We just returned from our epic trip to escape winter in the south. Left in November and came back last weekend. We (two humans, two pets) flew over 4,000 NM in our little Cherokee, having landed, stepped into or overflown 12 States in around 35ish hours in the air. Definitely got back to Canada a little too soon - we still have sub-freezing temps and another snow storm brewing up for this weekend but it was good to escape the bulk of the cold and snowy weather for sure. Some photos of the trip are attached below.
I was thinking it was a Warrior, but those look like Hershey bar wings, so it must be a 150. He flew right over my house and didn't even drop off any maple syrup
I knew I must have been near your house while over Illinois. It was last week actually and I was trying to beat some weather that was moving in. Next time I’ll drop some maple syrup lol.
What an experience -something you'll remember for years to come! Our epic trip was from St. Louis to Death Valley in our Archer. Although we sold the plane last year, we'll always remember that trip - it was awesome!!
Wow amazing...are you instrument rated? Can you do a little write up for us that want to live vicariously through you?
Nope, just a VFR pilot (just under 300 hours PIC) with a VFR plane. We had a few weather delays and detours (for example, there was no reason for us to go to MT other than avoiding snow and icing conditions in ND and parts of SD that day) but managed to stay on schedule for the most part. I planned very generously though, giving us a week to fly down and week to come back up (although we didn't need a full week), flying no more than 6 hours a day (had I pushed 8-10 hours per day, we probably could have done it all in two days down and two days up but I wouldn't have enjoyed it), split into two legs. We ended up VFR on top of an overcast layer once for about an hour but I knew it beforehand and knew the destination is clear and we ended up flying into the night on three occasions. I'll do a quick write up later tonight.
Good on you for getting out and doing a long x country like that. Nothing wrong with the 140... I flew one with a 160 upgrade in it for awhile, I liked that little airplane. Here's to many more!
Sounds like you had a great trip, Chris! When a lot of us read about what you just did, it reminds me (at least) of what Thoreau said (if I have the quote right!): “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Good for you getting out and getting ‘er done!
They all look alike? Watch that Cherokee ism there buddy. To be serious for a moment, doing all of that VFR was an accomplishment. Well done!
It was on his way home to Canada after a long trip. I'm sure he used up all the maple syrup he brought with by then. I don't know what the Canadian Cherokee 140 marketing pictures showed, but you can't actually fill the fuel tanks and the syrup tanks at the same time. Also, he flew almost over my house on his southbound leg and didn't bring me any syrup, either. I'm pretty sure the ROC prohibit that. Posting off-topic snipey jokes just to subscribe to the thread for more details and pictures from this epic trip.
You might have gone a little further south in Florida. Glad you had a good trip. For any VFR pilots long cross countries can be fun just keep the quote in mind. Time to spare go by air. Congrats
Very nice, I see you missed Apalachicola FL? One can make good hay even flying VFR with an onboard weather feed & max flexibility. Of course the big $$ is made checking the weather prior to the flight. One may have to start tangentially to the intended destination also, as needed. Middle America, Winter ops, hopefully Customs on both sides treated you well.
A VFR-only Cherokee can go everywhere that an IFR, FIKI, twin turboprop can go. The Cherokee's dispatch rate is 10% less but its go/no-go matrix is 90% simpler. The Cherokee guy gets to have a beer and catch of the day at the beach on Sunday night while the King Air guy is still scratching his head about the Skew-T/Log-P forecast over Topeka.
I agree. Long X-countries is where the fun is and my primary reason for having gotten my license in the first place. One day we'll be able to buy a real capable plane and I'll have my IR so we can travel all over the place on a moment's notice. But for now, I'll enjoy doing long trips in the small Cherokee. My usual trip is 3-4 hours flying within Canada, ND, SD, MN and MT. This Florida trip was my second really big X-country. Last year, we went from Canada to Arkansas to visit family. It still beats driving. If not in terms of days spent on the road/in the air, it does in total hours spent driving/flying. After 10 hours driving, I'm pretty much done for the day and just want to sleep while after 6 hours flying, we land, have a nice dinner, enjoy the evening or even do some sightseeing if we happen to have landed somewhere interesting. If driving to Florida (which I've done before), it's just straight up driving, sleeping and then rinse and repeat. They certainly did. US bound, we saw the same officer that cleared us earlier that year and he remembered us. He was nice. On the way back, we didn't see anyone at customs. Just a phone call and we were good to go. Actually, we drove to Apalachicola while we stayed in PCB. We definitely had max flexibility. We didn't have to be anywhere at any certain time. Our only real deadline was the I-94 date which says how long a foreign visitor can stay in the U.S. and we made sure we give ourselves plenty of time to be out before that date. As for the onboard weather - we don't have that. Every now and then I get some LTE or 3G on my phone in flight and I reload the Windy app but other than that, it's all pre-planned the night before or in the morning and I check in with flight services occasionally if I see something outside that wasn't forecast when I planned the flight.
Indeed. I've never found the instrument rating to be terribly valuable in most light airplanes. A little flight planning and some flexibility will cover all but maybe 5% of most flying. This looks like a nice trip.
I can't speak for conditions in the rest of the country, but around here most of the true IFR weather is stuff I wouldn't want to fly my small plane in even if I had the rating.
That's what I've found in a lot of the places I've been. I'm glad I have an instrument rating but the reality is that I rarely use it, and when I do use it I could likely complete 99% of those flights VFR as well. My personal airplane is VFR only and I don't feel that it hinders my ability to travel in it in any way.
Oftentimes, I wouldn't fly even if I was instrument rated because as you said, you wouldn't want to be in that mess with a small plane anyways. Up north, you also have to deal with icing a lot if the weather isn't VMC so you'd not only need an instrument capable plane but also one with FIKI. However, there were the occasional trips I had to cancel because of a low layer of clouds at the departure or destination yet nice weather in between or on top of it and an instrument rating would have helped to get back down. Having said that, I can probably count these cancellations on one hand. Also, I think the instrument rating comes in handy if you end up flying at night. Although I'm not rated, on one of the night flights it was difficult to make out a horizon although it was a clear night. I looked at the instruments and noticed I'm in a bank so I kept my eye on the virtual horizon until my wife told me that she can make out some lights in the distance. I have some instrument training but not the rating yet. I think ideally you're instrument rated but have a VFR plane. That way, you don't willingly get yourself into trouble but if you accidentally get into trouble, at least you have a fighting chance to get out of it.
I don't know how it would work, but I do wish there were some sort of "IFR-light" rating that would let pilots get up or down through a cloud deck in class E airspace, just to save bouncing around in thermals below the deck.
Every place is different, but my experience with IR is that my dispatch rate has gone from about 90% to about 98%, and delays when they happen are measured in hours instead of days. Reliable enough that I can reserve hotels and cars and stuff ahead of time.
I usually reserve ahead of time as well and eat the cost of being a no-show 9 out of 10 times. Still cheaper overall than booking hotels last minute after arrival in my experience.
This is my experience also. I would also add that flying IFR can make the difference for an uneventful and quicker flight at altitude over a deck versus suffering the bumps and turbulence down low. You will both make it, but one of you will be well rested, and your family will want to fly with you again.
I would also say that the use of “little” plane in this context should be an endearing term, as it’s missions can be quite large and memorable, as you have demonstrated. There are probably many on this blog with bigger, faster and better equipped planes that have never used their planes to the degree you have already. So enjoy your accomplishment, you deserve it.
It is a lot easier on those longer flights with a Garmin Pilot or Foreflight app on the IPad, being fed ads info or satellite data. Besides the weather you have Notams, TFRs, fuel prices, etc.., even down to who may have a courtesy car available. A click or two to find an ATC frequency. So often on a longer flight, I adjust my stops in the air. Maybe I don’t need a potty break, want to ride that tailwind longer. I’d hate to adjust to an airport & see a big ‘X’ on the runway. Maybe their tank still has $7.00 avgas in it? I’d be kinda bummed on a longer trip without the ads-b feed. For me it’s a GDL-50 to G.P. on the iPad mini.
EASA has something like that. Its called either Enroute-IR or Basic-IR. This must be one of the only parts where EASA is ahead of the FAA.
