First real traveling attempt, Memphis - Boston in a 172

kontiki

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Kontiki
I rented the plane for a week.

Actually it will be M01 to KLWM in a G1000 172.
It will be VFR.
Ill working up the final details tommorow.
I figured 3.5 Hr legs maybe with an over night stop 3/4 of the way there.

No idea where to stop or what might be worth flying over on the way, all suggestions welcome.
Thanks
 
should be a fun trip ,,,,,, go for it

airnav.com plug in the required data and see what you get.
 
You are going on a long first trip for sure. Let us know when you are going to depart. Your route is 10 nm North of my house in NE Ky. Fly South a bit and I'll wave at you and flash my strobe light.

Bowling Green, Ky- Corvette
Lexington, Ky- LEX Avn Museum
Cynthiana, Ky- 0I8- Cheap fuel $5.20
Portsmouth, Oh- PMH- Rest on field, my home base.
Hershey Choc, Pa- CXY $10 ldg fee.
Gettysburg, Pa
The last two would be good overnights.
 
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Put your planned route into the fuel services on AirNav.com and it will find the cheaper fuels. Most of those will be away from the larger airports.

Looks like a fun trip, weather over multiple days is the big issue, but with a whole week available it should be doable. Nice time for some foliage.
 
Just remember you're better off waiting out questionable wx, or abandoning the aircraft and driving if need be. Having a rental for a limited amount of time must make quite a bit of getthereitis. Resist that at all costs. Fly when you want to, not when you need to.
 
Good price at 6B6 near your destination.

You have about the best fuel prices right there in Tn.
 
We are going to TN44 in Oct, Savannah in Nov and would like to go up to the NE when it warms back up. Post a trip report and especially recommendations for Boston area. The wife is really looking forward to that area.
 
You could do the Hudson River corridor in the way up if you made a slight detour.
 
From MEM to BOS if you are IFR capable and qualified find a route to GDM . . . EVERY instrument approach seemingly anywhere to BOS area airports starts at or goes over GDM at some point or on some transition. . . .

Furthermore - assume that if you ARE IFR into the NE that you WILL be vectored at some point over LHY. So plan accordingly.
 
From MEM to BOS if you are IFR capable and qualified find a route to GDM . . . EVERY instrument approach seemingly anywhere to BOS area airports starts at or goes over GDM at some point or on some transition. . . .

Furthermore - assume that if you ARE IFR into the NE that you WILL be vectored at some point over LHY. So plan accordingly.

I have an IFR rating, but do not consider myself IFR proffiecnt in the G1000. If it gets cloudy I really need to park it.

KBVY was really clost to my destination, but I called and they have a lot of FOD and construction issues. I'll use flight following the whole way though.
 
I have an IFR rating, but do not consider myself IFR proffiecnt in the G1000. If it gets cloudy I really need to park it.

KBVY was really clost to my destination, but I called and they have a lot of FOD and construction issues. I'll use flight following the whole way though.

Highly recommend KBED.
 
I did my first big trip a couple months ago in that exact plane (9.4 hours round trip, so not that big, but big for me). Actually, I had it booked for this Saturday, and you got me bumped to the 182 (for the same rate, so that's cool). We might wind up pre-flighting at the same time at M01. I just hope the rain gets out before they're currently predicting. Having the G1000 w/ XM weather, TIS, and radio feels like cheating.

If you're up for fly-ins along the way, I know of 4 that aren't too large a diversion (if it were me):
KJWN (food and music; maybe too close if you leave early enough)
KPVE (nice new facilities; fun last year)
KFFT (International Cessna 195 Club fly-in)
64I (fly-in to benefit airport rebuild after tornado damage)

I sure wish I could book a week and just fly.
 
When are you making the trip? I am flying from philly area to BED soon, seems like the best option.
 
Highly recommend KBED.

I'm leaving Sat AM and maybe over nighting at KRVL expecting to make it into KBED Sunday AM if all go es well and the weather lets me get in.

I go through a lot of planning, it always takes longer, I'm not in any rush.

I saw the KBED recommendations and made the change. I went to A&P school at Hanscom Field in the late 70s. I used to work on base at the O-club after classes.

Looking at how the weather is moving up there, I may have to let departure time slip by 24 hours.
 
I did my first big trip a couple months ago in that exact plane (9.4 hours round trip, so not that big, but big for me). Actually, I had it booked for this Saturday, and you got me bumped to the 182 (for the same rate, so that's cool). We might wind up pre-flighting at the same time at M01. I just hope the rain gets out before they're currently predicting. Having the G1000 w/ XM weather, TIS, and radio feels like cheating.

If you're up for fly-ins along the way, I know of 4 that aren't too large a diversion (if it were me):
KJWN (food and music; maybe too close if you leave early enough)
KPVE (nice new facilities; fun last year)
KFFT (International Cessna 195 Club fly-in)
64I (fly-in to benefit airport rebuild after tornado damage)

I sure wish I could book a week and just fly.

I'll look for you tomorrow. Prognosis was just updated. Thanks for the recommendations. I may have the time to cool my heels along the way.
 
Weather in NE Ky will be foggy and low ceilings until around 1600Z tomorrow. We have had alot of rain, the last of it exiting the area now. Temps cooling down. Clouds down at ridge level here with 1/2 mi vis.
 
interesting your FBO let you check the plane out for a week....or did I not read that right? what did your FBO charge for that seeing you did 9.4 Hobbs? My FBO wants to charge 4 hrs per day. That would pretty much end my vacations for the next year if I had to pay 7 days at $115/hr and 4 hrs/day ($3220).
 
interesting your FBO let you check the plane out for a week....or did I not read that right? what did your FBO charge for that seeing you did 9.4 Hobbs? My FBO wants to charge 4 hrs per day. That would pretty much end my vacations for the next year if I had to pay 7 days at $115/hr and 4 hrs/day ($3220).

I wrote an email to the owner about 2-3 weeks ago and told him I wanted to reserve the plane from 9/29-10/6 for a flight from m01-KBVY and back. He actually made the reservation, the software won't let me do it that far out. He's always worked with me.

I've been a steady customer at the flight school since maybe 08. Got my ppl & ir there. I'm part way through the commercial. It's about 1000nmi each way. I bet there will be min 3 hrs flying per day. I may try to make a foliage run to NH or ME too.

I need to get up and see family. This is also part of the reason i took flying this far.

Folks are gettin on. I detest airline travel. There is no aspect of commercial airline travel that is pleasant. Why any one would make anything that unpleasant part of their recreation plans is beyond me.
 
what did your FBO charge for that seeing you did 9.4 Hobbs?

The big trip I mentioned was just a weekend and my 9.4 was split out 4.5 on the way out and 5 on the way back. It could have been 3.5 hours each way, but I made large deviations around a line of storms each day, diverted to an airport due to said storms to wait it out (5 hours my wife still complains about), and made several stops to see folks (6 airports). I learned a lot on that trip, and had a blast. Being without an IR, I realize the foolishness of trying to use my PPL for real travel with a schedule, but I really enjoy cross-countries.

...
He's always worked with me.

I've been a steady customer at the flight school since maybe 08 ... I bet there will be min 3 hrs flying per day.
...

He's told me the policy is 3 hours per day, but depending on plane, utilization, etc, he'll work with you. He's been very accommodating to me. I feel lucky to find a school this flexible and easy-going.

I'll look for you tomorrow.

Ought to see you if it's VFR. One of my passengers cancelled today, so I wish I could swap to the SkyCatcher, but it's booked. If you're really waiting on the weather up north to clear up, KSYI looks like it's having a real cool fly-in tomorrow with warbirds and DC-3 rides. I might stop on my way back west.
 
Wx update for you. 26 nm W of HTS...clear blue sky.
 
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