JimK's somewhat epic southwest family trip

Jim K

Jim K

Final Approach
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Richard Digits
Just got back from an awesome trip. Added 6 states to my map, 4 national parks, 8 airports,2750 NM and 20.8 hours on the Hobbs. No airplane issues, no parks getting flooded, no missing rental cars. Everything just worked out, which was weird. Only took the two oldest on this one as we knew we'd be doing a lot of hiking.

Only real issue was that it was HOT. Every takeoff was a short field takeoff, even from 7000' runways. Most of them were off the top of my performance charts. Extrapolation and the Koch chart became my best friends. I was really worried about it, but it all worked out okay, and while we had some slow climbs, nothing scary. I did have to change my plans just a bit to make sure to fly early in the mornings.

The only disappointment was that we had planned to go to Sedona, but with the heat it was going to be tight on runway length, and the flight the day before from Kanab to Winslow at 10AM was super rough, so we decided to skip it.

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Day one was CMI-1K1-TDW. 1K1 is Stearman Field in Wichita, and the restaurant is amazing. Fuel is cheap, too. Good Stop. TDW is a privately owned public use airport in Amarillo. There is a restaurant on the field that we didn't try and they have two cars for rent on Turo. We rented one of the cars which was convenient, but a little expensive for what was a fairly standard tired courtesy car. Part of the reason for choosing Amarillo was to visit Cadillac Ranch.

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Day two was a rest stop in Gallup, NM, and continuing on to BVU, Boulder City NV. This leg brought our first views of the Grand Canyon. I chose BVU due to Hertz delivering cars to the field and its proximity to Hoover Dam.

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It was 111 degrees in Las Vegas the day we were there. The "dry heat" thing is BS. Hot is hot. Toured the Hoover Dam, made lots of dam jokes. Because we got an early start, we had some time to kill, so we drove up to Vegas to see Blue Man Group and drove the strip at night. Early the next morning we flew up to KNB, Kanab, UT crossing the "Tuckup" Corridor at 11,500. The GTN calculated our DA as 14,500.

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To Be Continued...
 
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So our next stop was KNB, and I highly recommend it as a base to explore the area. There is a local body shop that rents cars for a very reasonable rate called "Xpress Rental Cars of Kanab". They are about a half mile from the field and picked us up right on the ramp. Had I known how cool of a town Kanab was, I would've planned to spend some time there, but as it was we stayed mostly in the park lodges. From Kanab our first stop was Bryce Canyon NP where we hiked through the Hoodoos and got up at 3AM to see the stars and watch the sun rise. Bryce was the highest park we visited with highs in the low 80's. Unfortunately the lodge there is not air conditioned. Not normally a problem, but with no airflow, it was pretty stuffy in there. Bryce actually has an airport, but I couldn't figure out a way to get a car there. It turned out that the parks are close enough with enough to see between them that basing at Kanab and driving worked out great.15.jpg17.JPG19.JPG23.JPG

After Bryce we drove down 89A to Grand Canyon NP, crossing the Navajo Bridge, which is right next to Marble Canyon, which is another airport I'd like to try in cooler weather. We actually saw one of the Grand Canyon Airlines" Caravans landing there as we drove by. Apparently the Navajo bridge is a well known Condor sighting location, and we saw tag #19 roosting on the arch of the new bridge. 89A is a beautiful drive and I highly recommend it.

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Next up was Zion, which I think was everyone's favorite park of the 4 we visited. We spent an entire day hiking the Narrows, and covered a little over 10 miles. We were all pretty wiped out after that and got a late start for our flight down to Winslow (INW) the next day. We learned the hard way why everyone says to do your flying early in the day in the southwest.

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Our last two days included Winslow, old route 66, a stay in the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, and the Petrified Forest NP. Another tip: "Flagstaff Rental Car" delivers to Flagstaff, Winslow, Williams, and Grand Canyon airports. Their rate is less than the big 3, and they dropped off a 2024 trailblazer with 15K miles on it. They are a group of auto dealers in the area.

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The last night of our trip was July 4, so we watched the fireworks show put on by the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Dept.

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Meteor Crater is just a few miles west of Winslow, and I decided that instead of paying the $30/ea admission charged by the private owners, we'd just conduct our own tour on the way home. Last two stops were Guymon, OK, where they were working on an AT-11, and 1K1 in Miami County Kansas. 1K1 has a BBQ restaurant on the field, but unbeknownst to us they were closed on the 5th, so we just scooted on home, aided by a 25 knot tailwind.

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Excellent trip. Sounds like great memories were made. Sad about the kids you had to leave behind, but maybe the next one you can swap pairs lol. Ultimately, congratulations on avoiding the AOG monster. Remember to never look at a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to this hobby!
 
Great trip and one I’m sure the kids will remember. Wish I had done more trips when the kids were young and at home. Now it’s just me and the wife who isn’t the biggest flyer.
 
hindsight2020 said:
Excellent trip. Sounds like great memories were made. Sad about the kids you had to leave behind, but maybe the next one you can swap pairs lol. Ultimately, congratulations on avoiding the AOG monster. Remember to never look at a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to this hobby!
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The little ones are 5,6, and 9. The ones we took are 12 and 15, so able to take care of themselves and keep up. We hiked at least 40 miles, a lot of which was pretty intense with elevation or running water. No way we could've seen as much as we did with the little ones; it was a strategic decision. The little ones will get their turn in a few years when the big ones get the boot. Another factor is that although the lance is a "6" seat airplane, it's a lot more comfortable as a 4 seater. Passenger Princess photo offered as proof:

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WRT AOGs...yeah. I was just waiting for something to break. I was afraid to say out loud how well things were going until we were back on the ground at CMI.
 
I am so jealous! That looks like an absolutely amazing trip and definitely one you and your kids will remember for a long time.
 
Only somewhat epic? I dunno, looks pretty epic to me. Congrats on a successful trip and all the wonderful memories made.
 
Sounds like a good time was had by all. Sorry I missed you here in Gallup. Now that you know we are not a scary airport you can stop by again on the next trip.

Yes, it is a dry heat, but still hot enough for a person the burst into flames. Not to worry though, they are dry flames...

Just FYI, for optimal take off performance, the density altitude here in Gallup can be as low as 6500 feet in the middle of winter...and you WILL want your heater to be working.!! I think the lowest D/A I saw here was 4000 feet. I did have my Arctic long johns on.
 
Where's the pictures of the dinosaurs on Rte 66 in Winslow?
 
Great write up! Sounds like everyone had a great time
 
EdFred said:
Where's the pictures of the dinosaurs on Rte 66 in Winslow?
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Lol. I think the guy selling those fiberglass dinosaurs was the only one making any money.
 
Definitely looks epic to me !!
Whether it’s someone else’s trips or mine GA still amazes me.
Most of the time amazingly good….
 
That sounds and looks like an amazing trip and always nice to hear when it happens with no issues. Thanks for sharing Jim!
 
1000 Likes, Jim! Trips like that make memories that soften the blow at annual time, or when you're writing February rent checks for a hangar you haven't seen since Christmas. I just made a big Western sweep and said "cheap at twice the price" when I got home.
 
Awesome trip, Jim. Love the sleeping princess pic. You go, man!
 
Kitch said:
Definitely looks epic to me !!
Whether it’s someone else’s trips or mine GA still amazes me.
Most of the time amazingly good….
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I was wondering on the way home how much it would've cost to fly to Vegas and do the trip from there like most people would do. Of course it would mean a LOT of driving, but I remember seeing advertisements for $99 flights to Vegas a few years ago.

The closest direct flight to LAS is from PIA, which is a 1.5 hr drive. Get there an hour early, 3.5hr enroute. 6 hours vs the 10 it took me. Other options all connect through Dallas or Chicago. 3 hr drive to ORD, so I beat those options on time.

PIA flight is the cheapest at around $1200. I spent a more than that just on gas. Maybe another $1000 for engine reserve, so commercial wins there, but I also got to choose my airports & times, and no dealing with TSA nonsense. The sightseeing flight over the GC probably makes up the price difference anyway.

All of that to say, GA is awesome.
 
Awesome trip, and pictures, Jim, and the smiles tell the other part of the story with the kids.

I went out RT 66 in '63, and did do the meteor crater. It was less expensive then, and less controlled. I walked all the way to the bottom, my wife only half way was enough. Coming back from LA in 2019 with my son, the price plus no hiking down, we skipped it. Flying over is neat.

Been there, done that, except for Bryce Canyon and Zion. My oldest son has been there, though, loved it.

Our two boys flew about 60,000 miles with my wife and I, great way to see America!
 
Jim K said:
I was wondering on the way home how much it would've cost to fly to Vegas and do the trip from there like most people would do. Of course it would mean a LOT of driving, but I remember seeing advertisements for $99 flights to Vegas a few years ago.

The closest direct flight to LAS is from PIA, which is a 1.5 hr drive. Get there an hour early, 3.5hr enroute. 6 hours vs the 10 it took me. Other options all connect through Dallas or Chicago. 3 hr drive to ORD, so I beat those options on time.

PIA flight is the cheapest at around $1200. I spent a more than that just on gas. Maybe another $1000 for engine reserve, so commercial wins there, but I also got to choose my airports & times, and no dealing with TSA nonsense. The sightseeing flight over the GC probably makes up the price difference anyway.

All of that to say, GA is awesome.
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I can't stand airlines. Although, in most cases, airlines would win price wise and probably half the trips time wise as well, I'd still go GA anytime I can. Every time I'm flying with the airlines, I catch some bug from that sneezing a**hat who thought flying with a cold, flu or worse is a good idea. Every time I'm flying with the airlines, there is that one kid who screams from engine start to shutdown. And people everywhere, literally everywhere. Shoes off, pad downs, hands touching me. Just freakin' gross. In fact, I disliked airlines even before I was a pilot and plane owner and most of the time opted for 10+ hour drives in my own car vs. taking the airlines. Anyway, rant over. GA is amazing.
 
Jim K said:
I was wondering on the way home how much it would've cost to fly to Vegas and do the trip from there like most people would do. Of course it would mean a LOT of driving,
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More driving means more time, which means more food and hotel stays to hit the same destinations, which is pretty significant cost for a family of four, which tilts back in favor of GA.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
I can't stand airlines. Although, in most cases, airlines would win price wise and probably half the trips time wise as well, I'd still go GA anytime I can. Every time I'm flying with the airlines, I catch some bug from that sneezing a**hat who thought flying with a cold, flu or worse is a good idea. Every time I'm flying with the airlines, there is that one kid who screams from engine start to shutdown. And people everywhere, literally everywhere. Shoes off, pad downs, hands touching me. Just freakin' gross. In fact, I disliked airlines even before I was a pilot and plane owner and most of the time opted for 10+ hour drives in my own car vs. taking the airlines. Anyway, rant over. GA is amazing.
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I actually really loved riding on commercial airplanes the handful of times I've done it, even with the tiny seats and obnoxious passengers. It's the airport experience that ruins it for me.

I really hate driving, so we basically just didn't go anywhere before I got into flying.
 
Looks epic! I would love to do this exact route someday.
 
Very cool! I'll translate "smooth trip" to "good planning and sensible expectations". Love the route map and pics. It's great to have some happy stories on here.
 
Jim K said:
WRT AOGs...yeah. I was just waiting for something to break. I was afraid to say out loud how well things were going until we were back on the ground at CMI.
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Shhhhhh, Oshkosh is right around the corner!
 
That looked like an awesome trip. Glad y’all had a good time and the airplane and the weather cooperated completely.
 
Indeed an epic trip, even more so because you were able to share the experience with your family! Great pics!
 
Too much of a flatlander to want to try a mountain pass? Mosca pass and seeing the dunes would have put it over the top.

Awesome trip!
 
Great trip! I did something similar with my boys a few years ago, very fun memories. That was when my boys learned the airplane could be a "time machine", because there was no way we could have done half of what we did that week (Las Vegas, Canyonlands, Arches, Zion, and a couple state parks near St. George) if we were driving our car.
 
Completely agree on highway 89A - we were just out there (driving) first of June @ the GC North Rim. Was just starting to get hot.... Have to admit, I did a DA calc one afternoon - not a good time to take off.
 
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