How would you get there?

[Sluggo63]

Let's say you want to fly from the Phoenix area to Denver. Two adults and bags. You have a normally aspirated Lance. What route would you take?

Does it change with a Turbo Lance?

How about a Seneca II?

 

[MooneyDriver78]

I did this with a detour to the Grand Canyon, then to Colorado Springs and up.
But if not doing that, then TAS->bloke->gosip, highest terrain is 10500’

 

[luvflyin]

Let's say you want to fly from the Phoenix area to Denver. Two adults and bags. You have a normally aspirated Lance. What route would you take?

Does it change with a Turbo Lance?

How about a Seneca II?

Depend on the passenger.

 

[murphey]

I did this with a detour to the Grand Canyon, then to Colorado Springs and up.
But if not doing that, then TAS->bloke->gosip, highest terrain is 10500’

Sorry, but bloke to gosip,goes over la veta pass...the pass is 9500 with mountains around you. I go over at 12.5. If you don’t want the pass, then PHX SJN OTO FTI PUB then decide which airport in the Denver area. All under 10.5, most of it at 8500/9500

 

[Eldorado]

Turbo or not, I would have a couple backups(options) as I flew along, with as many roads and airports along the routes as possible. There is something comfortable about having options when dealing with mountains, monsoon season, turbulence.

 

[Domenick]

What's wrong with the obvious route. I-17 to Flagstaff, I-40 to Albuquerque, I-25 to Denver? Avoid the higher rocks.

 

[Zeldman]

IFR or VFR.?? With or without oxygen?

Phoenix to Albuquerque then to Denver. All high terrain is easily avoidable. Thunderstorms will be mostly single cell and also easily avoidable. Early morning travel is advisable as monsoon season approaches and density altitude rises.

 

[denverpilot]

Last time I did it was via the Alamosa valley. Have also done it down the Front Range then the proverbial right turn toward PHX going the other way.

Weather, lighting, and fuel/lunch stop usually weighed higher than the terrain. It’s easy to avoid really.

Civilization is a tad sparse down that way, so an engine out becomes a land on a road and wait a really long ass time if you don’t kinda follow the more travelled roads.

Is it summer? Winter? Wind howling? Calm?

 

[NJP_MAN]

What's wrong with the obvious route. I-17 to Flagstaff, I-40 to Albuquerque, I-25 to Denver? Avoid the higher rocks.

I say Phx D-> ABQ then your route. No need to fly all the way to Flagstaff first.

 

[denverpilot]

I say Phx D-> ABQ then your route. No need to fly all the way to Flagstaff first.

Depends on how hungry you are. LOL.

A detour up valley to Santa Fe is the best food along that route for sure, after a ride to town.

Correction: The best easy to find food. I’m sure there’s places in ABQ that are excellent but finding and getting to them probably eats much more time. Just to be pedantic.

 

[Zeldman]

Correction: The best easy to find food. I’m sure there’s places in ABQ that are excellent but finding and getting to them probably eats much more time. Just to be pedantic.

Also New Mexico is under a required mask order, subject to arrest, so it might be easier to call in the food order and eat at the airport.

(anyone figure out how to eat while wearing a face covering.??)

 

[denverpilot]

Also New Mexico is under a required mask order, subject to arrest, so it might be easier to call in the food order and eat at the airport.

(anyone figure out how to eat while wearing a face covering.??)

LMAO. Hadn’t even looked at the latest virus silliness rules along the route. No TFR, don’t care! Ground pounder problems!

Not muh yob to keep track of all the rules for fake emergencies on the ground between DEN and PHX, man...

Best non-aviation advice I can muster: Bring a Piehole Thong and hope for the best!

Or just save my post for when we go back to being a Representative Democracy with like, you know, votes about laws that get recorded for posterity and stuff.

Looking forward to the news article about the high speed chase by the PoPo of some dude in an airport loaner car. LOL. Should be entertaining.

“I’m so old I remember when police chased the masked bandits!”

 

[hindsight2020]

Also New Mexico is under a required mask order, subject to arrest, so it might be easier to call in the food order and eat at the airport.

(anyone figure out how to eat while wearing a face covering.??)

puree it and then suck it through the fabric. You're welcome.

break break--


My vote is N/A Lance, PHX to Las Vegas,NM then up on the east side of the rocks, stay low the whole way. But I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to pay for the heat-corroding hardware on the downside of the annual mx cycle. I also don't fly above 12.5 in recreational life, so that's a twofer. Good luck!

 

[Sluggo63]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and suggestions. This is just the pre-pre-cursor to my eventual "what should I buy" post. (Give me a few months). The majority of my GA flying was in the relatively flat NE US so the Southwest is relatively foreign to me (although I did get my PPL at FFZ way back when). Most of my trips would be down to Austin to see the kids/granddaughter, which seems relatively easy. I do have friends and family up in the C. Springs/Denver area and some out in No. Cal so those caused me to look a little harder at planes/capabilities.

 

[denverpilot]

. This is just the pre-pre-cursor to my eventual "what should I buy" post.

It’s PoA! We can just head this one off now with 200 posts proclaiming every airplane ever built is perfect for your mission, and the ultimate answer is Bonanza.

 

[AKBill]

(anyone figure out how to eat while wearing a face covering.??)

put food in a blender add water mix till smooth enough to suck it thru a straw...

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Let's say you want to fly from the Phoenix area to Denver. Two adults and bags. You have a normally aspirated Lance. What route would you take?

VFR or IFR?

If VFR, properly mountain trained, winds are favorable, and no nervous pax aboard, I'd probably go direct SAF and then run ridge lift for a boost.

Otherwise, PXR V190 FTI V611 BRK.

Does it change with a Turbo Lance?

Well, that depends. How much do you, and more importantly your passenger, want to suck on oxygen for a few hours? If you're both OK with that, you can go direct if you go high enough (17,000 minimum). You'll need to plan how you're going to arrive in Denver though (ie, not descending through rocks).

How about a Seneca II?

Direct to the maintenance shop. I keed, I keed! Most of my Seneca time is in a rental that was used for a lot of multi training. The Seneca is a TERRIBLE bird to use for training. Engine cuts and turbos don't mix well. So, it was in the shop a lot.

OK, if it just came out of the shop then same as the Turbo but with a stop at KRCV for the cheap fuel. Seneca is unimpressive in terms of endurance and range. Figure about 160 knots and 25 gph, and the long range tanks only give you 123 gallons. Not quite 4 hours with a good reserve. You can make this trip nonstop via either route if there's not too much wind because you only have two aboard.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

(anyone figure out how to eat while wearing a face covering.??)

https://www.theonion.com/new-wearable-feedbags-let-americans-eat-more-move-less-1819594806

 

[Zeldman]

puree it and then suck it through the fabric. You're welcome.

eeewwwww.... then all the food would be touching the other food ...

 

[SToL]

I guess I'm the only odd ball. I do this route frequently. I just go GPS direct as much as possible.

 

[SToL]

What's wrong with the obvious route. I-17 to Flagstaff, I-40 to Albuquerque, I-25 to Denver? Avoid the higher rocks.

Why not just drive?

 

[Zeldman]

Why not just drive?

Because the route would go through disease laden New Mexico where it is possible to receive a $100.00 citation for violating a mandated health order of not masking up.

 

[EdFred]

Because the route would go through disease laden New Mexico where it is possible to receive a $100.00 citation for violating a mandated health order of not masking up.

Even if you stay in your own car with the windows up?

 

[Zeldman]

Even if you stay in your own car with the windows up?

The way I read it, yes.

Most police officers use discretion on that and just say use the mask in public places.

Then again speeding, running red lights and stop signs have increased because the public think the police will not pull them over for that.

The state is limiting the number of folks in a car to 4. Not sure what the fine is for violating that. Maybe public flogging.??

 

[denverpilot]

The state is limiting the number of folks in a car to 4. Not sure what the fine is for violating that. Maybe public flogging.??

Lol. If you have three kids, just leave one home.

 

[ocalafly]

Isn't that why we fly ?? LOL to avoid all the problems that come with driving! No but seriously if you're going to be flying to Colorado frequently, then I would consider the turbo. Flying Arizona to Texas not so demanding on a non turbocharged engine. Did the trip twice in a IO360 Mooney around Father's Day with no problem. I'm sure a Lance would be similar in performance only roomier.