Best overall month to do a long trip by 140 knot piston single?

N1120A

N1120A

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N1120A
I was thinking if taking my GF and our dog on a XC trip in the airplane - maybe for 2 weeks or so. I'm assuming it will be the Tiger. Go somewhere like Maine, while crossing the middle of the country probably across the South/middle first and back via the Northern Tier (maybe even Canada)

Would May be the best month overall to do this? Icing should be over, thunderstorm season should be not quite going and heat shouldn't be too bad.
 
I did a west coast to east coast and back in my 100 knot plane two years ago. It was in May as well. I spent 7 out of 17 days sitting in hotel rooms waiting for better weather (plane is not IFR). I'm not convinced there is a perfect time, but at least it's not too hot in May.
 
Lndwarrior said:
I did a west coast to east coast and back in my 100 knot plane two years ago. It was in May as well. I spent 7 out of 17 days sitting in hotel rooms waiting for better weather (plane is not IFR). I'm not convinced there is a perfect time, but at least it's not too hot in May.
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IFR is not an issue for me - airplane has dual WAAS GPS, dual ILS, I'm current and proficient in the airplane, and have a good autopilot so I don't get tired. My concerns are primarily convection and icing, though the discomfort of heat would also be something to avoid.
 
May or October:
Leafs changing in NE would be nice, might be some cooler weather but not frigid. Weather is generally good, too early for winter storms and hurricane season is waning.
 
Based near San Diego? First off, how much does the gf enjoy flying? That is, bouncing around in a 20 kt headwind?


I think you have to incorporate some fun destinations and not just distance covered. Have you done test flights with the gf & dog? In the heat of summer I’d be angling North.
Extreme flexibility is key, that includes time of day flying, even adjusting the direction, stops, & destinations for excursions.

It’s not so much where you are but what you are doing.
 
Another vote for September. I love flying anytime, but fall is second to none in my book. FWIW the week after labor day is when we do our annual trip from MA to MO.
 
And another vote for September. Middle to end of the month is usually quite pleasant most places.
 
sourdough44 said:
First off, how much does the gf enjoy flying? That is, bouncing around in a 20 kt headwind?
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That’s my first thought. Spring (cool nights, days getting warm, crops not yet covering black dirt, etc.) is one of the best times for bumpy air. Fall is usually more stable.
 
I did an October month-long solo VFR flight from Seattle-ish to S.Cal, across the Mojave, Grand Canyon, to Knoxville. Then to S.Florida, up around the gulf to Corpus Christi. From CC back to S.Cal and up the coast. Stuck in Klamath Falls for two days waiting for weather around Mt. Shasta to clear. Added an extra day with friends in Knoxville to let airmets (thunderstorms) clear in Florida. Rested for a few days in Deming, NM. Stuck in Medford, OR for four days waiting for a November weather window back to Snohomish, WA. San Diego shouldn't have that issue. My typical Warrior (-161) cruise speed was 105 kts indicated at 6500-8500 MSL.

Go in September. Sedona is fun. If you're going to Maine, go a bit farther and do not miss the Bay of Fundy tides.
 
sourdough44 said:
Based near San Diego? First off, how much does the gf enjoy flying? That is, bouncing around in a 20 kt headwind?


I think you have to incorporate some fun destinations and not just distance covered. Have you done test flights with the gf & dog? In the heat of summer I’d be angling North.
Extreme flexibility is key, that includes time of day flying, even adjusting the direction, stops, & destinations for excursions.

It’s not so much where you are but what you are doing.
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She and the dog enjoy it.

I usually fly longer flights at 10-11k instead of 5000-8000, so turbulence is usually a little less.

midlifeflyer said:
I’m a big fan of September and October. I’ve lived as a pilot in Massachusetts, Colorado, and North Carolina. In each of those regions, early fall is the season with the best flying.
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The only issue with that is we have a yearly trip that ends in early September, then another that starts in late October.
 
May-October is ideal in the Northeast quadrant of the US. We don't get lots of severe weather, but icing is always possible in clouds in May or September-October. Cutoff lows are pretty common in May-June, leading to claggy but usually benign IFR weather for a week or so. Farther south, afternoon buildups and thunderstorms are typical all summer long, but can usually be avoided by flying in the early morning. Some days, you just have to give up by 2pm or so, other days things are widely scattered. The main lesson is to not be in a hurry to be anywhere in particular.

If flying to Maine, Portland (PWM) is GA-friendly, and the city has a cute minor league ballpark, as well as lots of good seafood. LL Bean is nearby. Bar Harbor (BHB) is very popular with the Acadia National Park, but it is quite crowded with tourists from July 1 - Labor Day. May or June is a good time to visit before the crowds appear, although in May the mosquitos can be pretty bad in the woods. After Labor day the throngs thin out a bit.

A visit to the Adirondacks (SLK) would not disappoint. Day-hike some mountains and enjoy some wilderness. July-August is my favorite time in the mountains, when the mosquitos die down, but May-June is cool and refreshing (bring DEET). Or on your way through Central New York enjoy some Finger Lakes wine. Ithaca (ITH) Penn Yan (PEO) or Canandaigua (IUA) are reasonable stops in this region.

Sounds like fun! If I can get my plane out of annual, I'm heading south to the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida in May-June to hit some minor league parks and visit friends. You can go a long way in a day even at 120 kt (AA-5).
 
September is my vote. Early October can be done too but I got chased home early by icing in October once.
 
Reporting from North Dakota. Spring is a season of change. I was dodging ice at 5000 on Monday night and turbulence at 11500 on Thursday early afternoon. I’m presently on the deck in a T-shirt and my dog is hiding in the shade but we have snow in the forecast next week. Our wind speed in knots and temperature in Celsius match throughout the spring although sometimes the wind gets ahead of the temp. May is typically the same. (One year, I got snowed in at least once every month except July and August.)

I think it’s a fine time to fly, as long as you’re on top of your game for the wind and you know how to avoid ice and thunderstorms. Same as every other month.
 
I have done looooong x-country trips spanning multiple states/provinces and days in September, October, November, December, January, February, March and August. I honestly don’t prefer any month over any other month. Waiting out weather, smoke or other unexpected things can happen in any of those months. In the colder months, my heater works well. In the warmer months i climb up to cool air so it’s only uncomfortable on the ground but once in the air it’s nice enough.
 
My May vote based on my trip last year in a 115kt plane; Vegas to Florida. -outbound I10, inbound I40.
 
chemgeek said:
If flying to Maine, Portland (PWM) is GA-friendly, and the city has a cute minor league ballpark, as well as lots of good seafood. LL Bean is nearby. Bar Harbor (BHB) is very popular with the Acadia National Park, but it is quite crowded with tourists from July 1 - Labor Day. May or June is a good time to visit before the crowds appear, although in May the mosquitos can be pretty bad in the woods. After Labor day the throngs thin out a bit.
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There's also a bus that will take you from the airport to the ballpark for cheap.
 
I have flown from ma. To Alaska and back to ma via Osh. During July only bad weather was in Alaska. I frequently go up and down the east coast in September and May. I have experienced icing in October in Ohio. Remember time to spare go by air.
 
N1120A said:
I was thinking if taking my GF and our dog on a XC trip in the airplane - maybe for 2 weeks or so. I'm assuming it will be the Tiger. Go somewhere like Maine, while crossing the middle of the country probably across the South/middle first and back via the Northern Tier (maybe even Canada)

Would May be the best month overall to do this? Icing should be over, thunderstorm season should be not quite going and heat shouldn't be too bad.
Click to expand...
I generally start flying north after about april, i'm way to scared of icing to try during the winter.
Thunderstorms you can fly around or just wait out
too hot, fly higher, etc...

pro tip, avoid the turbulence, gf will talk about you forever if you shake her about too much

oh yeah, if flying from east to west, watch the winds, it's depressing seeing a gs of 100kts
 
Out here in the NW, we must consider forest fire season, typically June-Sep. The smoke causes poor visibility, forest fighting TFRs, and sometimes closes airports. So Apr-May or Sep-Oct would be best for cross-state flights.
 
N1120A said:
I was thinking if taking my GF and our dog on a XC trip in the airplane - maybe for 2 weeks or so. I'm assuming it will be the Tiger. Go somewhere like Maine, while crossing the middle of the country probably across the South/middle first and back via the Northern Tier (maybe even Canada)

Would May be the best month overall to do this? Icing should be over, thunderstorm season should be not quite going and heat shouldn't be too bad.
Click to expand...
Make it September, and stop at the GOPA annual convention at Port Clinton, OH.
 
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A few years ago, wife and I did a four week trip from Boston to Utah by way of TN, TX, and NM. The trip was in May, Outbound was roughly one short day and three long days of flying. Coming back from Utah to Boston took five short (good tailwinds for once in my life) days as we stayed in the nice weather between two frontal systems moving across the country.

In early May, New England at 10K MSL you will still have freezing layers to be careful of. Therefore, outbound I would most likely plan on staying south until you hit the east coast; then head north. For the way back, I would say, play it by ear. The weather is too unpredictable to know which way would be the best choice.

If you stop in the Boston area, drop me a line and we can meet up.

Tim
 
May is too early imo in Maine. Rain and cool weather are still prevalent. If you want consistent 70s and nicer weather, the last week in June on is generally best. If you’re ok with rain and 50s to 60s, then the end of May on is usually ok. September on the other hand is one of the best months usually
in New England for nice weather….. if there are no hurricanes .
 
I try to similar trip a few years back I got iced out in April I got iced out in May and ended up doing the trip in July in a Cherokee 180.
 
Late September, early October. Generally pretty docile weather/visibility to deal with, winds aren't typically crazy either. Temperatures should be decent at low/mid-altitude, especially in the mornings. Get to see some fall colors in some Northern areas.
 
I'm based on Colorado and fly back to Maine twice a year to visit family. usually spring/summer time frame. Interestingly, my only real icing experience was mid July over Ohio at 13,000ft. Descended through a layer and picked up a 1/4 inch of rhime on the wing. Given it was July it wasn't even on my mind until the window frosted over. Looked out at the wing and had an oh **** moment. Thankfully, the layer was only ~3,000ft thick and temps down lower were in the 90's so wasn't an issue. If you make it to Maine, head to Rockland. Quintessential costal maine town.
 
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