Long VFR Cross Country in a Warrior??

[gprellwitz]

I see this advice given quite often and always wonder, if you don't exceed your comfort zone, how does it ever expand?

In one direction at a time, and with the specific INTENTION of expanding your comfort zone (which is closely tied to your personal minimums)!

Decrease your visibility requirements, but only in a familiar plane when you're well rested.

Fly a longer distance than you're used to, but again, only in relatively good weather.

Experiment with mountain flying, but with a qualified instructor aboard.

Learn a new piece of avionics, but under VFR conditions and a safety pilot.

DON'T EVEN THINK of doing all of these at the same time!

 

[The Old Man]

just wondering if anyone has ever done a long VFR flight 800-1000nm in an aircraft like a Piper Warrior or something close (C-172 C-182 arrow ect ect.)

Go for it! We have done it several times. Check out the journal for the tales and the other writings for the lessons learned.

 

[nosehair]

I see this advice given quite often and always wonder, if you don't exceed your comfort zone, how does it ever expand?

I say, don't intentionally exceed your comfort zone. Nature will take care of the expansion. There will come days when your expected comfort zone will begin to close in on you, and you are forced to expand. This occurs at a natural rate so that you may live long and enjoy a lifetime of slow, natural expansion.

 

[Joe B]

1400 nm in a Pitts in two days. I'm glad I did it, but I'd never do something like that again. 3 legs in each direction, but I did not stop longer than to pump 18 gal of gas each time. I was never so happy to be out of an airplane in my life.

I agree with Ken: the long days where you're just going for mileage are beaters. Fly, fill & get something from the vending machine, fly some more. You get lots of flying in, but hours and hours of straight-and-level isn't exactly the most exciting. And, like a 10- or 12-hour car ride, you're wiped out at the end of the trip.

The most fun I've had has been when I've planned the trip with "play time": Only fly for half a day and then see what there is to do wherever you land.

Regards,
Joe

 

[Graueradler]

My first long cross country after I got my license was about 850nm (each way) in a Piper Cherokee (Russellville, AR to Melbourne, FL with a few zigs and zags). Nav equipment was a single NavCom and an STS Loran. Com went flakey for awhile on the way back (ARC radio). It was a tremendous learning experience. Finding a nearest airport (pre-GPS) in Alabama to wait out a low undercast, too low to fly under. Unplanned overnight in North FL(Marianna) due to TS in FL. Unplanned stops at Gainesville (FSS) and Ocala the next day finding a break in training TS across FL. First transit of a class B (Orlando - Wasn't the term TCA back then?). Light gun take off form Melbourne on the home trip. Chart corner getting sucked out through the crack at the bottom of the door and making a terrific noise beating against the side of the plane. Flying through cloud canyons. Dropping a thousand feet in response to unsighted traffic called by ATC on VFR flight following to watch a V-tailed Dr. killer pass directly overhead. All in all, it was a great experience.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

My longest so far was from Madison, WI (KMSN) to Houston, TX (KEFD). 900+nm. I did it pre-IR, and it's still my longest. On the way down, I stopped at Gaston's (3M0) for the weekend, and on the way back up I stopped at Sikeston (KSIK) to go eat at the legendary Lambert's Cafe.

All told, it took 8.8 hours each way in the 182. The trip back to WI I did all in one day and that pretty much sucked - The fatigue does get ya. It was probably worse because I spent a good portion of it up at 11,500; I'm sure I'd have felt better at the end had I stayed down near 5,000 instead.

Be flexible, don't push too many corners of the envelope at once, and HAVE FUN. The long trips like that always offer the best learning experiences. You'll meet some nice people too. In fact, it looks like you don't have a specific destination in mind, and that's GREAT!!! You can just wake up in the morning and point the airplane towards the best weather or pick one of a number of attractions that are some distance away with good weather between. Sounds like an excellent fun & learning opportunity!

 

[Henning]

In one direction at a time, and with the specific INTENTION of expanding your comfort zone (which is closely tied to your personal minimums)!

Decrease your visibility requirements, but only in a familiar plane when you're well rested.

Fly a longer distance than you're used to, but again, only in relatively good weather.

Experiment with mountain flying, but with a qualified instructor aboard.

Learn a new piece of avionics, but under VFR conditions and a safety pilot.

DON'T EVEN THINK of doing all of these at the same time!

So, you wouldn't suggest jumping into a plane you've never seen before with equipment you've never used on a flight across the country through whatever weather & terrain confronts you?

















Welcome to doing repos....

 

[gprellwitz]

So, you wouldn't suggest jumping into a plane you've never seen before with equipment you've never used on a flight across the country through whatever weather & terrain confronts you?

Welcome to doing repos....

As a way to expand your comfort zone, no I wouldn't! If that's all well within your comfort zone, that's a different question, and I can only tell you that I'm not there!

 

[AuntPeggy]

One difference between a series of short cross-countries and a long one is that you must remember to drink water on the long trip. Most of the early trips we were visited with a mysterious ailment that we finally found was dehydration.

 

[flybill7]

Ant,

I flew a Citabria from east coast to west coast and back in 2006. Trip Log I worked up to that long trip by flying from Maryland to Oshkosh, Sun 'N Fun, and Maine in the two years prior. The long cross-countries are a blast; always an adventure. Go for it!

... Bill

 

[Pjsmith]

I just did a cross country in my Cherokee 180 from 10C (outside of Chicago) to KSRR (Riudoso, NM) over new years week.

Me and two non pilot pax. I hand flew the entire way, both directions...no autopilot unfortunately.

- Being VFR only, such a trip presents some unique challenges. I'm sure you have or will plan for all of those.

- You can check the weather sites all you want, but nothing prepares you for finding that nobody has bothered to plow snow from the runway at your first fuel stop.

- It helps if your pax can read charts. Mine could not, and as a result when I needed to find an airport near Kansas City in turbulence that had a runway approximating the direction of the gusts, it was up to me to fly and research at the same time (at night). You'll have a leg up with a pax or other pilot.

- don't buy bottled water at the FBO. Go to the grocery store and buy the bottles that have the wide mouths. This way the bottle can serve dual purpose. 'nuff said about that.

- conceive of some organizational way to handle a bunch of charts. On a long trip you'll be moving from one to another. On my trip I clipped the corner of one chart coverage area, and as a result had to use three charts in the span of 30 minutes. This is really were cockpit management is essential.

- Use flight following where you can.

- In addition to charts and a good navigational plan, a good GPS is very helpful. I use a Lowrance 2000C with Terrain.

- On the topic of Terrain, at this time of the year, calculate your departure and flying time closely. With a stiff headwind, we lost our race with the setting sun, and although KSRR is not beyond a mountain for me, there are hills nearby waiting to eat your lunch. My flight plan was many pages long due to all of my contingencies, only one of which I had to use outbound.

- It's true that your 30 knot headwind will not turn into a 30 knot tailwind for the return trip. If it does, take a picture of it because no other pilot will believe you otherwise.

- Clean both side windows very well. We got back to find most of our photos of the beautiful landscape were hazy.

All in all, it was a long flight that got my partner to declare a roomier, slightly faster plane was in the mid-term to do list. I got some great flying time and it was a trip I'll never forget. I've done a ton of 350 mile trips, but it is definitely not the same as going 1,000 miles (even though everyone says approach it like a bunch of 350 mile trips), esp. if you do it in one day.

 

[stingray]

I just did a cross country in my Cherokee 180 from 10C (outside of Chicago) to KSRR (Riudoso, NM) over new years week.

Me and two non pilot pax. I hand flew the entire way, both directions...no autopilot unfortunately.

- It helps if your pax can read charts. Mine could not, and as a result when I needed to find an airport near Kansas City in turbulence that had a runway approximating the direction of the gusts, it was up to me to fly and research at the same time (at night). You'll have a leg up with a pax or other pilot.


- conceive of some organizational way to handle a bunch of charts. On a long trip you'll be moving from one to another. On my trip I clipped the corner of one chart coverage area, and as a result had to use three charts in the span of 30 minutes. This is really were cockpit management is essential.


- In addition to charts and a good navigational plan, a good GPS is very helpful. I use a Lowrance 2000C with Terrain.

All in all, it was a long flight that got my partner to declare a roomier, slightly faster plane was in the mid-term to do list. I got some great flying time and it was a trip I'll never forget. I've done a ton of 350 mile trips, but it is definitely not the same as going 1,000 miles (even though everyone says approach it like a bunch of 350 mile trips), esp. if you do it in one day.

Just got back;

18Y - P19 Milaca Min to Chandler AZ. C172M. In two days one way. Difference I flew with a fellow pilot. Hand flew but one or the other acted as the auto pilot. We each had our job I navigated he flew. I had chartcase on a EFB. all radio work was done by me as well as weather reports along the way. I planned all stops and kept us on course. I'd just say 4 deg left hold 208 deg. Altitude 5,500. It was like having a controller in the cockpit. I would never fly a long CC with out an EFB with charts and plates. It costs almost nothing for the worth you get. I can pull up any airport and get all details I need. I can also pick the best airports to land at for what I need.

14 hrs total time, one of the easiest cc I've done. Pays to have help. A good lesson on why it is a good idea to get the copilot involved even if their not a Pilot.

Dan