My first real X-Country KRHV - KOSU

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Landshark

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Hi guys, I am going to be going on an adventure from California to Ohio and I wanted to get some input on some of the airports that we will be visiting along the way. We will be taking some Cessna 152's to compete with in the Ohio NIFA competition. So far, the preliminary flight plan is KRHV-KDLO-KDAG-KPRC-KABQ-KDHT-KAVK-KICT-KDMO-K81-KTAZ-KTYQ-KOSU.

We plan to amend the flight plan based on weather, how we feel, and how far we can make it that day. I am super excited as I have never flown further than 100 miles from my home airport. But I will be going with some pilots that have flown the route before.

Do you guys have any suggestions for airports that we may want to visit along the way? Anything with good food, museums or any other attractions?

Any tips or advice that will make for a safer trip will be appreciated!

-Calvin
 
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Shawn said:
Fun trip...how long you planning/hoping to take to get out there?
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In ideal conditions, we hope to spend three nights on the road. Most likely 4 nights on average. We decided to fly during the day and land as soon as nightfall. We leave this coming Monday and the first practice is on Friday so I hope the weather turns out nice.
 
Well, in a 152 you will need all the daylight you can get!

My suggestion is be wheels up at the crack of dawn. If you are in the air at sunrise you will make much better time dealing with potential weather than flying late afternoon and evening. Weather is very predictable in our neck of the woods...it can be very UNPREDICTABLE for the first third of your route. On my XC trek we spent the early hours flying direct enter enter, then the later hours dodging weather that sent us through different states than planned!

We had the best time just landing at random small podunk airports for fuel and food...seeing if they had a crew car then headed to the top recommendation of the old timer behind the desk that was just excited to see someone land. We had a lot of great eats in local mom and pop joints over a few days in old cop cars and mini vans with duct taped mirrors!...can't plot that stuff out!
 
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These would require a little detour south between IND and OSU.

64I - Lee Bottom (https://www.aviationrefuge.org/), grass strip on the Ohio River, depending on your schedule you may catch a Sinful Sunday (ice cream social, June 11th, July 9th, August 13th)

KIMS - Madison, IN just a few miles from Lee Bottom, cheap fuel, fresh runways & lights
 
That's a pretty serious cross-country in a 152.

Watch density altitude and winds. Some of your route of flight takes you pretty high. Like around KABQ. Fly early.
 
How can you tell what times fuel is available at the airport? When I look at the AFD for smaller airports, it will show that 100LL is available, sometimes it will say fuel available 24hrs, sometimes it doesn't say anything while mentioning that the airport is attended during certain hours.

The larger Class Delta airports may say that they are attended continuously. I am thinking that refers to the times the tower is open.

We may be landing at small airports after hours and need to get fuel. I am sure my buddies know how all this works but I would like to know as well. Is there a better resource for finding out which airports have fuel and the hours of availability? Is all the info right there in the AFD and I am just not reading it correctly?
 
Landshark said:
How can you tell what times fuel is available at the airport? When I look at the AFD for smaller airports, it will show that 100LL is available, sometimes it will say fuel available 24hrs, sometimes it doesn't say anything while mentioning that the airport is attended during certain hours.

The larger Class Delta airports may say that they are attended continuously. I am thinking that refers to the times the tower is open.

We may be landing at small airports after hours and need to get fuel. I am sure my buddies know how all this works but I would like to know as well. Is there a better resource for finding out which airports have fuel and the hours of availability? Is all the info right there in the AFD and I am just not reading it correctly?
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Call ahead. Probably the best way to find out real info. Most FBOs do close, but many places have self serve fuel. It may be listed in Comments/Remarks of your favorite EFB, but i would call ahead to be sure.
 
After you cross the mountains, it's a long downhill glide to Ohio. No fuel involved at all.
The only downside, is that when you are done, you're in Ohio.
I haven't been there in years, but as I remember it, the entire state is one big aircraft carrier. Except it doesn't move, so finding a place to land not a problem.
Finding enough gas to get OUT of Ohio, could be a problem.
Ohio is one of those peculiar states (there are a bunch of them out there) that defy logic. No matter where you go, you're still in Ohio. Until you're not.
At that point, no one wants to know you because you just came from Ohio.
Have a safe trip.
Oh, and don't try to land on the river near Cleveland. I think they finally got the fire out, and it's solid enough to land a 747 on it, but the crud on the river will dissolve your wheels and landing gear.
 
Landshark said:
How can you tell what times fuel is available at the airport? When I look at the AFD for smaller airports, it will show that 100LL is available, sometimes it will say fuel available 24hrs, sometimes it doesn't say anything while mentioning that the airport is attended during certain hours.
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Foreflight is what I used to tell me what services where where such as SS fuel and hotels. Allowed us to literally make it up as we went in the air. We flight planned every leg before departure but rarely landed where we planned adjusting for real time conditions and how we felt.

Between that and the real time ADS-B Wx we easily shaved a day off our trip with diversions and dodging weather had we not had that real time info at out fingertips with Foreflight.
 
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Great trip, and post often during the contest!
 
Why are you going at least 500 miles out of your way down across the southern route? Not only is most of it boring as hell, but the airports are few and far between. More better Salt Lake , Cheyenne, and down into Nebraska. Fundamentally an I-80 route with freeway underneath you all the time. Besides, your first RON will probably be at Wendover, which is where Chuck Yeager did his basic flight training. THe state line splits the town right down the middle, so you can stay in Utah and get really good buffets and the like walking across the line into Nevada.

As to fuel, if you don't like using Foreflight, go to www.airnav.com and see if the airport has self-service fuel. 99 times out of 100 you can fuel yourself 24/7.

As to the comment about wheels up at sunrise, I'd go a step further and wheels up when you can see light of day. Flying in the afternoon in the high country(*) is no fun in the afternoon.

As to "high country", you can do the whole thing at 8000 MSL and below if you wish, although 10K gives you more options for lots of things.

Jim

Jim
 
Awesome. I'm inside the D at KOSU. I've seen you competition guys and gals all over central Ohio - it's kinda fun to see all the different paint jobs on the planes and the extra buzz at the airports. TZR has BBQ (nothing special), UYF is probably where you'll refuel, and i74 is a good stop for $100 hamburgers & small town diner, very popular in Ohio and nearby.

I echo the suggestion to call ahead for fuel and crew cars. Don't trust airnav or an app on your phone - they don't get updated near as often as the person who answers the phone in the FBO. And, small towns won't have Uber or possibly even a taxi. But that's definitely part of the fun & adventure if you don't have somewhere specific to be - unlike you.
 
genna said:
Call ahead. Probably the best way to find out real info. Most FBOs do close, but many places have self serve fuel. It may be listed in Comments/Remarks of your favorite EFB, but i would call ahead to be sure.
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This is my recommendation also. A lot of times, an airport with self serve will have an issue (like at out airport right now) and the self serve is out of service. And, there can be other problems with their fuel, like the fuel delivery had a problem, etc. Call ahead before you leave and make sure.
 
somorris said:
This is my recommendation also. A lot of times, an airport with self serve will have an issue (like at out airport right now) and the self serve is out of service. And, there can be other problems with their fuel, like the fuel delivery had a problem, etc. Call ahead before you leave and make sure.
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Especially if your stretching fuel out on a leg. In case you burn more than you plan, its good to know fuel is there when you get there, instead of having to make another 30-45min jump to another airport to get fuel.
 
I will be sure to call the next airport before we take off. Will be the first time I've fueled at a different airport as well.
 
weirdjim said:
Why are you going at least 500 miles out of your way down across the southern route?
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I am guessing they planned it that way to account for the lack of climb performance from the 152. Is your northern route easier to traverse in the 152?
 
Landshark said:
I am guessing they planned it that way to account for the lack of climb performance from the 152. Is your northern route easier to traverse in the 152?
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Easier? Both ways have high altitude airports. You didn't mention whether or not you would be loaded to gross or not. If you are somewhat light, either way will give you about the same amount of mountain stuff. It is going to be a little cooler with the northern route and density altitudes won't be quite as bad. Your service ceiling is 14.5 or so, and you will be a heck of a lot better in climb than the C-120 with the 85 horse engine I used to fly to Oshkosh from the Sacramento area on a regular basis. If you try and find airports east of the Rockies with autogas that little engine is going to like it a lot better.

Jim
 
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