Where should I fly?

bflynn

bflynn

Final Approach
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
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9,599
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KTTA
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Display name:
Brian Flynn
In about 2 weeks, I have an airplane reserved for the entire day. Now I'm asking myself - where should I go? Date is Nov 6, departing and returning to KTTA between Raleigh and Fayetteville, NC. I'm night current, but it will probably be just me. Aircraft is a 172.

The original plan was the outer banks flight - TTA->MRH, then north along the outer banks to Kitty Hawk. Then I started thinking that I've got the entire day, let's do something bigger.

A commercial XC comes to mind, say about 300 miles out and back. I've been playing with a "state skipping" route to pick up a bunch of new states, maybe TN, KY, OH, WV?

Faraway lunch is an option. I've looked at Fly2Lunch, nothing really jumps out at me.

Could go somewhere and do something fun, not that flying isn't fun.

Help me out - where to go?
 
Jekyll Island fits the criteria. Good restaurants, a small historic district, very friendly to pilots.
 
For me it's either the mountains or the Bay/coast. Flying up the Shenendoah Valley and around Harpers Ferry is nice. Can grab lunch in Martinsburg. To the east, Ocracoke, St Simons, Hatteras. Or up the Chesapeake for lunch at KCGE. Note that some of the outer banks & Chesapeake destinations (e.g. Tangier) are likely to be pretty well shut down in November. Enjoy.
 
I think I'd get a chart, draw a 250 mile radius arc...and maybe a 400 mile radius arc...see what's between the two that "speaks to me", and flag a couple options. That way you have the 250 mile leg for commercial if that's on your mind....Then you can pick the direction that has better weather that day.

my random thoughts

First Flight....but you've likely already done that
I agree might not be a great time for Tangier, but I'm not sure. It would be a good place....
Lurray Caverns and go to the cave
Jekyll is nice
as is nearby St Simons Island...good pizza at CJ's or maybe the best onion rings I've ever had at Brogens
Have you been to Beaufort... I recall that being a nice airport in terms of waterfront views....but that was a long time ago. I only dropped off and picked up a friend there on our way back to JGG. I flew the beach the whole way from Wilmington to just south of Norfolk..... memorable.
Middlesboro KY to see the Lost Squadron exhibit... (if it's still even there... I went and saw Glacier Girl while it was still a long way form being flyable....)
My old home airport JGG was a really great option...used to be at least
 
bflynn said:
In about 2 weeks, I have an airplane reserved for the entire day. Now I'm asking myself - where should I go? Date is Nov 6, departing and returning to KTTA between Raleigh and Fayetteville, NC. I'm night current, but it will probably be just me. Aircraft is a 172.

The original plan was the outer banks flight - TTA->MRH, then north along the outer banks to Kitty Hawk. Then I started thinking that I've got the entire day, let's do something bigger.

A commercial XC comes to mind, say about 300 miles out and back. I've been playing with a "state skipping" route to pick up a bunch of new states, maybe TN, KY, OH, WV?

Faraway lunch is an option. I've looked at Fly2Lunch, nothing really jumps out at me.

Could go somewhere and do something fun, not that flying isn't fun.

Help me out - where to go?
Click to expand...
Do you have a friend nearby to go visit? A while back my buddy had had a stroke . I decided to visit him which is a decent flight north for me. It was a nice day so I overflew my Grandparents old farm and landed even farther north and west. I think that leg was around 285nm. A quick full stop, taxi back and takeoff and destinaton # 2 was just 70nm away. That brought me to UND territory where I went to college (not to fly). That was interesting (busy) but not nearly as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. Only time I've ever been handed off to a second tower frequency and back. Anyway, got the courtesy car. Spent 3hrs visiting my buddy. Then with a nice tailwind up high the last 230nm took only about 1hr 40mn. Did it solo. Nothing says you can't stop and visit friends.
 
AlleyCat67 said:
For me it's either the mountains or the Bay/coast. Flying up the Shenendoah Valley and around Harpers Ferry is nice. Can grab lunch in Martinsburg. To the east, Ocracoke, St Simons, Hatteras. Or up the Chesapeake for lunch at KCGE. Note that some of the outer banks & Chesapeake destinations (e.g. Tangier) are likely to be pretty well shut down in November. Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Let me first say the Cambridge restaurant has much better food than other airport restaurants I’ve been to. OTOH I’ve lead a sheltered life so maybe I’m crazy…basically all airport restaurants I’ve been to are barely better than a Wendy’s.

Anyway, their service is unbelievably slow. Understaffed so order to food on table is about an hour.
 
eh there's college football on, stay home, be lazy on the couch and watch some tv.
 
First thought on where to fly. I have always found in the sky to be best. A friend of mine tried to fly into the ground once and it did not turn out so well.... :rolleyes: :lol::lol:

Second thought, fly New Mexico... Might be a bit far but the food is good if you are in the right place.
 
Cherokee Flyer said:
Jekyll Island fits the criteria. Good restaurants, a small historic district, very friendly to pilots.
Click to expand...
Go to Zachary's River House. Grab a Red Bug golf cart at the airport, about 3 minutes or so south and you're there.
 
Lots of good ideas, thanks everyone. I’ve done a lot of these before, may try Jekyll. We were there 20 years ago for Christmas, but it was a lot of family and not a lot of exploring.

I lived on bogus banks during the summers growing up, very familiar with the nc coast. Brad, one question - when you flew the NC coast, what did you do about the restricted areas at Camp Lejune/Jacksonville? Flew a few miles out or get clearance?

a bit far, but thinking about KISM too, maybe trip over for dinner at Disney.
 
thanks for the push to go back and look at my logbook...always fun! It was back in 1993 and I honestly only vaguely remember dealing with some airspace there. I have no idea how that airspace was designated back then....
so it turns out I filed IFR from ILM to MRH, then VFR from there...so I guess I likely didn't follow the beach the whole way up as I remembered it.... although as I recall the routing was up the coast...

Regardless, It was a fun flight as I recall low-ish the whole way over the beach, looking at lighthouses etc...

I'd imagine you can still get through those areas.... certain times, call for following and clearance, etc...

Your KISM idea.... when I was working towards my instrument rating, for the cross country I asked my CFII if he wanted to go North or South. Being a Swede, he chose South....so we went to ORL with a fuel stop at Hilton Head. I recall Orlando approach as being probably the busiest ATC I'd ever dealt with! Good times. That was a long trip though and we were in a faster C177RG
 
Glad I could bring back some good memories. I agree that flight up the beach is phenomenal. On nice days it can get really busy, but it seems like all the airports use 122.9 for a CTAF and it's used as an informal beach traffic advisory frequency.

At camp lejune, the restricted area ends 3 miles off shore, so just gaining some altitude and flying offshore is an option for VFR.

The time is one of the biggest parts I need to consider. Wherever I go, I have to come back from in the same day and I really don't want to spend all day in an airplane. Probably save Kissimmee for a faster airplane.
 
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