Draft plan norcal to New Mexico

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skynewbie

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For the trip to New Mexico, I did some draft planning today with charts and Foreflight:

Planning KRHV LICKE V485 ROM V137 PMD V12 EED KHII MEMPE KIGM 73AZ P23 KCMR KFLG KSEZ OATES V12 INW P14 GRINT DODAH KGUP HERET KGNT KAEG KABQ 1N1 KSAF
 
First observation is that when climbing outta RHV...you are flying directly into the approach path of SJC and will be meeting some 737's descending head on. Stay east of 101.

You have yourself over quite a few ridges...although pretty low depending on cruising altitude and winds it can make for a bumpier ride. When I do that initial part of your route, I find myself cutting over to I-5 around Gilroy and staying in the valley then down.
 
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skynewbie said:
For the trip to New Mexico, I did some draft planning today with charts and Foreflight:

Planning KRHV LICKE V485 ROM V137 PMD V12 EED KHII MEMPE KIGM 73AZ P23 KCMR KFLG KSEZ OATES V12 INW P14 GRINT DODAH KGUP HERET KGNT KAEG KABQ 1N1 KSAF
Click to expand...


What altitudes? Even though there are mountains, you can pretty much go direct between Flagstaff and Winslow and Winslow to Gallup, Gallup to Grants, then Grants to Albuquerque all at 9500 MSL. Mt Taylor is a little north of Grants at 11,300, but going over Grants will give you plenty of room to go around, plus you will see it a long before you get to it. If you land in ABQ you will have to go around a mountain to go to Sante Fe but it is easy to pick around visually. In the afternoons it has been pretty bumpy between Flag and ABQ. Wind is pretty hit and miss. Usually the winds have died down by this time of year but last week is was tremendous. This week has been pretty calm.

Along the route you will see parts of the painted desert, look for the meteor crater between Flagstaff and Winslow. GUP FBO is now operated by Wiseman Aviation, same company that operates the FBO in Flagstaff and Winslow. Good folks.

Looks like you have planned well and sounds like a fun trip, whichever route you choose.. Have fun and don't forget your camera..!!!

oooops... forgot one thing... if you get flight following from center, they will lose you on radar below 12,000 ft.
 
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STAY AWAY from LICKE. Make sure you can see purple and orange really well otherwise.

See this:

http://skyvector.com/files/tpp/1407/pdf/00693RY30R.PDF

If you're on flight following, NorCal will get you out anyway.

There are actually a surprising number of OK emergency landing spots -- including at least two apparent abandoned or uncharted airports -- if you cross Mt. Hamilton to Crows Landing. Do not circle to climb east of RHV due to departures from San Jose. If you can't make it straight, either circle west (in class C), cross further south, or depart north over Calaveras and Livermore.

That last one is probably safest and doesn't add much to your time.
 
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Thanks I'm planning 9500' altitude for the flight there and will avoid the higher terrain with a stop at Lake Havasu. I'll be on flight following with a flight plan. Thanks Mike for the tips.
 
While oxygen is not required at 9500, some people start to have trouble there, particularly for hours-long trips.

Add a pulse ox to your cruise checklist.

I suspect that Arrow may do better at a lower altitude anyway. I have yet to fly an NA plane that had a sweet spot much above 8000.
 
skynewbie said:
Thanks I'm planning 9500' altitude for the flight there and will avoid the higher terrain with a stop at Lake Havasu. I'll be on flight following with a flight plan. Thanks Mike for the tips.
Click to expand...

9500 in Arizona in places won't be high enough for flight following. Just something to keep in mind
 
skynewbie said:
Thanks I'm planning 9500' altitude for the flight there and will avoid the higher terrain with a stop at Lake Havasu. I'll be on flight following with a flight plan. Thanks Mike for the tips.
Click to expand...

Lake Havasu has good BBQ on airport.
 
Thanks for the reference at Lake Havesu airport, BBQ sounds good! I will add a oximeter to the prep gear. Have a backup portable Yaesu navcom radio and GPS.
 
When we fly East we will often times go as far as Bullhead City leaving Reid Hillview in the afternoon the day before we wanted to actually leave. That was before the instrument rating anyhow... That way we wouldn't get weathered in by a marine layer on the day we wanted to leave. Hotels rooms in Laughlin stink, are dirty, the food is bad, and you will be addicted to cigarettes by the next morning when you leave but the rooms are cheap. The hotels are a 5 minute ride on a shuttle from the airport, and you can be in the air to cross the desert early.

I usually tried to be in the air 1/2 before daybreak in an attempt to get across Arizona and into or past New Mexico before it gets hot out. If you are the late bird you won't get a worm, but you will get pounded all the way across the desert. There is no fun factor to flying in those conditions. Also we usually stop at St. John's Arizona for gas. It's used to be the cheapest in the US, but I haven't made the crossing in a couple of years and don't know if it still is.

If you are instrument rated I'd suggest leaving Bullhead at around 3 am and getting across even earlier. I don't know if you have your instrument rating, but personally I wouldn't cross the desert at night without one.

Whatever you decide to do enjoy your trip. :yes:
 
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I think you could straighten that out quite a bit, you're kind of all over the map like a destroyer trying to dodge a U-Boat. A couple of years ago I ferried a friends 150 from the Bay area to Oklahoma. I made it to Winslow around mid afternoon and decided to call it a day because it was just hot as heck and getting rough as a cob.

Anyway, the early dawn departure the next day was some of the best flying I had on that trip, absolutely fantastic scenery in the low morning light with dead calm smooth air all the way to Albuquerque. That's the way to enjoy it out there but of course there's not much to do with an afternoon in Winslow other than maybe take a tour bus out to the Meteor Crater.

BTW - the Meteor Crater; you don't have to "look for it", you can't miss it. In fact you'll probably spot it as you pass over Flagstaff.
 
I made almost that exact trip in 1989 in the old 1941 taylorcraft BC12-65. I got my ticket at RHV-Amelia Reids school. I kept the t-cart at Tracy and flew the 52 miles back and forth solo til I did my checkride. Once I finished up I flew from Tracy to Bakersfield pretty direct, from there I went over Tehachapi pass at about 9500 watching a flight of C130s slide about 1000ft beneath me. I went info Fox field to check with flight service for transit direct to Barstow following the highway. There was no military traffic to speak of and they said no issues. They had frequencies to monitor for any warnings. I did see a flight of F5s way above about halfway from Mojave to Barstow. From Barstow to Bullhead City and stopped for the night. I met my folks there who had been towing my car from Tracy. I kept the altitude up there just to avoid the rougher ride but clearance wasn't an issue yet.
From Bullhead City I headed south to give me time to climb in order to clear the ridge just east of the river. From there I went pretty direct to Williams than on past Flagstaff. A lap around Meteor Crater had to be done and as noted it is quite obvious from Flagg. I kept up around 9500 for most of that trip and landed at Holbrook for fuel and an overnight. (Tcraft isn't very fast) In the morning I left Holbrook early and climbed to 9500 once again for the continental divide crossing. I had a little help from a bit of wave or terrain induced lift and managed to get all the way up to 11,500 by the time I got to Grants. I pulled the power back a bit and the speed up and made good time into Cornado Airport on the north side of Albuquerque.
It was a great trip, especially for a newbie pilot in a non-electrical equipped plane. The handheld worked great and the map and compass did too.
Early morning departures and maybe a mid day layover somewhere for lunch allows you to miss a lot of the rougher riding. Later afternoon and evening get some more miles under the belt.

Hope your trip goes well


Frank
 
Zeldman said:
What altitudes? Even though there are mountains, you can pretty much go direct between Flagstaff and Winslow and Winslow to Gallup, Gallup to Grants, then Grants to Albuquerque all at 9500 MSL. Mt Taylor is a little north of Grants at 11,300, but going over Grants will give you plenty of room to go around, plus you will see it a long before you get to it. If you land in ABQ you will have to go around a mountain to go to Sante Fe but it is easy to pick around visually.

oooops... forgot one thing... if you get flight following from center, they will lose you on radar below 12,000 ft.
Click to expand...

That "mountain" is sticking up all by itself. Almost impossible to hit it unless you're really trying to.
 
BiffJ said:
I made almost that exact trip in 1989 in the old 1941 taylorcraft BC12-65. ....

I pulled the power back a bit and the speed up and made good time into Cornado Airport on the north side of Albuquerque.
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Coronado closed years ago - local tribe invoked land rights and it's now a casino. But you can still see aspects of the runway and there are still some buildings/hangars used for storage.

Food at the casino is pretty good for the typical buffet. Didn't try the steakhouse on the top floor.
 
I had a pretty good lunch at Double Eagle while they filled up the plane and parked it for me. I'm not used to that kind of attention.
 
I kept my Tcraft and a Bellanca 14-19 there at Coronado til about 97 or so. I knew they closed it down and see the leftovers every time I come home to see the folks. I still can't figure out why the tribe shut it down when it was bringing in money for them. Especially since they built the casino it makes no sense.
We used to fly up to SAF fairly often and it was pretty direct from Coronado. There was a little bit of a dogleg around the mountain from international. From Double Eagle it should be a straight line flight. Other than the elevation change of a 1000ft or so there isn't a lot of obstructions on the way. Its a nice flight up.

Frank
 
V230 provides smooth easy crossings, I could do it without breaking the 10,000' light sport limitation before the added the 2,500 agl exception.
 
Cool thanks after the Oregon trip I'm heading to New Mexico.
 
CharlieTango said:
Here's how I do it. KRHV FRA NIKOL KTPH KSAF
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In the summer an early morning crossing of the Sierra is quite doable and pleasant, also spectacular but that Tonopah to Santa Fe leg looks pretty gnarly (meaning long)
 
This likely how I would do it-

KRHV EHF L72 KHND KGCN KSAF

This path keeps you out of the Sierras and doesn't add many miles. (808nm total) With a single engine plane, I like options. This path does take you through R-2505 at China Lake and it says it's continuous from the surface on up. I'm not a local down there, so I have no idea what it takes, or how easy it is to be cleared through there, but if they say no, there is a passage way between R-2505 and R-2524 (also continuous) you can go through with nobody's blessing. GPS would be really helpful here.

I would likely do this in two days, but you could do it in one. The OP's original flight plan leads me to believe that he would be doing this VFR with a mix of pilotage and victor airways. I guess for IR practice? I'm not sure if he has GPS beyond the iPad. Either way, my route could be easily modified to include some pilotage and victor airways if practice is desired.

Have fun!
 
Thanks Dave this is very helpful. The club planes that I fly have Garmin GPS and I'd leave at 6am from RHV weather permitting VFR conditions from home to Santa Fe. I'm planning to fly it in either a 182 or Bonanza since my recent trip experience in the Arrow shows the need for more high performance due to the higher elevations.

Cheers,
Ben

http://pilotandscuba.blogspot.com
 
murphey said:
Coronado closed years ago - local tribe invoked land rights and it's now a casino. But you can still see aspects of the runway and there are still some buildings/hangars used for storage.

Food at the casino is pretty good for the typical buffet. Didn't try the steakhouse on the top floor.
Click to expand...


:) Actually, the casino is a couple of miles east of where Coronado stood.
Place is now a manufacturer of Tuff Sheds :)

((similar vein --> the former Alameda airport is now split between a Lowes and an American Home Furniture :) ))
 
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