Planning first Coast to Coast flight - Need tips (Long)

Rykymus

Rykymus

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Rykymus
I apologize for the long post, but figured the more information I gave up front, the better you all would be able to offer advice.

I've reached the point in my flying hobby where I really want to fly coast to coast, and around the US. It's a really bad itch that I need to scratch. I want my wife to go with me, but she's not ready, and would rather wait until I've done it myself, and we get a bigger plane. (She's currently only okay with hops under an hour, and no more than two per day.)

First, about myself:
I'm 56, decent health, (could lose a few) and no meds. I’m self-employed, can work anywhere I have an internet connection, and can take a month off with ease, so delays, scheduling, all that is not an issue. I’d like to keep costs down, (to make my wife happy) but the cost of the trip isn’t really a big issue for me.

About my training/experience:
I've had my PPL for just over 2 years now, and my IR for about 4 months. I've got nearly 600hrs, most of which is in my plane, and just under 500 as PIC. 4.2 of IMC, including 1 hour of solid IMC from takeoff to landing. About 40hrs of night. I've got 150 hrs of cross-country, all in CA, the longest of which was 3hrs direct from Stockton (where I'm based) to San Diego. I’m quite comfortable with the radio and ATC, and actually prefer flying in the IFR system. I trained at an uncontrolled field (KTCY) with erratic winds, so I’m comfortable with crosswinds and gusts. I’m based at a towered field (KSCK) and the majority of my cross-country flying has been to class D, C, and B airports, so I’m comfortable in all types of airports. My only mountain experience is flying from Stockton to Tahoe a few times. I’m very anal about keeping my skills sharp, and I dedicate one day a month to practicing every VFR skill, and then meeting minimum currency requirements for my IR w/safety pilot.

About my plane:
I own a 98 Archer III, with STEC-30 w/alt hold and GPSS to a Garmin 430. (No WAAS, and no ADSB-out) Two VORs, one with glide slope. I normally fly with a large iPad on the console over the copilot yoke, and a mini iPad on my yoke, both connected to a Stratus II for ADSB-in, Wx, and AHRS/Synthetic vision. I also carry a backup portable radio w/VOR capability, 2 cell phones, a well stocked and thought-out survival/crash bag w/EPIRB (registered). I’ll probably buy a life raft before going as well.

About the mission:
> I’d like to do the following: (not necessarily in this order)
> Fly into Vegas
> Fly over Grand Canyon
> Stop in Sedona AZ (to have lunch with friends)
> Try real Texas BBQ (possibly in Lockhart TX, just south of Austin)
> Visit the Johnson Space center in Houston TX
> Visit the Delta Airlines museum in Houston TX and fly the simulator they have there
> Fly the Florida Keys
> Visit the Piper factory in Vero Beach FL
> Fly Palm Beach FL, to Freeport in the Bahamas and back
> Try real southern BBQ in the Carolinas
> Visit a friend in London KY
> Visit friends in Washington DC area
> Fly the Hudson river corridor (and visit sister in NYC, if she’s home)
> Visit other sister in Pittsfield MA
> Fly over Niagara Falls (if that’s allowed)
> Visit Chicago (Big Blackhawks fan, so I must go to United Center)
> Try real Kansas City BBQ
> Stop in Seattle WA
> Stop in Portland OR
> Stop in Klamath Falls OR

Preparation:
I’m not opposed to doing a few shorter hops, like maybe up to Seattle and back, or doing the leg through Vegas>Grand Canyon>Sedona and back. I’m also hoping to give my wife a little test flight of a 5 day trip using the plane, just to get her to entertain the idea of coming with me.

Again, I apologize for the long post, and I would really appreciate any tips/advice anyone could share about places to stop, routes to fly, areas to avoid, best times of year, ways to prepare, etc… Lot’s of experience and intelligence on this board that I’d like to tap into.

Ryk
 
I did KLVK-Florida in a C150 a few months ago. Summer months are hot and windy in the desert, flying there is not very enjoyable. I would fly down from Stockton to Bakersfield, then across the Tehachapi and just head straight to Vegas. Or if the winds are light, fly over Yosemite to Mammoth Lake and then down past Bishop. That is extremely scenic! The R areas near China Lake are easy to fly around/through. Vegas, even KLAS, is actually pretty GA friendly. You won't get FF unless you climb high (10000ft high, that is) between Tehachapi and Vegas.
Flying over GC is cool, just read the GC VFR map for correct transitions, it's easy. Keep an eye out for traffic, and check fuel availability, it's not great there.
 
sounds like you have the trip planned out, vegas>AZ>TX>FL>KY>DC>NE>CHI>KC>WA>OR>home.

Have fun. Bring a towel, toothbrush and a couple pair of socks and underwear. And maybe a fuel CC or 2. Sounds like a fun way to spend 6 weeks.
 
I like it! Of course the "Peanut Gallery" will probably chime in and tell you how dangerous it is, and how you will put your eye out for wanting to fly such long distances.

Personally... I'd break everything up into manageable legs, and treat each flight from point A to point B as it's own separate mission. Oh yea... whatever you do, don't conduct any business along the way. That's illegal you know, and you'll get ramp checked every place you T/O or land! :rolleyes:
 
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We did a similar trip last year in our Dakota. Reno to Cuba and back:

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We left in early May and the weather worked out great. I had about 300 hours at the time and no IR. We got stuck for a few days in St. Augustine, FL and again for a couple days in Detroit. You may be used to lots of traffic in the Central Valley, but Florida may still be an eye-opener. Planes everywhere. Keep your head on a swivel and be thankful for ADS-B.

The weather changes once you get a bit past Dallas. Be ready for the visibility to drop and lots more haze and clouds that you are used to. Do your flying in the morning as once you are in the Gulf/Florida, the T-Storms come up most every afternoon. In general watch weather closer than you do at home because everything is different once you change climate zones. Weather dictated a few of our stops, cancelled others and we just had to be very flexible. Having my wife along made it great to pick stops since she had ForeFlight too (use the comments section!) and could be picking a lunch stop while I flew.

We missed the Piper factory due to weather - I think they are open Mon-Thu and have two tours a day that you need to sign up for in advance (a few days is probably enough). You may want to get the SFRA class out of the way so you can go into the DC area (you can go IFR which makes it easier). When you go by the Shuttle Facility, ask Orlando Approach for a hand-off to NASA Tower for a low pass over the Shuttle Facility runway.

I'd stop at Oshkosh and have a look at the EAA museum there. We also stopped at Sporty's which was ok - small shop there, but nothing like the nice one at Banyan at KFXE. Banyan has life vests for sale to do the trip to Bimini in the Bahamas... just 30 miles or so. Other cool stops were 09J (Jekyll Island) and KMLU (Monroe, LA) which was the friendliest place on the whole trip. Eat at the Waterfront Grill there on the bayou. :)

The only Bravo that we couldn't enter was Chicago but it was a beautiful trip northbound over Meigs and the whole Chicago skyline off the left side. Places I would avoid are KARB (Ann Arbor, MI) use WIllows instead. Also avoid I40 (Coshocton, OH) poor service, and indifferent staff.

We rented a hangar every night except in Cuba and the Bahamas (no hangar options there). Cheapest was $10 at Waycross, GA (free overnight car too) but most were about $50/nt.

One thing I found interesting is some of the FBOs had seen my plane before as my N number pulled up with a previous owner in a few places. I had them update it but it was fun to know my plane had been there before.

Our trip was 6 weeks and 68 hours.

You having 600 hours in 2 years (wow!) means you are probably very current. Take off, point the airplane east and don't have much of a schedule. You'll probably learn more on a trip like this than in all your previous flying combined.
 
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Rykymus said:
I really want to fly coast to coast

Ryk
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You have hundreds of hours, a good plane and an IR rating. Plan your route according to weather and fuel stops and where you want to go. And then go.
 
I did FL to CA as a low time pilot and my take away was be way flexible. It was more of a ferry flight to get the plane home than a sight seeing trek, but we had time to spare if needed.

I would flight plan each leg, have a goal of where we wanted to get to each day...but I do not think I actually landed at any of my flight planned destinations for fuel or food once en route. Once we launched it was total flexibility based on weather, conditions, and endurance for each leg...but that was also made possible by the wealth of information that I had available at my fingertips with Foreflight and my Stratus 2 and ADS-B weather. I can honestly day the trip would have taken a day or two more with weather diversions had I not had that real time info available in the air or had I tried to stick to a strict flight plan or route.

For example right outta the gate we were trying to beat a system in NW Florida and didn't make it...never planned to fly through Georgia but that is what we did to dodge the system then found the best BBQ joint at a fuel stop in some random podunk town that had a crew car. Landing at random airstrips across the country for food and fuel was half the fun of the trip.

There are lots of things we learn about as private pilots but until we actually experience them do we fully understand them...and respect them...vs just being random knowledge. That trip was putting reality to the theories in many aspects of the flying process.

My take away was plan for the worst, hope for the best, be flexible, and you will have an extreme confidence building trek.
 
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Um, this pilot has his ppl and instrument rating and sounds well prepared lol


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My son and I flew from Seattle to Atlanta in our C-175 when I was still a private pilot; as a commercial pilot I delivered airplanes from Vero Beach (pre-Lakeland) to Seattle about a dozen times and did a cargo delivery from Seattle to North Philly. As others have said, don't push it and enjoy the adventure.

Bob
 
azblackbird said:
I like it! Of course the "Peanut Gallery" will probably chime in and tell you how dangerous it is, and how you will put your eye out for wanting to fly such long distances.

Personally... I'd break everything up into manageable legs, and treat each flight from point A to point B as it's own separate mission. Oh yea... whatever you do, don't conduct any business along the way. That's illegal you know, and you'll get ramp checked every place you T/O or land! :rolleyes:
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Doubt it - he has a PPL w/IR and plenty of good experience in over 600 hours. You got what you got because you've not even started training to the PPL. What you received was a good dose of realistic advice.
 
gsengle said:
Um, this pilot has his ppl and instrument rating and sounds well prepared lol
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I would say very well capable for the trip.

Prepared would be know what to expect for a long XC trek into unfamiliar terrain and weather patterns which is what advise the OP is seeking.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Add to the list Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas.
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A friend and fellow pilot (who was with us for the Cuba legs of the trip above) was coming back across TX westbound on an IFR flight plan and called Center:

Center, Commanche 123AB, we'd like to divert into Plainview.
123AB, Center, state the reason for the diversion.
We heard they had the best steaks in Texas, 123AB.
123AB, Center, cleared to the Plainview airport via....

after a brief moment of silence...

Center, United 456, we'd like to divert there too.

:)
 
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I'd avoid some of those destinations in April and May just because you gotta tie the airplane down so well - get into May and you'll be OK. Dunno where you are starting - but the advice generally is:

Fly in the morning - land for lunch and stay there - its hot and thundery and humid in most of the country in the afternoon in summer -and where its not humid its freaking hot.

Find little airports in the middle of nowhere if you have a choice - you want Southern BB Q then land at http://www.stantonsbarbeque.com = if you don't like Stantons - well - then try Ravel's

Some places you want the big airport - for example - Las Vegas - you're going to Las Vegas - land there. Nobody is going to Henderson. Cost is about the same cause you need a cab / Uber to get back out there. One tip - IFR into McCarran - VFR departure out. If you're heading to McCarran west or south they will put you at 11000 - if you can't get to 11k - you're not going in IFR and might have a delay while they waste your time to get you to change your mind. I've gone to LAS a few times- ALWAYS IFR - never a problem.

Pay the money - you'll discover that over the length of a trip like this sometimes you need to pay, and sometimes folks will just take care of you.

Find the path of the Eclipse on August 21.

KC BBQ is Bryants- even though its now owned by a couple of white guys. Arthur Bryant. End of story.

DC is easy - forget the magic hat dance and do it IFR. Land in Manassas - take the VRE commuter train - station right at the airport - No WEEKENDS. Make sure you see Idvar Hazy . . . its a pilgrimmage.

NYC is also simple -= no amateurs allowed however - you TELL them what you want to do - don't EVER ask. It's NYC. Time for the big boys. I took a group of three Chinese govt officials from Eastern CT to do the Statute of Liberty / Corridor about 10 years ago. Told NY I wanted to overfly LGA at 2500, descend to 1500 over the East River past the bridge - stay in the bravo - two loops around the Lady and then back out up the Hudson. They gave it me - easy peasy.

If you're in KY, go to Nashville, you will NOT regret it. Spend a couple nights - enjoy the music - its fantastic. Don't worry, I know its in TN - but you have an airplane.

Only real challenge I see is the Big Ditch - they got rules and only the licensed tour operators can fly in - don't go there too deep into summer [which starts around May 15] and watch the DA. Mayvbe thats a helicopter trip outta Vegas.

As for SEA/PDX/KLA - have an alternative idea - take the train. Fly the airplane to Oakland. Park it. Take Amtrak Coast Starlight to Seattle. SEA/PDX/ Klamath is a summer only activity - you simply cannot operate there effectively IFR due to high MEA's and low ice levels - but you can in summer. If its all VFR - no problem - but in summer - you might start getting smoke from the fires - what fires? There are always wildfires. Take a look at the MEA's north of Redding - they get up above 10k pretty fast - VFR works - terrain is not all that high -6-7 for the most part - but there is nothing there - I Follow Roads is the best bet. Again - consider the DA @ Klamath - its at 4500'.

Enjoy - its a great trip.
 
gsengle said:
Um, this pilot has his ppl and instrument rating and sounds well prepared lol


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Very well qualified -- unable to do flight planning and needs weekend warrior help from the internet. LOL indeed.
 
rsleeds said:
You got what you got because you've not even started training to the PPL. What you received was a good dose of realistic advice.
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JCranford said:
Dang, beat me to it. Was gonna suggest you look up azblackbird. He'll tell you all about how to knock that trip out in a couple days
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You guys from the “Peanut Gallery” crack me up... :rofl:

Ya’ll remind of a pack of wild dogs (with their backs all hunched-up in the air) waddling from thread to thread looking for a place to take a crap.

Geez... If I knew ya’ll were that easily trainable in heeling and following me around, I’d forego my start-up and round you all up and head for Westminster and really clean house. :lol:

Seriously... if you have a beef with me, and rather than crapping in somebody's threads, how about PM'ing with your grievances. I've got plenty of "Butt-Hurt" reports on my desk just for people like yourselves. ;)
 
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KA550 said:
Very well qualified -- unable to do flight planning and needs weekend warrior help from the internet. LOL indeed.
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Need is a strong word. It takes a real man to ask for suggestions....


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AggieMike88 said:
Add to the list Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas.
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Nah, Lockhart is much better than the SaltLick. SaltLick's been going down hill since it opened all the other stores. The original outside is west of Austin.

Niagara Falls - no problem, read and UNDERSTAND the NOTAM. You'll be in contact with ATC the entire time. I'd suggest going over the falls (not in a barrel) and heading over to Toronto, land on the island, then cab into town and have afternoon tea at the Royal York hotel. But if you don't want to hassle with TSA/border patrol, land at KIAG and enjoy the falls at night while dining on the US side.
 
Dude...u are slowwwww... people plan for more than that before they start their training . On a serious note, newbie here, so no suggestions, but sounds like a boat load of fun. Keep us posted and take lots of pictures and share your experiences with newbies like me so that we can learn.

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It seems like you know what you want to do, why are you asking about it here? Just go do it. The first time I went cross country like this I had about 425 hours and no first hand mountain experience at the time. No big deal.

The only other thing I've got to add is that your list of things to do is quite similar to what mine has been. I've stopped at most of the places you've mentioned.
 
I did the route from CA through Vegas, to TX across the plains to Chicago and then along the lakes to New England a few years ago. I didn't have any mountain flying experience, and that route didn't require anything significant (other than reading and preparation for the experience). It does require you to go high and in hindsight I wish I had bought oxygen for the trip. Although not required, it would have kept me fresher and sharper and I think allowed for some longer days. Stick to early mornings in the hot and high country, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon when you get there.

I actually went into Henderson, rather than McCarran. Wasn't too bad but a longer taxi ride. Easy to get into and out of though. Also stopped in ABQ the next day, as 4 hours was enough for that day. In hind sight I wish I had continued up to Santa Fe.


Flying over Niagara is fun, and easy. Just follow the NOTAM instructions. Agree with the suggestion to cross into Canada and land on the island airport, but if you don't want to do the paperwork for that, the other option is to land at KIAG, take a taxi to the bridge and walk across into Canada. They have the better views and the better hotels there.

The route sounds awesome, the only other advice is be prepared to flex (in a big way), for weather. My original trip was going to take the northern route through SLC, but I went south due to weather. Then as I reached TX a line of storms covered most of the South East, so I made my way back north to Chicago and along the lakes. I could either of waited it out and gone with my original plan, or diverted and taken in something new. Either way, it's a fun adventure!
 
For those who think I was asking if I'm qualified or ready, I am not. I have no problems planning this flight, nor executing it. My purpose was to look for suggestions to make the trip more enjoyable and/or safer, that I, as one who has never flown beyond California's borders, my make good use of. I'm quite sure I could take off tomorrow and make a go of it. I just think it's smart to ask for advice from those who have been there/done that. If that makes me a wuss in someone else's eyes, that's their problem, not mine.

For those of you with suggestions, I thank you much, and keep them coming. And I most certainly will have pictures, stories, and video of the journey that I will share here as I go.
 
azblackbird said:
You guys from the “Peanut Gallery” crack me up... :rofl:

Ya’ll remind of a pack of wild dogs (with their backs all hunched-up in the air) waddling from thread to thread looking for a place to take a crap.

Geez... If I knew ya’ll were that easily trainable in heeling and following me around, I’d forego my start-up and round you all up and head for Westminster and really clean house. :lol:

Seriously... if you have a beef with me, and rather than crapping in somebody's threads, how about PM'ing with your grievances. I've got plenty of "Butt-Hurt" reports on my desk just for people like yourselves. ;)
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Well, considering this is the first time I've replied to one of your posts, it seems you're not observant in addition to being obstinent. Lot of good people here tried to offer you valuable input, but you just want to argue. Are you really Tom Downey? You are just about as entertaining as he is and seem to be within his sphere of deafness. Good luck with your plans, I hope they work out for you.
 
rsleeds said:
Lot of good people here tried to offer you valuable input, but you just want to argue.
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Once again dude... separating the wheat from the chaff. I keep good notes of those whose advice is worth retaining. However, as with any internet forum, there's always a small number of dumbasses who like to crap all over the place, and who don't offer anything of substance. Those are the guys I LMAO at. :lol:
 
Unless you have a need for the raft after the trip, I wouldn't buy one...:no: There are lots of rentals along the FL coast...:yes: Have fun and keep us posted...:happydance:
 
OP, I get it.. it's just fun to talk about trips and get insight and tips and constructively talk about aviation. The trip looks solid and I can't wait to do a similar one. I like that you're looking for things to experience... we don't know what we don't know (except of course the geniuses who clearly do know everything here).

I'll be watching this one and making notes of some places to add to my destination list.

And just FYI.... Ignoring the DeltaBravos on here makes for a much more positive experience.
 
Rykymus said:
For those who think I was asking if I'm qualified or ready, I am not. I have no problems planning this flight, nor executing it. My purpose was to look for suggestions to make the trip more enjoyable and/or safer, that I, as one who has never flown beyond California's borders, my make good use of. I'm quite sure I could take off tomorrow and make a go of it. I just think it's smart to ask for advice from those who have been there/done that. If that makes me a wuss in someone else's eyes, that's their problem, not mine.

For those of you with suggestions, I thank you much, and keep them coming. And I most certainly will have pictures, stories, and video of the journey that I will share here as I go.
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The fact you take it seriously and think hard about whether you are ready is half the battle. I think any pilot once he has his or her instrument rating is ready to travel.

The whole point is learn from the experience. You'll learn a ton on a trip like this. Just listen to the voice in the back of your head and when in doubt stay on the ground and you'll be fine.

ps Cape Cod is a great GA destination too, and you're almost there with NYC


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Given the length of the trip, you'll need to coordinate with a mechanic somewhere for an oil change. Easy to do, just build it in.

If you're stopping in London, KY, stay for 3 days and complete the bourbon trail.

You seem to have a BBQ thing. Nice. You've got Texas, Carolina, and KC covered. Might want to stop by Memphis and get some of that too. For Kansas, you must stop at We B Smokin. It's on the Miami Co airport (K81). Order the burnt ends.

It's not my thing, but check with your wife, Branson MO is popular in some circles.

In DC, stay in town. It's a little more expensive but the trip back and forth is painful (I do it almost every day)

I'll second Nashville. Fun Town.
 
We will, of course, expect you to post a daily report complete with photos.

Sounds like a great trip! You might try Key West during your Florida leg. Go to Mallory dock for the street performers at sunset, stroll Duval street, enjoy a bowl of conch chowder and a slice of real key lime pie.

You might also consider a fly-by of the space shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center.
 
I would not land at too isolated of an airport, just for cheap gas.
A. Those types may not a AP on site, if you have a issue, even a small one you're stranded.
B. If just a stopping for the night, I pick airports within walking distance of a hotel. Sometimes the crew car if they have one is only for short errands, not keeping for the night.
 
azblackbird said:
I like it! Of course the "Peanut Gallery" will probably chime in and tell you how dangerous it is, and how you will put your eye out for wanting to fly such long distances.

Personally... I'd break everything up into manageable legs, and treat each flight from point A to point B as it's own separate mission. Oh yea... whatever you do, don't conduct any business along the way. That's illegal you know, and you'll get ramp checked every place you T/O or land! :rolleyes:
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You missed the part where he has a ppl and 600 hours of experience and isn't delivering goods to anyone.

To the op, go for it and enjoy. Shame the wife won't go with you. Will be a great adventure.
 
You are far more adventurous than me. My goals for this year are a return to OSH and a trip to each coast (from TX). But that's three separate trips.

I can get to osh in a day... I think I need two days each way for Cali. Haven't calculated east coast. Maybe Savannah?

For extra credit I might do Rv to osh, cardinal to Cali, and six to the east!
 
Have a good trip, Ryk! New Orleans can be fun if you get that far south.
 
Another word of advice... you don't get hail in California much (if any) but they do in the plains and eastern US. Call ahead a couple days and arrange hangar space. It is well worth the peace of mind.

I didn't care for New Orleans and the FBO at Lakefront airport was indifferent. Very nice approach over the Bravo airport to runway 36 though. The French Quarter is like a little piece of the Third World right here in America. I loved northern Louisiana, but won't stop in New Orleans again. I guess you have to see it once. ;)
 
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Let me know when you hit Chicago. I'll go to the Hawks game with you.
 
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