Long Cross Country....Check

TRocket

TRocket

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Nov 10, 2014
Messages
983
Location
Huntersville, NC
Display Name
Display name:
Uncle Jesse
Now that I am posting this in the right place... Got my 250 mile cross country out of the way... well closer to 275. Took off from my home airport (8A6). Filed direct to KAVL (hoping they would give it to me). Lucked out and they sent us right over midfield at Charlotte Douglas at 5000 ft. Shot an ILS into KAVL before continuing on to KTRI. This was my first experience going over the mountains so my instructor let me take the foggles off for a few minutes. It was really something to see. Crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains at 8,000 before doing and ILS and then some partial panel Localizer approaches into Tri Cities. Stopped to stretch our legs, can't say enough about how friendly the people at the FBO were. Filed another flight plan an headed home, this time right over the top of Grand Father's Mountain. The ole Cherkoee's tongue was hanging out crossing the mountains at 9000. Tried to file some victor airways (yeah right) but the quickly sent us direct. Did a VOR/DME approach into KSVH on the way through. Was going to try to catch another ILS into KJQF that was right on the way home too but the other runway was in use (would have had to take the long way around to shoot a GPS approach the other direction) so we just cancelled with Charlotte approach and headed home. It was a great experience, though I gotta say couldn't have been happier to get those damn foggles off by the end of the trip. Just thought I would do a little write up for anyone who might be interested.
 
Congrats on reaching a milestone!

You should fly into AVL sometime when you can see. It's beautiful, with the mountains all around. It's even nicer when you break out on approach and see the hills disappearing into the clouds above you.
 
Hank S said:
Congrats on reaching a milestone!

You should fly into AVL sometime when you can see. It's beautiful, with the mountains all around. It's even nicer when you break out on approach and see the hills disappearing into the clouds above you.
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For sure! That's on the list once I get done with my IR training. The girlfriend really likes Asheville so will be making a trip up there in the future for sure, WITHOUT the foggles
 
Awesome! I did my long xc Sunday. Khts-KLEX-KLUK-Kdwu-Khts
4.2 total 3.6 with the foggles. I was excited to get that out of the way.

I flew into KTRI. Nice place, really friendly controllers too.
 
tree96 said:
Awesome! I did my long xc Sunday. Khts-KLEX-KLUK-Kdwu-Khts
4.2 total 3.6 with the foggles. I was excited to get that out of the way.
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Congrats! Navigating in the Tri State is pretty easy, just fly towards the River and follow it home if you get lost. Hills are east, flat land is west. Down here, it's just about all flat and covered in pine trees, the rivers are small and crooked, and interstates are hard to see until you're really close.

You'll really enjoy the utility of your plane once the IR is completed.
 
tree96 said:
I flew into KTRI. Nice place, really friendly controllers too.
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For sure, they asked us what our intentions were, and then offered to send us around to do ILS approaches all day if we wanted. The people at the FBO were great to when we made a stop. If it were a little closer, would probably do a lot more work up there.
 
Hank S said:
Congrats! Navigating in the Tri State is pretty easy, just fly towards the River and follow it home if you get lost. Hills are east, flat land is west. Down here, it's just about all flat and covered in pine trees, the rivers are small and crooked, and interstates are hard to see until you're really close.

You'll really enjoy the utility of your plane once the IR is completed.
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I was overwhelmed at first but once we got going it was great. IFR- I follow the river?
Growing up around here I kind of know the majority of the landmarks. St Albans/Cheshire plants. It was fun to get away from the familiarity, even though I never really got to take a look outside until miminums.

TRocket said:
For sure, they asked us what our intentions were, and then offered to send us around to do ILS approaches all day if we wanted. The people at the FBO were great to when we made a stop. If it were a little closer, would probably do a lot more work up there.
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They were great the few times I've been there. We asked to look around the track etc they gave us vectors for a whole area tour. I'm about 100 nm straight from there. Used it to build my xc time and eat. I'd go there more now days, but we finally got a Cookout restaurant close by
 
tree96 said:
They were great the few times I've been there. We asked to look around the track etc they gave us vectors for a whole area tour.
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I looked up from the foggles for a quick minute, had never flown over the speedway (though I have spent countless hours there, I work in the sport), and ironically had just been inside the track two days before for work, it was pretty cool to see
 
If you want to stay on course, just tell them that you would like to stay on the flight plan route, if possible. They gave you direct because they thought you would like it.
 
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