Flying around Mt Rainier

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xueuni

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uni
I'd like to fly around Mount Rainier in a C172 out of Renton. What route do people usually take? I wonder if I can climb quickly enough once out of Seattle class B airspace for terrain around Mt Rainier. What do people usually do? Thanks!
 
No rush to climb leaving Renton. Head east over Kent, south to KPLU and start climbing as the Class Bravo shelf fades out. Get flight following and take some good photos as you take a lap or two. I've done this a couple of times in clam wind and will leave the wind limit suggestions to those with more experience because that area can get pretty rough when the winds blow.
 
The generally accepted procedure is monitor 122.75 and to make position reports on that frequency (in the blind) inbound, then periodically thereafter. Circle counterclockwise and stay at least 2,000' agl and 3 miles horizontal distance.

That being said, someone will be along shortly to explain to you that there is not any published procedure other than whats on the sectional.
 
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Any time I've been flying by Mt. Rainier (always to the south) I've been talking to SEA center. Either flight following or on an IFR clearance. Flying out of KOLM I'm at altitude long before I get near the rocks around the mountain. It is farther away than it looks (about 55 miles from my house NW of Olympia), so you've got plenty of time to climb. I remember one time we were returning (CFI and I) from the east side and he asked me to fly back closer to the mountain for some pictures. The controller came up on frequency, "I know what you're doing!" with laughter in his voice. It was a beautiful clear day and I think we had the sky to ourselves. Now, this was probably 18 years ago and I don't recall what we were actually doing, it was a year or so after I passed my check ride. The bottom line is that the folks in SEA center are watching what you do, especially if you are using flight following (this was a long time before I had my IR).

Oh, and Kenny W's procedure sounds a lot like the one called out for flying around Mt. St. Helens, as well.
 
red4golf said:
I've done this a couple of times in clam wind and
Click to expand...
Even better with the right mussel memory.... just don’t be shellfish and not share the pictures.

Reminds me of a Dr. Demento favorite that starts off ....

It was April the 41st
Being a quadruple leap year
I was driving through downtown Atlantis
My Barracuda was in the shop, so
I was in a rented Stingray
And it was overheating
So I pulled into a Shell station
They said I'd blown a seal
I said, "Fix the damn thing
And leave my private life out of it
Okay, pal?"
 
One time I had planned to circle Mount Rainier with a cousin and her stepson. When we got to the lee side, we started getting some light turbulence. This freaked him out and he covered his eyes, so I offered to turn back to get out of the turbulence. He declined the offer but I turned around anyway, because there's no point in showing someone the sights if they're too scared to look!
 
AggieMike88 said:
Even better with the right mussel memory.... just don’t be shellfish and not share the pictures.

Reminds me of a Dr. Demento favorite that starts off ....

It was April the 41st
Being a quadruple leap year
I was driving through downtown Atlantis
My Barracuda was in the shop, so
I was in a rented Stingray
And it was overheating
So I pulled into a Shell station
They said I'd blown a seal
I said, "Fix the damn thing
And leave my private life out of it
Okay, pal?"
Click to expand...

Kip Addotta. One of my favorite Dr. Demento regulars from a time long ago.

 
Check upper winds @ 9000. The lee side can be uncomfortable, and icy in the winter storms. When we were descending into Seattle from the east on a stormy night we'd go around Rainier south on V204, rather than V2 on the north........just to stay out of turbulence and ice.

My boss flew in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam. He said, "NEVER give my pax a bad ride!"
 
Thanks for all the suggestions! Today was a very clear day and winds aloft at 9k-12k level were less than 15kt, so I took the flight today. I took east channel departure then flew east bound until clear of class B. Then turned south and climbed to 9500. Talked to Seattle approach/center the whole way for flight following and they were very nice. The flight was very smooth today - encountered very little turbulence on the lee side. Couple of pics:
IMG_4285_filter.jpeg IMG_5782_filter.jpg
 
xueuni said:
Thanks for all the suggestions! Today was a very clear day and winds aloft at 9k-12k level were less than 15kt, so I took the flight today. I took east channel departure then flew east bound until clear of class B. Then turned south and climbed to 9500. Talked to Seattle approach/center the whole way for flight following and they were very nice. The flight was very smooth today - encountered very little turbulence on the lee side.
Click to expand...

Looks like you had a nice day. As far as SEA center controllers being nice is concerned, I've never known them to be anything other than nice. A great bunch there.
 
I love being a native Washingtonian.... well, because of the beauty that is.

Please stop sharing photos of the mountains, ocean, rain forest and desert and limit all discussion to the horrible rain, wind and overcast skies so we don't keep getting overrun!!

PLEASE!!!!!
 
red4golf said:
I love being a native Washingtonian.... well, because of the beauty that is.

Please stop sharing photos of the mountains, ocean, rain forest and desert and limit all discussion to the horrible rain, wind and overcast skies so we don't keep getting overrun!!

PLEASE!!!!!
Click to expand...

Too late!
 
It is true, between 05 July and 15 September, the PNW is beautiful. The rest of the year, it is cold, dark, overcast, damp, and drizzly. We only get about 37" of rain a year, but unlike other places in the USA where they get more, we get it in a constant mist from October through June.

This is why a large portion of our retired citizens are "snowbirds", fleeing south for the fall, winter, and spring.
 
Domenick said:
It is true, between 05 July and 15 September, the PNW is beautiful. The rest of the year, it is cold, dark, overcast, damp, and drizzly. We only get about 37" of rain a year, but unlike other places in the USA where they get more, we get it in a constant mist from October through June.

This is why a large portion of our retired citizens are "snowbirds", fleeing south for the fall, winter, and spring.
Click to expand...

Crap, ...you've jinxed us! Summer will now be the day after 4th of July weekend! And, fall will begin the day after that... ;)
 
It's all true. Look out your window right now! Damp, overcast, 56F, cold, visibility less than a mile. On 30 June.
At this time the 10-day forecast shows "summer" might start on 10 July--the first day forecast with a high over 70F.
 
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