. Get a good GPS app that includes weather - the "free" ADSB weather or one of the subscriptions. I use Sirus XM. You of course will need the Stratus (Foreflight) or Garmin GDL50 or 52 (Garmin Pilot) for reception. The GDL 52 will give you ADSB-In also.
3. I am not as familiar with the NE (although I am two weeks away from flying up to Long Island), but I would think that if you go south in August you might run into more convective afternoon storms than what the NE has?
4. Fly early in the morning (dawn) and maybe be done by early afternoon. Less chance of those "pop up" convective storms. I fly like that even when filing IFR. It just always works out better.

I really envy you for being able to take a trip like that. Have a great time and let us know how it works out.
 
Since you don't care too much about the destination, just wait until 2-3 days in advance and pick one based on weather. [just not Detroit]
That what he said he plans to do, according to his original message.
 
Haven't been downtown in a while have ya? Casinos, good restaurants, Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Detroit Zoo, Greektown, Comerica Park if you like baseball... Plus a bunch of different museums.

Hell, I walk downtown without any worries.


Hmm...I love baseball, musuems, gambeling and eating. This may be a possible fly out desitation in the near future.
 
You have a lot of places listed. But what are you looking for? City, country, touristy?
 
I spent several years as a VFR only pilot. Many long distance trips. A few in a DA40. Great times.

I’d suggest from where you are, a flight down the coast. Head straight south, climb to 8-10k and hug the coast line. I’d go a mile or two off the coast and let the SO have a great view the entire way. Not likely to run into much weather if you start your trip in the morning.

You can stop at Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, St. Augustine (my favorite) or further.

Good luck. Enjoy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Although I am a very strong proponent of Charleston, SC as a tourist destination - very romantic for the SO, etc....,August would not be the best time of year.
 
For what you're looking for, I recommend Nashville (use Tune airport, great experience and short/cheap Uber into town) or Tampa (use Knight (KTPF) so you can basically walk into town or cheap Uber). Although going north during August has a lot more appeal!

As for the flying, have your three options in mind as the week approaches and then look at weather patterns and pick what you're most comfortable with. If you're ok flying in the evening, you can always start first thing in the morning and stop for lunch and take a break for couple hours during the afternoon buildup and finish in the evening. Most importantly, have fun!

Nice avatar. Where in Ohio are you located?
 
VFR only here.

I want to take a "longer" trip in the next couple of months but obviously being VFR only I have some limitations.
As always, driving to the destination is always an option that HAS to be kept in the back pocket but I want to minimize this possibility as much as possible.
I currently fly out of KPGV (Greenville NC) a DA40, G1000, full autopilot 40g tanks which puts me at 3.5 hrs endurance legally, personally its 3hrs. 135kt cruise, no preference on altitude.

I talked to my fiance and we came to an agreement that we would decide our destination a few days before the actual trip. I told her to see this as an adventure!
I have canceled sooo many flights in the past because of weather and I am tired of it so we want to have all the options possible come vacation day!
I am not currently in the position to start IR so lets not even get into that.

Flight will be Early to mid August.
Flying early in the morning to avoid TS and turbulance is a must. I am equiped with Stratux and the G1000 also has traffic.
Vacation will be 2 VACATION days and 2 buffer days, for weather or in case we decide to make a detour. Having those 2 days will give us a chance to leave or come back "late" as you all know.
These are the following destinations, asterisk cities are the ones we "prioritize". We love to eat good food and some good nightlife dancing! Any and all input is welcomed.

As I mentioned. I want to have all possibilities so we have some North, South and West desinations. Cant really go east from my home base lol.

New York City ****
Buffalo NY
Maryland
New jersey
Cincinati
Clevland
Detroit
Columbus
Indianapolis
Louisville ****
Nashville ****
Atlanta
Birmingham
Jacksonville
Daytona
Orlando
Tampa bay ****
Panama city
Tallahase
Charleston ****
Savannah
Pittsburgh

Again any and ALL input is welcomed!

Thanks!


Mid August can be a good time because we commonly get a Bermuda high over the area during that period.

Many of the west destinations you listed are going to require flight over high terrain. So you are adding the risks of mountain obscuration, orographic lifting for TS, turbulance, and limited emergency land sites in event of engine failure. So I would stay on the east side of the terrain.

Given your performance numbers and a drive option, Charleston is a good choice for you. Even with a 30 knot headwind you will land non-stop with a conservative fuel reserve.
 
Nashville is an excellent vacation spot and the flight should be doable. It is a fact that it is impossible to have a bad time in Nashville.
 
Thank you everyone!!
I listed so many places on a "heres how far i can get within my budget" basis,
Detroit is a no go lol
New Orleans is in our bucket list but I want to either have my IR or fly commercial and stay a week or so.
We've driven to charleston before and definetely want to go back. I want to visit one of my fav breweries in Mt. Pleasent . Westbrook brewing

If i go to NY I would go into KCDW .

a more narrowed list based on posts above:

Nashville
Tampa
New York
Charleston
Atlanta

I guess its still possible to not make it if there is a huge system on the East coast
 
never say never
"2 suspects in Nashville tourist murder arrested in North Carolina; 3rd suspect sought"
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-new...uspects-arrested-in-north-carolina/1057637192

actually, I might try and fly to Detroit. They have a downtown airport that's teetering on the edge of closure, I heard. I never landed at Meigs, don't want to miss this one too.
Oooo, no no no...that's NOT the airport to land at in Detroit. The airport they are talking about closing is Detroit City, and it is in a very bad area (I actually carry 2 pistols when I go to that area). If you want a "downtown experience", go to Cleveland and try the Burke Lakefront Airport.
 
Thank you everyone!!
I listed so many places on a "heres how far i can get within my budget" basis,
Detroit is a no go lol
New Orleans is in our bucket list but I want to either have my IR or fly commercial and stay a week or so.
We've driven to charleston before and definetely want to go back. I want to visit one of my fav breweries in Mt. Pleasent . Westbrook brewing

If i go to NY I would go into KCDW .

a more narrowed list based on posts above:

Nashville
Tampa
New York
Charleston
Atlanta

I guess its still possible to not make it if there is a huge system on the East coast

I think someone is trying to talk you into Nashville

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/nashville.111841/
 
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