Long cross country as low hour pilot (500 miles each way)

Fly-Fla

Fly-Fla

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Fly-Fla
I passed my check ride this weekend with 57 hours in the logbook and am eager to fly all I can. I have a trip planned to Columbus, OH from Tallahassee next month for work and gave thought to flying myself instead of going commercial. I am currently flying the clubs 172 so it would not be super speedy trip, but I thought it might be a good chance to gain some experience with a real cross country. Some pluses would be I could park the plane and drive the remainder of the trip at any time if weather became a problem, and I will not be on a tight schedule. I trained in a class C airport and am very comfortable with radio work and am not one to be intimidated easily, but don't want to bite off more than I should. I'll put at least another 10-15 hours in the log this month but obviously will still be a very low hour pilot. What's everyone's thought?
 
TMetzinger said:
give yourself time to spare, and enjoy the trip.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
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Ayup - you'll do just fine. Just keep an eye on the weather and if its not good when you are trying to come back home, stay another night. I've done that a few times and its probably saved my life.
 
My only caution would be that the weather can go to crap in a big hurry at this time of year. Your plane could be stuck somewhere for a week.

Otherwise, I'd go for it. I did a trip from Racine, WI to Branson, MO just four months after earning my ticket. It was quite an adventure!
 
Make sure that your company is ok with it (this has always been my issue), and give yourself extra time. By that I mean a several day window on either side. Be prepared to buy a last-minute plane ticket if needed.

Other than that, have fun! Should be a great learning experience.
 
Fly-Fla said:
I passed my check ride this weekend with 57 hours in the logbook and am eager to fly all I can. I have a trip planned to Columbus, OH from Tallahassee next month for work and gave thought to flying myself instead of going commercial. I am currently flying the clubs 172 so it would not be super speedy trip, but I thought it might be a good chance to gain some experience with a real cross country. Some pluses would be I could park the plane and drive the remainder of the trip at any time if weather became a problem, and I will not be on a tight schedule. I trained in a class C airport and am very comfortable with radio work and am not one to be intimidated easily, but don't want to bite off more than I should. I'll put at least another 10-15 hours in the log this month but obviously will still be a very low hour pilot. What's everyone's thought?
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No reason you can't do that trip with your level of experience so long as the weather is nice and you don't fall asleep at the yoke or fly through a TFR.

So, get a good briefing, study your route carefully long in advance, don't push yourself if the weather gets weird, make sure you always have way more gas than you'll need, be smart, and try to have fun!! Take pictures, too!
 
Prog chart is your friend. Watch out for icing. Call ahead to FBOs to make sure they have gas.

My own first long XC solo was just two years ago, and I remember the awesome excitement of flying from mountains to the ocean and back. Getting to know all those new airports and dealing with unusual weather was awesome. And the adventure! At one point the hot engine would not start at an utterly forsaken airport. Later, I forgot to lock the door for takeoff. Also, I almost killed myself by flying into a snowstorm, but hopefuly you're better at ADM than I was.
 
Practical? No. Great experience and confidence builder? Yes!

Watch the weather over the Smokies...a little different from what you're used to in FL. Early spring brings plenty of IFR as the terrain and clouds close in. And when it's clear, there's a good chance it's windy and bouncy. Take your time and enjoy the trip. Business trips have a way of breeding getthereitis.

Have fun.
 
I flew three months after getting my sport pilot ticket from Denver to Oshkosh (had a fuel leak and had to land short in Portage and drive to the show) but we still made it fine. Between my co-pilot, newly minted SP and I we probably had 100 hours total. We planned and planned and then replanned. We flew in very loose formation with another LSA up there. It was a non-event. The following January I flew solo from Denver to Sebring FL. Again it was a non-event and something I did careful planning for and then just flew. I have a Garmin 796 with weather and XM radio. This made the trip a lot easier and more enjoyable. Again the caveat to not fly solely by the XM weather as it can be time latent but it helps.

I considered these couple "long" cross countries early on to be really valuabel to me continuing to learn.

Carl
 
Since PPL training on, I've always found excuses to make flights of about that range in a small aircraft, in the name of business where possible.
 
I did the exact same thing but I took a 150hp Cherokee over the mountains/rockies.... From Kansas to S California. I learned a bunch.

Just break it up into 2-3 300 mile trips. It will build your confidence. You have the right attitude of just parking the plane and hotwire a car if things get nasty.

Go for it.

I took my first trip to the west coast followed 2 months later with one to the east coast to Miami.

Good luck.

Fly-Fla said:
I passed my check ride this weekend with 57 hours in the logbook and am eager to fly all I can. I have a trip planned to Columbus, OH from Tallahassee next month for work and gave thought to flying myself instead of going commercial. I am currently flying the clubs 172 so it would not be super speedy trip, but I thought it might be a good chance to gain some experience with a real cross country. Some pluses would be I could park the plane and drive the remainder of the trip at any time if weather became a problem, and I will not be on a tight schedule. I trained in a class C airport and am very comfortable with radio work and am not one to be intimidated easily, but don't want to bite off more than I should. I'll put at least another 10-15 hours in the log this month but obviously will still be a very low hour pilot. What's everyone's thought?
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That's why you got the ticket, I assume. No reason to wait. Just be conservative in your weather planning and, as noted, leave plenty of time on both ends.
 
It's not all that much of a BFD. It's within nonstop range for most GA planes. 4+ hours in the seat is a bit rough though. I'd probably do with a stop if I wasn't in a super hurry.
 
You'll be fine. In fact, every fresh PPL should do it. Learn tons - decision making, judgement, weather, procedures and all the stuff that goes around aviation as well like FBO's, costs, transient, etc that you don't learn in training.

As you get more experienced with weather, your tolerance levels go up and you'll find that very rarely is it so bad it can't be flown. I can count the times I had to give up enroute due to weather (VFR) on one hand on my numerous long x countries. VFR minimas are a rare thing (thank god, as they're very unpleasant). Bad weather has to be respected, but it's also is an essential skill to have and it only comes from venturing out to encounter different types. But be conservative in the beginning - don't rush it, have plenty of time. Bad weather is scary as a low time pilot and you'll feel the stress, so avoid it on your first trips perhaps.
 
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Sac Arrow said:
It's not all that much of a BFD. It's within nonstop range for most GA planes. 4+ hours in the seat is a bit rough though. I'd probably do with a stop if I wasn't in a super hurry.
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It is nearly four hours in my RV-10 at 160 KTAS with a 10 kt headwind. If he goes direct, he will be going over the third highest mountain East of the Mississippi River and then close to my house a little farther North.

Weather is a very big deal, especially in April, as others have already posted many times. I would recommend on-board weather and be familiar with getting wx info from FSS. I would also recommend Foreflight. If going direct, O2 is nice to have available. If wx is marginal ensure you stop more often for fuel. I flew over that same area six times last year and only had a good view of the mountains once. We fly at 12,500 or 13,500'. If your instructor or school did not allow flying in mvfr conditions or 25 kt winds, now is the time to practice those wx ADM skills. Have fun and don't be afraid to make a 180. I did it twice last year. The first time was the hardest!

Most of my family lives in Sebring Florida area.
 
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RV10flyer said:
It is nearly four hours in my RV-10 at 160 KTAS with a 10 kt headwind. If he goes direct, he will be going over the third highest mountain East of the Mississippi River and then close to my house a little farther North.

Weather is a very big deal, especially in April, as others have already posted many times. I would recommend on-board weather and be familiar with getting wx info from FSS. I would also recommend Foreflight. If going direct, O2 is nice to have available. If wx is marginal ensure you stop more often for fuel. I flew over that same area six times last year and only had a good view of the mountains once. We fly at 12,500 or 13,500'. If your instructor or school did not allow flying in mvfr conditions or 25 kt winds, now is the time to practice those wx ADM skills. Have fun and don't be afraid to make a 180. I did it twice last year. The first time was the hardest!

Most of my family lives in Sebring Florida area.
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Just punched up the route.

I see a few small hills along the way.....
 
Fly-Fla said:
I passed my check ride this weekend with 57 hours in the logbook and am eager to fly all I can. I have a trip planned to Columbus, OH from Tallahassee next month for work and gave thought to flying myself instead of going commercial. I am currently flying the clubs 172 so it would not be super speedy trip, but I thought it might be a good chance to gain some experience with a real cross country. Some pluses would be I could park the plane and drive the remainder of the trip at any time if weather became a problem, and I will not be on a tight schedule. I trained in a class C airport and am very comfortable with radio work and am not one to be intimidated easily, but don't want to bite off more than I should. I'll put at least another 10-15 hours in the log this month but obviously will still be a very low hour pilot. What's everyone's thought?
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Get a gps if you dont already have one.

How good are you at deciding mid-cross country that you wish to land at an unfamiliar airport nearby your current location (wherever that may be) with little advance notice (not having airport information like frequencies, runways, traffic pattern, etc already in front of you)?
Plan the route and pick out an airport every so many miles (maybe every 50 miles) along that route you can use as a stop off point if you feel the need (weather goes downhill, headwind increases fuel burn, etc).

If you are not already familiar, get to know http://aviationweather.gov/

If a little voice in your head says something is not right, land and sort it out rather than push on.
 
Two months after I got my PPL I flew OH-CA and back. You can do it.

The biggest thing you'll lean on such a trip is crossing frontal boundaries and changing weather. Pay attention to these! On my big trip I twice stopped short on a leg due to lowering ceilings ahead. Always have a nearby airport in mind to get down quick if needed.

Foreflight is your friend.
 
Had something similar when I took a cross-country as my first solo flight in 34 years with not many more hours than you. Could not get the rented airplane home due to weather and had to land it elsewhere. Called up my CFI who was instrument rated and got some dual in actual IMC to take it back to where it belonged. My point being that if you find yourself stuck in weather, I bet you can find an instrument rated club member to fly the airplane home for expenses.
 
I've flown that area a bunch of times. Yes, some hills, but I wouldn't worry about it. Look for a good weather day, preferably one with some big, blue, happy Hs in the progs en route.

As has been said, go for it.
 
Go for it. You got some good advice in this thread. One long one can be broken down into many short CC. Good luck
 
I would be taking off from Marianna, FL which is where the planes are based so I'll be a little further west starting out. I also imagine I would get started very early in the morning, and would definitely stop at least once along the way. I think a chance to stretch, regroup, plan weather for the next leg and all would be useful in many ways. I have a yoke mounted mini IPad and a full IPad 2 both with foreflight but I don't have real time weather capability.
 
Enjoy the trip. In a C-172, 500 miles is a two-leg (minimum) trip. Use http://airnav.com/cgi-bin/fuelplan to find airports along the way with fuel and their prices. I set it to 300 nm legs (maximum), 100 kts, and 7.5 gph. If you want to limit your stops to airports with services other than fuel, a good practice is to choose one of the instrument approach selections.

Choose either the quickest or the cheapest route. Check out the gas prices and also you can see whether there is lodging or other services at each of the airports along the way. You can also find out whether there is someplace to get lunch at that midway stop. Bring along something to drink in a closed container. You should rehydrate about 50 miles before landing so that your mind is up to par.

50 miles is when I begin my approach planning. How high am I? When do I start my descent? Get ATIS. What is expected wind? Do I aim left or right of course to be on downwind?

Use Flight Following and let the first guy know that this is your first long excursion since getting your license. ATC is your friend.

Have fun. Don't rush. If weather or maintenance issues close in, be prepared to wait or finish the trip in a car.
 
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Sac Arrow said:
Just punched up the route.

I see a few small hills along the way.....
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Yes, you guys have some big ones out there! I can't wait to fly out West.

Mt. Whitney- Elevation= 14,505'/Prominence= 10,080'. 9th most prominent in the U.S.

Mt. Mitchell- Elevation= 6,684'/Prominence= 6,092'. 50 something most prominent in the U.S.

Alaska has us all beat. At any rate they can all provide for some interesting flying when close to them. Once at about 70 hrs, I was landing on top of a very little hill in E. Ky. into a 20kt headwind in a 150 hp 172. I know now why you want to visualize airflow like water. I could not maintain altitude at full power for a few seconds on about a 1/2 mile final. The next time, I did not aim for the numbers and used a steeper approach. We all make mistakes and hopefully can learn to prevent many of them from others. Many things we run into as new pilots won't be a big deal 100-200 hours down the road. All of you POA guys and gals have helped in my flying. Thank you.
 
AuntPeggy said:
Use Flight Following and let the first guy know that this is your first long excursion since getting your license. ATC is your friend.
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Agreed, except I don't know what letting the first guy know will do for you. :dunno: He's likely to say "congratulations" and treat you the same as anyone else.

Don't get the false sense of security that ATC is going to watch out for you, though. You are the pilot in command, and you are solely responsible for the outcome of the flight.

Have fun. Don't rush. If weather or maintenance issues close in, be prepared to wait or finish the trip in a car.
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This. The most important safety technique is to never be married to a particular plan. Keep your mind flexible. If the weather looks worse ahead, don't "go take a look," especially not in the areas where there might be rocks in those clouds. Set yourself some personal wx minimums, especially for visibility - Being VFR in an unfamiliar area with 5 miles vis as a new pilot SUCKS. (Heck, it's not fun when you are in a familiar area.)

I would suggest that you plan not only a nice direct route, but also some alternate routes, and find some airports both along your route and well off to the side that have rental cars so that if you do have to divert, you don't end up at Podunk Muni with no car to complete the trip on the ground. Knowing before you go, and keeping track of where those alternates on the ground are as you're in the air, will help keep the get-there-itis at bay.

Have fun - You're going to learn a lot. :thumbsup:
 
Jay Honeck said:
My only caution would be that the weather can go to crap in a big hurry at this time of year. Your plane could be stuck somewhere for a week.

Otherwise, I'd go for it. I did a trip from Racine, WI to Branson, MO just four months after earning my ticket. It was quite an adventure!
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Yeah and in those days all they had for navigation was a needle in a pot of water and a sun stone. :D

Jay's advice is good. But I'd plan extra days before and after the trip, Just in case.

Glenn
 
Old Geek said:
Do it but don't even consider VFR over the top.
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not necessarily. Springtime weather moves across the SE pretty quickly. VFR over the top might be a good idea and with hundreds of miles in front of you, there are lots of opportunities to get back down.
 
Fla-Fla,

The Area Forecast Discussion is one good place to get the big picture and learn the terminology. You can look at previous discussions to see how accurate they were with the present wx and how fast things are changing. Every 2-3 days, some challenging wx moves through. Timing your departure/arrival can make a big difference in the pucker factor. It is all part of the fun.

http://forecast.weather.gov/product...MK&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1

I think I probably have 50 wx links on my Ipad. Wx is probably the most interesting part of flying for me(not my wife). Finding a new yarn store at our destination is one of hers.
 
Skylane81E said:
Just a series of short trips
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Simply untrue. Long trips involve issues of endurance and weather not found on their shorter brethren.

Also, don't let the Coloradians tell you the mountains of the Carolinas are no big deal. Colorado doesn't have any weather, Carolina does, especially in April. They are not surmounted easily VFR. It can be done, but I've had trouble in those hills every time I've flown over them.
 
FORANE said:
....

How good are you at deciding mid-cross country that you wish to land at an unfamiliar airport nearby your current location (wherever that may be) with little advance notice (not having airport information like frequencies, runways, traffic pattern, etc already in front of you)?

...
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No reason he shouldn't have this information with him. AFDs are readily available - in print or free downloadable formats.
And, if he has GPS with current database, much/all of this information should also be available.
 
Depending on your age and bladder endurance, you can either fly short legs or long legs. Hydration is important. Weather is the critical factor this time of year. Add to that the fact that the storm tracks are getting wonki and the patterns are changing, makes for a better understanding of what the big picture is. For planning purposes, I use coolwx.com/ptype. This displays a 180 hour animated gif of the weather systems as they move across continental US. As the proposed day of departure nears, aviationweather.gov becomes the go to source for checking prog charts and winds aloft. None of these sources will give you cloud bases forecasts, so look at the wind speeds and directions and check the updates every eight hours and note changes. Big changes will indicated something unexpected is happening. Onboard weather is your friend. It allows you to constantly assess your next option. When you plan your route, plot a route from airport to airport, especially over mountainous/hilly terrain. Following the interstates is another option. I-65, I-75, pick the ones that are closest to your route. Low pressure systems coming up out of the Gulf follow one of two paths... they either go up the west side of the Appalachians, or they go up the east side. If they go up the west side, plan on sitting on the ground and waiting until they pass. If they go up the east side, you will generally have good weather for flying, although you may have headwinds from an approaching high pressure system. If you can get out ahead of the low pressure system, you may have the benefit of some very good tailwinds flowing southwest to northeast which can cut an hour or two off your flight time.The front side of a high pressure system works to your advantage when you fly back south.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Just punched up the route.

I see a few small hills along the way.....
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its not like its a problem to go around at the southern end - adding all of 15 to the ride. . . Florida is pretty far west all things considered
 
comanchepilot said:
its not like its a problem to go around at the southern end - adding all of 15 to the ride. . . Florida is pretty far west all things considered
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Yeah, from Tallahassee it isn't that bad. Going into eastern Florida those rocks can be a pain.
 
john smith said:
For planning purposes, I use coolwx.com/ptype. This displays a 180 hour animated gif of the weather systems as they move across continental US. As the proposed day of departure nears, aviationweather.gov becomes the go to source for checking prog charts and winds aloft. None of these sources will give you cloud bases forecasts, so look at the wind speeds and directions and check the updates every eight hours and note changes.
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This is one I use for forecast ceilings and it has been very accurate, especially one day out...

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/forecast/graphics/MAV/MAV.BCIG_000.html

And yes, I too like coolwx and use it a lot!
 
comanchepilot said:
its not like its a problem to go around at the southern end - adding all of 15 to the ride. . . Florida is pretty far west all things considered
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If the weather is anything but good VFR over the mountains just go around them. Very easily done on this trip. Remember that ceilings reported from airports in the mountains are AGL and the airports are usually in a valley. What looks like good VFR flying weather might still have the mountain tops obscured in clouds.


I took a similar trip with 60 hours and a Warrior I had just been checked out in. I flew over the mountains and I had to stop unexpectedly twice on the way up, and once on the way back.

If you want to prepare for the trip I suggest flying into as many local and new airports as you can. Even with GPS it can be difficult to find an unfamiliar airport.
 
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