JAS, There is a chart for the Grand National Park. You will need that chart if you are going to overfly it. There are altitude restrictions as well as a corridor through it. You will need to use the corridor because the altitude restriction is on flights below 18,000 ft from memory. The corridor is quite narrow and I for one would not be at all happy about going without GPS for backup. I found very early on that primary and secondary means of navigation were essential and certainly I wouldn't rely upon a sectional for navigating through the canyon corridor. Incidentally, the Grand Canyon isn't a single canyon, it's a series of many canyons covering a huge area. It's not just as simple as following a single canyon and it's easy to become "unsure of position" You will find that ATC will almost certainly ask you if you have the special sectional for the national park and a GPS before you go through the corridor. It's all about preserving the giant condor which will also make a giant dent in your aircraft if you hit one!
The flight through the desert from death valley or Los Angeles brings you very close to restricted areas, the desert is a difficult place to navigate with a sectional. I personally wouldn't risk flying without GPS for backup, true there are many VOR's. I don't use NDB's myself and I'm pretty sure that you won't have any instruments in an ADP Archer to enable you to navigate on NDB's There will be trouble for sure if you wander into a restricted area including the National Park restricted areas.
Last edited by VisaGeeza; 20th Jan 2005 at 07:45.