average xc

S

stimpsonjcat

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TJ
Hello all,

New SEL pilot~50 hrs

For you weekend flyers, what is the average xc distance you folks would do in a single piston aircraft?

I usually don't fly more than two hours out for a day flight

I was thinking of a flight from Philly area to Atanta ~650 Nm in a DA40 all VFR. Two day trip one day there and one back. If there are no weather problems it looks like two three hour hops each way.

Does not seem all that long to me but some others disagree.

Thanks
 
Seems a little much for a freshly minted PPL but if you think you can then I'd say go for it! Hope the airplane has good comfortable/supportive seats. Just remember you don't have to prove it to anyone you "can" do it. If you get tired stop and take a break.
 
I'm currently a PPL student and my driving limit is about 3 hours. Not to hijack this thread, but how does your driving limit compare to your flying limit?
Just curious.
 
I got my PPL in April. I could drive for 4 hours no problem I built up that tolerance. Flying I go about 2 hours and my back starts hurting and I want to get out and feel ground again. I just need to build that tolerance up.
 
I usually drive longer legs than three hours, but it depends on how long the drive is, weather etc. Flying takes a bit more concentration and I have set my personal limit to three hours between breaks; less if I begin to tire.

When flying is concerned it is never a good idea to be in a hurry.
 
stimpsonjcat said:
I was thinking of a flight from Philly area to Atanta ~650 Nm in a DA40 all VFR. Two day trip one day there and one back. If there are no weather problems it looks like two three hour hops each way.
Click to expand...


You may want to do your flightplan again. I've made Atlanta from Philly without a fuel stop in 4.5 hours without a tailwind in my Tiger which I think performs pretty similarly to a DA40. Actually, the DA40 may be a few knots faster.

I say do it non-stop, just bring a piddle pack. If you need to take a break land, and stretch your legs.
 
seems that when we drive places its 4 hrs minimum. typically when we fly its about 3.5 hrs. it takes that long by 172 to get to my parents house and a little less by 182RG to get to Leah's parents.
 
Every time I hear you and other Tiger owners speak of your aircraft, I realize it's the plane for me. I won't be shopping until I have my ticket, but I'm looking forward to getting the performance/cost ratios I'm hearing associated with the Grumman Tiger.


Anthony said:
You may want to do your flightplan again. I've made Atlanta from Philly without a fuel stop in 4.5 hours without a tailwind in my Tiger which I think performs pretty similarly to a DA40. Actually, the DA40 may be a few knots faster.

I say do it non-stop, just bring a piddle pack. If you need to take a break land, and stretch your legs.
Click to expand...
 
LandSickness said:
Every time I hear you and other Tiger owners speak of your aircraft, I realize it's the plane for me. I won't be shopping until I have my ticket, but I'm looking forward to getting the performance/cost ratios I'm hearing associated with the Grumman Tiger.
Click to expand...

One of us... one of us... (Tho I prefer to be on the ground after 4 hours max, even if I can do 4.5 legally.)
 
The longest I have driven is 6 hours in one stretch. That's a pretty long way. For a long drive I prefer 4 hour legs.

The longest I have flown on a XC leg is 3 hours. I flew back the same day. After three hours I was ready for a break, but another hour would have been tolerable. And I suspect I will build tolerance to long flight legs too.
 
Probably one of the better things about flying the 152 for me, generally only a little over 3 hours is about how long you can fly without stopping for fuel anyway.
 
LandSickness said:
I'm currently a PPL student and my driving limit is about 3 hours. Not to hijack this thread, but how does your driving limit compare to your flying limit?
Just curious.
Click to expand...

I've driven up to 14 hours in one day. Round trip from Palmdale to San Jose.

There is no way on God's green earth I could fly for that long. It makes a difference if there's an autopilot, but even with all the bells and whistles, it's a lot more effort to fly. I don't think more than four or so hours per day makes any sense given current skills and the lack of an instrument rating.
 
I have driven 21 hours in one shot several times (ABQ to MSP and vise versa), however flying I can see being more work.

No clue yet, and I definitely won't push it, but my guess is I can go as far in something like an RV7 can go on a tank of gas (5-6 hours).

Most I have flown so far durring class, is 1.5 hours, and that was nothing. I didn't want to come down :)
 
3 to 4 hours. Longer than that and fuel gets too low. But, we can pack 3 to 4 of those legs into one day.
 
stimpsonjcat said:
Hello all,

New SEL pilot~50 hrs

For you weekend flyers, what is the average xc distance you folks would do in a single piston aircraft?

I usually don't fly more than two hours out for a day flight

I was thinking of a flight from Philly area to Atanta ~650 Nm in a DA40 all VFR. Two day trip one day there and one back. If there are no weather problems it looks like two three hour hops each way.

Does not seem all that long to me but some others disagree.

Thanks
Click to expand...
If you're interested in splitting costs, let me know. An Atlanta trip is still on my to-do list and I'd like to do it in something faster than I've got, and I've got a few hours in the DA-40 too.
 
LandSickness said:
Every time I hear you and other Tiger owners speak of your aircraft, I realize it's the plane for me. I won't be shopping until I have my ticket, but I'm looking forward to getting the performance/cost ratios I'm hearing associated with the Grumman Tiger.
Click to expand...

I don't own one, but have flown one on a few occasions. It's a great airplane.
 
Interesting that some of you don't want to fly as long as you will drive. For me, it's the other way around. Of course it depends on conditions. I can drive forever in rural areas, but not in congested urban ones. Guess if I was flying in controlled/congested airspace I would tire quickly too. I have flown as much as 14 hours in a day and am fine and ready to party. That was in uncontrolled airspace and a good day flying the Alaska Highway.
 
I've got no problem flying several hours at a time. It's a lot less boring that driving the same amount of time.

I recall my first long trip after getting my ticket and being nervous. It was from mid-Missouri to Columbus, OH. Then it occurred to me that once I was in the air it was pretty much just keeping a heading and altitude, watching the panel and looking out the windows. Much less stress than an hour or two in the pattern.

Not too long after that GPS became available to the masses and the trips became a whole lot easier and more fun. And more frequent.

One suggestion for longer trips, especially in the summer, is to keep hydrated and carry a pee bottle.
 
Last edited:
stimpsonjcat said:
Hello all,

New SEL pilot~50 hrs

For you weekend flyers, what is the average xc distance you folks would do in a single piston aircraft?

I usually don't fly more than two hours out for a day flight

I was thinking of a flight from Philly area to Atanta ~650 Nm in a DA40 all VFR. Two day trip one day there and one back. If there are no weather problems it looks like two three hour hops each way.

Does not seem all that long to me but some others disagree.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Never could understand the worry in going CC. :dunno: It is an airplane designed to go places. Go, enjoy the adventure, have fun! Next plan a trip to Alaska. ;)
 
I plan on doing 514 nm in a 80 knot airplane on Thursday then I'll turn around and do the same trip a few days later. Just enjoy it, be safe, and never be rushed. Live :)
 
jesse said:
I plan on doing 514 nm in a 80 knot airplane on Thursday then I'll turn around and do the same trip a few days later. Just enjoy it, be safe, and never be rushed. Live :)
Click to expand...

just looked it up and my longest day in the flybaby was 571 nautical as flown. sunrise to sunset gave me enough spare time for 4 landings (3 fuelings) and a quick lunch. This was in November of course. Unfortunately back then it didn't have position lights or the extra fuel capacity.
 
I've flown 10 hours in a day. After that I decided about 6 hours is all I really want to do.
 
DavidWhite said:
I've flown 10 hours in a day. After that I decided about 6 hours is all I really want to do.
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Well considering how you require a minimum of 12 hours of sleep per day - plus seven to ten meals - I could see how 10 hours of actual work could be quite disruptive to your life.

:)
 
jesse said:
Well considering how you require a minimum of 12 hours of sleep per day - plus seven to ten meals - I could see how 10 hours of actual work could be quite disruptive to your life.

:)
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12? I sleep atleast 16 hours a day.
 
A long x-c is a series of short x-c's. When I was a newbie I flew from Seattle down to Oakland, with stops enroute. Flying over the Cascades to Eastern Washington was pretty much a non-event, with fewer opportunities to stop. Do whatever you are comfortable with, and no more.....always.

Bob Gardner
 
I'll do 10 hours with stops, or 6 hours without stops. Typically our flights are non-stop and 2 to 4 hours.
 
I've done CJR->OSH nonstop a few times, about 600 miles.
We've done CJR-IWI (about 500) and OWD-CJR (375).

Every other week I'm down to my place in NC (225 miles).

I've flown from CJR-LAF-POH-6V4-RAP-COD and back COD-CID-KLOU-NC26
 
I generally plan my means of transportation according to the trip, vs. flying just to be flying. My plane fills in the gap of a 2-4 hour trip to someplace where Southwest doesn't fly.
 
Geico266 said:
Never could understand the worry in going CC. :dunno: It is an airplane designed to go places. Go, enjoy the adventure, have fun! Next plan a trip to Alaska. ;)
Click to expand...

I just got back from Alaska!

11 days away from home, 5300+NM, 2 legs per day between 2.5hr to 3.5hrs each. I think I did have one very long day to get from Whitehorse YT to Anchorage with two stops, one for customs and one for fuel.

4 days to get there, a few days flying around Alaska, and 5 days home. The last day coming home was a 3hr leg, lunch and fuel stop, and then 3.5 hrs to get home.
 
Pretty good time for a glider.
BillTIZ said:
I just got back from Alaska!

11 days away from home, 5300+NM, 2 legs per day between 2.5hr to 3.5hrs each. I think I did have one very long day to get from Whitehorse YT to Anchorage with two stops, one for customs and one for fuel.

4 days to get there, a few days flying around Alaska, and 5 days home. The last day coming home was a 3hr leg, lunch and fuel stop, and then 3.5 hrs to get home.
Click to expand...
 
My average XC trip is 1500nm, but then that was the reason I got into flying, being able to cross the country on my own route and on my schedule since I have friends all over that I like to be able to drop in on as I go from place to place that I need to go. It's also why I have a twin that does 3 miles a minute on low power cruise. I did my first trip in an Arrow II and it still makes it across the country in 2 days.
 
stimpsonjcat said:
Hello all,

New SEL pilot~50 hrs

For you weekend flyers, what is the average xc distance you folks would do in a single piston aircraft?

I usually don't fly more than two hours out for a day flight

I was thinking of a flight from Philly area to Atanta ~650 Nm in a DA40 all VFR. Two day trip one day there and one back. If there are no weather problems it looks like two three hour hops each way.

Does not seem all that long to me but some others disagree.

Thanks
Click to expand...

It's not how far you plan on going, but how far you can really go, given lots of factors like wind, weather, bladder, and when you're an old guy like me, just general tiredness.

Plan for the big trip, but keep your options open. In my experience, the unplanned stops have been much more fun than the planned ones.

I should probably shut up before I end up sounding like an old episode of "Kung Fu".
 
I've learned that flying a longer leg first works better for me. For whatever reason I like knowing that the hard part is over when I stop. But with 96 gal tanks and 11-12 GPH burn, that first stop can be a fair piece down the road.
 
wabower said:
I've learned that flying a longer leg first works better for me. For whatever reason I like knowing that the hard part is over when I stop. But with 96 gal tanks and 11-12 GPH burn, that first stop can be a fair piece down the road.
Click to expand...

Distance/time between fuel stops are determined by ability to carry (tanker) fuel and location of airports with fuel available. Interestingly, available fuel across the Yukon Territories is about 3 hrs at 120KTAS.

The T-41B has 46 usable in the wings and an extra 17gal fuselage tank. At 10gph wing tank fuel is plenty. The extra tank was used once because no fuel was available at a mandatory customs stop.
 
I did a 2500nm x/c when I was a PPL at about 100hrs TT. The others said it right, just take your time, dont push wx and maybe bring a handheld GPS just encase, also be very conservative on your fuel reserves, hydrate and bring some good nutrient rich snacks.


Enjoy!
 
Henning said:
He's home schooled, just plug him in and set him at his desk, when he goes out hell have a full charge.
Click to expand...

I was talking about the shock collar. He won't sit still long enough to get a full charge on it. And he won't wear the solar cells on his head like we asked him to. ;)
 
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