Flying an LSA cross-country VFR. Any suggestions on my routing?

kicktireslightfires

kicktireslightfires

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kicktireslightfires
Hi guys, I'll be flying an LSA from Florida up to Seattle and since I've never made this journey before I wanted to see if any pilots on here might recommend any changes to my route. I plan to cruise at 12.5 on Day 4 and 10.5 on Day 5, while navigating VFR around the highest peaks. What I have below is close to but won't be my exact route because, for instance, on the last day from KPDT into Seattle, I intend to fly north of Mt. Rainer closer to the highway. If you'd recommend any airport or waypoint changes, please let me know. Thank you!

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What factors are driving the planning of this trip?
1) Getting to your destination in the least time? or
2) Getting there on the cheapest? or
3) Taking your time and seeing interesting things along the way?
 
kath said:
What factors are driving the planning of this trip?
1) Getting to your destination in the least time? or
2) Getting there on the cheapest? or
3) Taking your time and seeing interesting things along the way?
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Combination of least amount of time and safest route, as well as good hotel options. I don't want to go 500 miles out of my way to have slightly lower terrain, for instance. And I don't want to overnight in tiny cities with only motel options.
 
Half Fast said:
What plane? Have you had it up to 12.5 before?
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Cessna 162. Yes, I've had it up to 13.5 before. The 162 climbs better than most think it does. On my own, I get 1000 fpm at sea level, which is above book. At 9000' density altitude, however, like I'm expecting at Cheyenne Airport, I'll probably see around 350 fpm. It's just me and I'll be light.
 
+1 re all the clarifying questions above.

If I were just trying to get there rather than see things en route per se, I’d personally go to Phoenix then Riverside area then up the Central Valley and that way. It’s a cool route in itself.

The northern route you propose, while totally doable, will likely have a lot of winds and turbulence. If you want to go that way, I’d personally plan on having lots of flexible time, get going early each day, and plan to knock off not much past noon or maybe 2 each day. Yes, very conservative, but you’re in a LIGHT Sport Aircraft and will get bounced more than I would in my Warrior, which can be a good amount as is.

Enjoy!
 
When? Cheyenne is notorious for high winds.
 
murphey said:
When? Cheyenne is notorious for high winds.
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Probably end of this month. I would check the TAF the day before and morning of and would delay my departure from Kansas until the winds at Cheyenne were expected to be within my limits at ETA.
 
Fly in the early morning before dawn until 10 or 11.
 
Piperonca said:
U have O2?
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Legally won't be needed, but I'll be bringing a small bottle with just as a precaution in case I'm feeling the effects. But I've gone through hypoxia training and already know I do just fine much higher than 12.5 without oxygen.
 
kicktireslightfires said:
Legally won't be needed, but I'll be bringing a small bottle with just as a precaution in case I'm feeling the effects. But I've gone through hypoxia training and already know I do just fine much higher than 12.5 without oxygen.
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That’s not how it works. :eek: I’d say your hypoxia trainers failed at their mission.
 
I would have enough 02 for an hour. You’re going to need all the options you can get.
 
Know your general route, check the weather and just go. Don’t be too surprised if you don’t end up making each planned stop each day and count on the trip taking longer than anticipated.

I dunno, I think planning long VFR trips like this so precisely is just silly. There’s too much variation to get too specific with it. Point the nose and fly!
 
RyanB said:
I dunno, I think planning long VFR trips like this so precisely is just silly. There’s too much variation to get too specific with it. Point the nose and fly!
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I agree, for the most part. I do think that having some rough flight planning done before departure on a trip of this magnitude is a good idea, but I usually end up redoing a lot of it along the way due to weather or other circumstances when I do a trip like this. I don’t think I’ve had a single trip traversing half the US go exactly the way I originally planned it.

With a quick glance, the rough routing looks okay. I flew the last third of the proposed route last fall in an aircraft with similar performance to a sky catcher without trouble.
 
Get an early start, follow interstates through the mountains or desolate areas(will have airports and possible emergency landing sites, humanity close by if off airport landing, best routes they the mountains). Flexibility is your friend, rigid schedules are the enemy.
 
You will have a tough time if those blue lines don't turn into magenta ... :D

Seriously, this sounds like an awesome thing to do but beware of the summer weather. Take your time and enjoy the trip. You are making memories here!
 
Direct Rapid City, thence Billings thence Helena thence Coeur D Alene thence Seattle.
 
I'd have been this route from Florida to SoCal... Tallahassee to Austin Texas, to El Paso Texas, to Phoenix Arizona, to Palm Springs to Burbank California, to Gorman VOR, once past the mountains then decide if you want to come up the Central Valley or head over toward the coast...
 
FPK1 said:
I'd have been this route from Florida to SoCal... Tallahassee to Austin Texas, to El Paso Texas, to Phoenix Arizona, to Palm Springs to Burbank California, to Gorman VOR, once past the mountains then decide if you want to come up the Central Valley or head over toward the coast...
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This is a pretty good suggestion if the central route doesn’t work out for some reason. Or perhaps for the return trip to see different scenery.
 
One option is to plan for longer flights your first couple of days. Down low, until say KS- DA and winds may be less of a concern. That frees up time for the more interesting and challenging part of your trip
You may need significantly more than 2000 ft above the mountains in WY, ID, etc to avoid concerns re downdrafts on the lee sides. Unless you have significant mountain flying experience, review and perhaps discuss with someone who does.

Sounds fun! Post pics when you fly, svp.
 
EdFred said:
Direct Rapid City, thence Billings thence Helena thence Coeur D Alene thence Seattle.
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Just did basically that route about 3 weeks ago. Beware of icing potential too(!). I was IFR but 12,000 was the min they’d give me around Helena - and started getting icing there. Depends on the weather, of course.

It’s a choice: go VFR lower and surf the winds off the mountains or go higher and manage O2 and ice risk (and still some winds). Even the Tucson/Phoenix area has its share of mountains but far less/zero ice risk in summer and far shorter mountain legs.
 
SFDukie said:
One option is to plan for longer flights your first couple of days. Down low, until say KS- DA and winds may be less of a concern. That frees up time for the more interesting and challenging part of your trip
You may need significantly more than 2000 ft above the mountains in WY, ID, etc to avoid concerns re downdrafts on the lee sides. Unless you have significant mountain flying experience, review and perhaps discuss with someone who does.

Sounds fun! Post pics when you fly, svp.
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There really is no reason to be 2000 ft above the mountains in Wyoming. In fact there's no reason to above the mountains at all. Follow I-80 and you're not above mountains or above 10K.
 
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murphey said:
There really is no reason to be 2000 ft above the mountains in Wyoming. In fact there's no reason to above the mountains at all. Follow I-80 and you're not above mountains or above 10K.
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His proposed route takes him over the crest of the Wyoming range, N of Kemmerer. 9500’ peak about 2.5 NM SE of MIKAE
 
Which is why I suggested following I-80 instead of VFR/GPS/or whatever straightline routing. Out here, following the magenta line is not always the best idea. For those of you interested in taking a mountain flying course ( altho it's not how to fly mountains, it's how to deal with high-altitude airports and stay safe in mountains) both Colorado Pilots Assoc and the New Mexico Pilots Assoc offer a full-day course followed by a 4-6 hour practical flight in the mountains a couple times a year.
Rule #1 - the GPS is not always your friend.
 
KGLD instead of KSYF for the Butterfly cafe on-field and they’ll pump the gas for you. SYF is mostly a duster base. You can walk to a diner there if you want.
 
SFDukie said:
His proposed route takes him over the crest of the Wyoming range, N of Kemmerer. 9500’ peak about 2.5 NM SE of MIKAE
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You’re assuming that the OP’s route in the first post is going to be flown exactly as posted. I’m betting it isn’t going to be.

Nothing wrong with what Murphy suggested. I never made it over 10k when I flew that route last fall.
 
Daleandee said:
You will have a tough time if those blue lines don't turn into magenta ... :D

Seriously, this sounds like an awesome thing to do but beware of the summer weather. Take your time and enjoy the trip. You are making memories here!
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Finally some positive friendly cheerful encouragement on here! :D Thank you!
 
Llewtrah381 said:
Just did basically that route about 3 weeks ago. Beware of icing potential too(!). I was IFR but 12,000 was the min they’d give me around Helena - and started getting icing there. Depends on the weather, of course.

It’s a choice: go VFR lower and surf the winds off the mountains or go higher and manage O2 and ice risk (and still some winds). Even the Tucson/Phoenix area has its share of mountains but far less/zero ice risk in summer and far shorter mountain legs.
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I'm not worried about structural icing since I won't be in the clouds. But I am worried about carb icing! The Cessna 162 I'll be flying has an O-200-D, aka, carb icemaker. I know of at least a couple of 162s that have made off airport landings because of very sudden and unanticipated carb ice. Sort of has me paranoid to where I pull the carb heat very often in flight just to make sure all is good. It has a carb temp gauge but apparently one of the 162s that went down said he was monitoring the carb temp gauge and it never went into the yellow and he still got carb ice!
 
Salty said:
I hope you’re planning for 8 or 10 days for this. The odds of making it 5 are pretty slim.
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IMHO he'd have to have really rotten luck with the weather for it to take so long. My last such flight (Mid NC to CA Coast) took less than 48 hours ET, including overnights in TN and NM. In my case it was
"Follow I-40" most of the way, with a detour South to avoid the ABQ Class B. The cruise speeds of his plane and mine are pretty similar.

Dave
 
murphey said:
There really is no reason to be 2000 ft above the mountains in Wyoming. In fact there's no reason to above the mountains at all. Follow I-80 and you're not above mountains or above 10K.
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That's pretty much my plan to follow I-80 west from Cheyenne, but then break off and follow the 30 north through the Georgetown pass to Pocatello.
 
mondtster said:
You’re assuming that the OP’s route in the first post is going to be flown exactly as posted. I’m betting it isn’t going to be.

Nothing wrong with what Murphy suggested. I never made it over 10k when I flew that route last fall.
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Any idea what the radar coverage is like out there? I'm planning on picking up flight following for the second half of the journey from Cheyenne to Seattle so that just in case I have a problem I'm already in contact with someone and can provide my position.
 
SFDukie said:
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His proposed route takes him over the crest of the Wyoming range, N of Kemmerer. 9500’ peak about 2.5 NM SE of MIKAE
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Approaching from the lee side too…better to just go around. Follow I-80. 9,500’ on a hot day is what density altitude? DA has killed more than a few flatlanders for thinking temperature doesn’t matter. I Follow Roads and lowest possible roads is a survival plan, not just easy nav through the tall hills.
 
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