Tips for flying in SW USA

[cal air]

Hello all
Myself & a friend are due to hire a Piper warrior from Air Desert Pacific at La Verne for 6 days in September and we were wondering if anybody has any tips fop flying into the following airports and any places along the way that might be worth stopping off at or flying over.
The provisional ittinery is as follows
La Verne
Mojave
Las Vegas
Kingman
Lake Havasu City
Flagstaff
Sedona
Stellar airpark
Chandler Memorial
Goodyear
Marana
Avra Valley
Tucson Ryan field
Yuma
Palm Springs
Santa Catalina Island (Avalon)
Victorville
+ any other fields en route for fuel stops, lunch etc...,
also anybody got any advice on photography of the storage aircraft at Marana, Mojave, Kingman & Victorville eithier from the air or from the ground.
any advice warmly appreciated
Cal Air

[PaperTiger]

Chandler Memorial is unpaved (sand/dirt). Check your rental agreement to see if this is allowed. Since you seem to be chasing relics you might add Coolidge Az to the list - there were a couple of dead airliners last visit, and some kind of Mig too.

[Final 3 Greens]

Cal Air

I have flown in this area and with this FBO.

You may wish to give me a call on 07930 345534 - I'd be pleased to talk with you.

F3G

[Speedbird48]

Hope you enjoy your trip, and the natives are friendly, if you ask first!
Take good note of Density Altitude and thoroughly understand it. You will only have come across the theory in the UK. Here it is real and very important.
Watch for restricted airspace!

[Irish Steve]

Did a load of training at ADP just over 12 months ago, on both Warriors and the Seneca's. The aircraft are old, but basically sound.

Having said that, I make the following suggestions, not because ADP are bad, but because the SW USA is not a friendly area terrain and climate wise.

Make VERY VERY sure that you have all the possible survival aids over some of that terrain. By that I mean WATER, bars of some sort for instant energy, maybe a hand held comm/nav, and ideally a portable GPS or similar. Also make sure that you have clothing that is suitable for all emergencies.

ALWAYS file flight plans.

Be VERY careful of density altitude, and oxygen height limits.

Watch VERY carefully for dehydration in flight.

NEVER break into flight fuel reserves unless it's the emergency that the fuel is there for.

I did a trip out of ADP to Denver for a few days unwind, and it was great fun. It also emphasised VERY clearly that not all of the USA is heavily populated with a good wide tarmac runway within a few miles. Remember that and you too will have a good trip

Regards

[JetAgeHobo]

Just to add to what Steve said. Sedona and Catalina are both on top of hills, "carrier" landings if you like. Plus Catalina's runway is kind of wierd in that you can't see the second half from the first half, the middle is higher than both ends. Has caught a few unfamiliar pilots unawares.

Will ADP make you take a check ride to Catalina? Most FBO's in this area won't let you take a rental plane there without the checkride w/instructor first.

[Sensible]

ADP will probably require you to have checkouts for landing at both Catalina and Big Bear. Catalina has a cliff at the threshhold (painful if on a low approach) and a hump in the middle. As Jetagehobo has said. the problem could be that you get an illusion that you are running out of runway when only half way along it which means that, there is a risk (in the view of ADP) that you will brake like fury on landing or pull up prematurely on t/o. Big Bear is up in the mountains at 6748ft MSL which makes for interesting take offs towards the trees at the North end of the runway especially when it's warm.

[EGAC]

cal air

http://www.avweb.com/articles/beacon/atbt0040.html

A real-life story warning of the dangers of ignoring density altitude. Read it and fly safe.

Marana photography:- do it from the air/circuit. Ramp tour is a total no-no.

Mojave:- very friendly.

Kingman:- hit and miss. Take some shots from the air as insurance.

Your destinations are great - wish I was going too! Have a great trip.

------------------
Safety is no accident

[West Coast]

A native of the S.W. and have flown into most of those airports, if you have any specific questions, feel free to Email me

[PhilD]

Have fun. I visited Catalina (with instructor on a checkout) and Mojave (without) earlier this year as a 65hr total time PPL, flying a Warrior from Justice Aviation at Santa Monica. I found flying in this area a total pleasure as long as you plan well and keep talking to ATC, especially around LA.
I hit the brakes at Catalina as soon as I was down, as the runway looked to be about half its true length due to the hump in the middle. The takeoff is great, one moment 200' up, the next 1700' up!
Mojave were very friendly, on approach I was give a choice of two 5000'+ runways and told to 'park between the KC135 and F4s'!

[Irish Steve]

Update re the check rides mentioned above.

On the Seneca, we had to check out to Big Bear before we could go anywhere solo, and even then had to get special agreement on that due to insurance requirements. Just to make it "interesting" we did the Big Bear at night :). *GREAT* fun, really!!!

Catalina also is a special check ride, they'll let you go there, but only after the check

Hope that helps

[Keef]

Agree with all that's been written here. SoCal is a delight, ADP are fine (say hello to Mark for me). I'll be back there in September to see if I can pass an FAA IR (not got the spare year of my life, or £30k to do a JAA one).

Big Bear is great fun, but you'll need to do a "practice" into there before they'll let you do it on your own. Once I'd done that, they were happy for me to plan to go to Sedona and to Catalina.

[411A]

Suggest also that you visit FFZ, Falcon Field, Mesa Arizona. There you will find the Champlin Fighter Museum, a LARGE collection of old and new fighter aircraft and related equipment. Also ask about a ride in a P-51, several of these are kept airworthy and flown regularly, with guests , at a small charge. Telephone 480 830 4540. Also visit the Confederate Air Force Museum at FFZ where rides in their B-17 can be arranged.
Two restaurants on the field, the best IMHO is Anzio Landing, Italian menu.

[RATBOY]

When in Tucson check out Davis-Monthan AFB big and well known bone yard of U.S. military a/c. Also a ICBM (Titan I think) silo and launch complex open for tours.

Yuma is a joint use airport---half civil half USMC. Look out for the Harriers and Hornets.

[Captain Airclues]

I agree with 411A about Falcon Field. I've spent many happy flying days there.
If you have time, try to visit the nearby Mesa Cemetary. Near the centre is a small, beautifully maintained, section containing the graves of the 23 RAF pilots who came to Falcon Field to learn to fly during WW11, and didn't make it home. Most of them were still teenagers.
Read the inscriptions on the graves. You will remember them a long time after the other memories of the holiday have faded.

Airclues

[Large Dave]

I too have got some ADP flying booked up for August/September (with fellow PPRuner 'Right Stuff' no less).
Does anyone know what the deal is with medical insurance? Do I need to take some out or is it part of ADP's insurance?

Cheers,


Dave.

[SKYYACHT]

Dave,

I would suggest that you organise travel insurance which includes risks when flying as aircrew. I always use Pentagon Insurance in Guernsey. I believe my last years worth of world wide cover including medical repatriation and millions of quids worth of cover was £98.00GBP

Adding some of my comments ref flying SW USA, Palm Springs is an interesting destination. If you are getting from the LA Basin area through the Banning Pass, you will need to be at a good altitude, I seem to recall in excess of 5000. Once through the pass, route round to the south side near the cliffs, They are quite impressive. Zillions of wind generators. Airport arrives out of the heat haze just in front.

Departing, do a thorough perf calculation. It was 120 or so in the shade when I was there, flying a Warrior with just one passenger it took me about twenty minutes just to climb back to 5000+ for the return trip to Long Beach.

Dont miss a visit to Chino - the Museum is Superb.

Tailwinds.

:p

[jimbob]

Cal air

I have flown quite alot in the area you are going thru. I'm sure it will be a great trip. The area around Flagstaff and Sedona is among the most beautifull places I have ever seen. But as somebody already pointed out it is VERY important to check the density altitude up there...At the time you will be going there it will be "rain season" and temperatures of 35-45 degrees and VERY HIGH humidity is a normal thing.
While in Arizona you realy should visit Tucson International, it's a very nice airport with very nice people.

[whats_it_doing_now?]

I did some flying in that area a couple of years ago. It may not be the same but, Ryan airfield had a number of Boeings awaiting delivery stored there. Also there were a number of military aircraft operating in the area. It was an eye widening experience at the time to fly in the circuit with Apache helicopters!
Also breakfast at Avra Valley is pretty good.