Route tips from Houston to North Florida along the Gulf Coast

Lndwarrior

Lndwarrior

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Gary
This is my second post of what will be quite a few as I plan my bucket list trip for this spring (end of May early June). The plan is to fly the circumference of the US, starting in CA.

In my first post I got a lot of great advice for crossing from AZ into Tx.

This leg will be from the Houston area to northern Florida, following the shoreline for the most part.

This will be flown VFR in a light sport aircraft.

I would like to camp along this route if possible. I am trying to do this as inexpensively as possible so I'll not be planning to stay at a motel every night.

Would like to hear any advice, tips, recommended airports, interesting things to see from the air or ground.

Also, what can I expect from the weather in May/June? Also, advice on local weather phenomenon like morning fog, wind, etc..

TIA
Gary
 
Lndwarrior said:
Also, what can I expect from the weather in May/June?
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Thunderstorms.

Fly early before the storms can see you and decide where to appear to get in your way..

Things to see: In Texas, the San Jacinto monument and the Battleship Texas. I am unsure if visitors are allowed inside or not, but flying over is second best.
 
Lndwarrior said:
This is my second post of what will be quite a few as I plan my bucket list trip for this spring (end of May early June). The plan is to fly the circumference of the US, starting in CA.

In my first post I got a lot of great advice for crossing from AZ into Tx.

This leg will be from the Houston area to northern Florida, following the shoreline for the most part.

This will be flown VFR in a light sport aircraft.

I would like to camp along this route if possible. I am trying to do this as inexpensively as possible so I'll not be planning to stay at a motel every night.

Would like to hear any advice, tips, recommended airports, interesting things to see from the air or ground.

Also, what can I expect from the weather in May/June? Also, advice on local weather phenomenon like morning fog, wind, etc..

TIA
Gary
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Stay in gliding distance to dry land. Swamps are dangerous
 
Expect morning fog lifting by 0900. Jennings, LA has a motel w/parking that you can taxi to. Good place to stop is KPTN near Morgan City, LA. Stay away from the parallel water RW that the float planes use. It has a robust gater population. The Williams-Wedel museum is on the N side of the field. Where Jimmy Wedel & bro built those race planes in the thirties. Hours? Dunno. Camp ground about a mile or so from the field. Taxis: yes. Rental cars: unk. A good fly over is the Battleship Alabama NW corner of Mobile Bay. Fergerson apt is a small friendly stop but its smack up W next to the Pensacola NAS class D. Prior brief would be a good idea. May have to bite the bullet and go into KPNS. Motels, rental cars and expensive gas available. The Museum of Naval Aviation would be a must do, but I think its still closed due to the plague. Your chart shows a Class C that's three normal ones overlapping stretched out about 50 miles N&S. I would avoid Eglin Restricted area to the north because the beach rte may be a bit complicated for a visitor. Lots of C-130 gunship shooting and JDAMS going on in the Eglin airspace. Just rural boondocks to the E. Many folks stop at Appalachicola.
Good luck.
 
Large restricted area at Eglin. You can bypass to the north over Crestview, or fly the VFR corridor along the coastline. The corridor is not difficult to fly, just talk to ATC and parallel the beach at an appropriate altitude. But recommend you grab a paper sectional and read the procedure, as I found electronic charts do not give a very good description.

Also watch the prohibited area over Kings Bay GA, north of Jacksonville. Very small and easy to miss on an electronic charts if your visibility settings aren't right. But that is for your next leg, from FL up the east coast. Definitely want to be on the radio from Jax to Savannah. Lot going on airspace-wise.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Large restricted area, alert areas, and Warning areas from about PNS to about KPAM...
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FIFY

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The beach tour is a great route, but can be busy and ATC is definitely your friend along that section of beach. Beats the hell out of trundling over forests north of I10.
 
Used to fly out of Elgin with the aero club back when I was stationed there. Don’t let the airspace intimidate you. The east west corridor along the beach is easy. Just make sure to talk with Elgin approach. They are very accommodating. Further east you run into Tyndall AFB and their MOAs. Again, very accommodating.
 
I really appreciate all the responses. Thank you!
 
luvflyin said:
Stay in gliding distance to dry land. Swamps are dangerous
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The land near the swamps isn't any less dangerous in south Louisiana...

Squeal like a pig boy!

(yeah, I know Deliverance wasn't in Louisiana)
 
Maxnr said:
Expect morning fog lifting by 0900. Jennings, LA has a motel w/parking that you can taxi to. ...
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Where on the field? I can't find it on Google Earth.
 
Domenick said:
Where on the field? I can't find it on Google Earth.
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I see two with a small tie down lot to the east of the field. One Motel 6 and a Days Inn by Wyndham.
 
Yeah the Eglin area is no sweat. Just get flight following before hand and they should pave the way for you pretty easy. If you need gas in that area plan to go the north route rather than the beach. CEW Crestview will be cheaper than DTS Destin by a dollar and the folks there are plenty nice. Then you can head south and fly the beach if you want.

Along the beach you will have a typical sea breeze or land breeze depending on time of day.
 
Maxnr said:
Expect morning fog lifting by 0900. Jennings, LA has a motel w/parking that you can taxi to. Good place to stop is KPTN near Morgan City, LA. Stay away from the parallel water RW that the float planes use. It has a robust gater population. The Williams-Wedel museum is on the N side of the field. Where Jimmy Wedel & bro built those race planes in the thirties. Hours? Dunno.
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All the years I've driven past there and never knew about the museum. Guess I need to time my drive better next time.

Stennis International Airport (HSA) and Lakefront Airport (NEW) both have nice cafes/restaurants at them, too.
 
Unfortunately the restaurant at NEW has been closed due to a combination of Covid and the death of their chef. Be sure to call in advance to see if they've reopened. Do take the time to overfly the New Orleans area though. The views over downtown and the Mississippi River are pretty cool and the controllers at the Class Bravo are very friendly and accommodating. I second landing at Stennis (HSA). If you buy fuel they'll give you a ticket for a $1 lunch at their restaurant. It has a nice view looking out over the airport and you can't beat a basically free lunch for buying gas. Another good stop is JKA in GulfShores. Lulu's is nearby (owned by Jimmy Buffett's sister). It is walkable and the food/atmosphere is great. They also offer courtesy cars at JKA if you'd rather drive.
 
Well damn, that sucks. Was just down there not too long ago. Good call on Jack Edwards.
 
TheFB said:
I see two with a small tie down lot to the east of the field. One Motel 6 and a Days Inn by Wyndham.
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Thanks. Somehow I missed the now obvious taxiway.
 
LanceS said:
Unfortunately the restaurant at NEW has been closed due to a combination of Covid and the death of their chef. Be sure to call in advance to see if they've reopened. Do take the time to overfly the New Orleans area though. The views over downtown and the Mississippi River are pretty cool and the controllers at the Class Bravo are very friendly and accommodating. I second landing at Stennis (HSA). If you buy fuel they'll give you a ticket for a $1 lunch at their restaurant. It has a nice view looking out over the airport and you can't beat a basically free lunch for buying gas. Another good stop is JKA in GulfShores. Lulu's is nearby (owned by Jimmy Buffett's sister). It is walkable and the food/atmosphere is great. They also offer courtesy cars at JKA if you'd rather drive.
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I haven't been, but there is also a Lulu's in Destin now. Not quite walking distance from the airport but close enough for an uber. I've heard mixed reviews.

JKA is a good stop though.
 
Cedar Key is a nice overnight stop at the far eastern end of the panhandle.
 
Seanaldinho said:
...Lulu's in Destin...
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Where? We were there back in November and made an obligatory stop (for us) at Tradewinds in Niceville/Val-P, since there is a lot of sentimental attachment to that place going back to when Tom first opened it. We were lucky to visit with him shortly before he passed a few years ago and are glad it’s still open.
 
TCABM said:
Where? We were there back in November and made an obligatory stop (for us) at Tradewinds in Niceville/Val-P, since there is a lot of sentimental attachment to that place going back to when Tom first opened it. We were lucky to visit with him shortly before he passed a few years ago and are glad it’s still open.
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Ah Tradewinds is a treasure, I’ve been going there with family for probably a decade. Lots of good memories there, sadly it isn’t the same and ownership has changed now too, one of the chefs also moved on - but it is still excellent and a favorite. They’ve started to actually advertise and it is no longer the local’s secret it used to be, but it also isn’t an Applebees.

As for LuLu’s, it is on the Destin side just off the midbay bridge next to the marina with the Wyland whale walk.
 
Nobody has mentioned the WWII Museum in NOLA. I've yet to go but it is a bucket list item, and then there's the food there (in NOLA), Commanders, ACME, Cafe du Monde, all touristy but still good. It's a must stop, would suggest a couple of days at least. and a good distance for one from Houston, especially in an LSA.
 
TheFB said:
I see two with a small tie down lot to the east of the field. One Motel 6 and a Days Inn by Wyndham.
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That’s super convenient, I wonder if there’s any other small airports with hotels you can taxi to?
 
The biggies to me are weather & some level of route familiarity. One may have to adjust the timing, by a few hours or days for weather. It’s after possible to bite some off then hole up for more cooperative weather.

It’s helpful to have updating ADS or XM weather onboard with some flight app, makes inflight adjustments easier.
 
LanceS said:
Unfortunately the restaurant at NEW has been closed due to a combination of Covid and the death of their chef..
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In the OLD NOLA airlane terminal. Its still worth a visit because of the depression era deco done under the WPA.
Consider Bayou la Batre NE of Mobile. Ask to see the birth place of Forrest Gump and eat some shrimp.
 
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