Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Grand Canyon
TightYorksherMan
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Peak District
Age: 41
Posts: 1,570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Grand Canyon
I maybe heading out to Las Vegas, LA in Septemeber/ November this year.
It would be grate if any advice can be given in flying in these areas. Especially flying from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon and return.
I have a JAR PPL and 150hrs. I intend to fly a Warroir out there. I am familiar with US Charts etc I did my PPL and hour building in Florida last year.
Any advice that can be given would be much appreciated.
Jinkster
It would be grate if any advice can be given in flying in these areas. Especially flying from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon and return.
I have a JAR PPL and 150hrs. I intend to fly a Warroir out there. I am familiar with US Charts etc I did my PPL and hour building in Florida last year.
Any advice that can be given would be much appreciated.
Jinkster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 1,040
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are familiar with US procedures then that wont be a problem. As for flying West Coast compared to Florida one of your biggest differences is going to be altitude - there are some ******* big mountains out there!! Its not uncommon to be at 11-12k ft especially routing over to Vegas, make sure you do your flight planning properly and understand your MEAs. Also know your density altitudes, etc.
Likewise i/c/w this make sure you know the performance of the aircraft you are taking, get to know it before you go on your trip - you want to make sure it can give you the power and achieve the alts when you ask of it! Check its not near the 50hour if you are going on a decent length round trip, pretty common sense stuff.
Make sure you buy the dedicated Grand Canyon charts that are available!
Vegas is excellent, we actually landed at night and the approach was parallel to the strip which made for some pretty impressive sights as we touched down. Handling charges & fuel charges we on the pricey side if I remember rightly but the service was top notch.
Vegas to the Canyon is dead easy. All RT is done on a Unicom basis with pilots calling position reports out so as not to hit each other, it can get very congested with tourist sightseeing traffic. Did the same route in Nov and flew over the Hoover Dam as well - not too close as dont want to get shot down
We landed at Grand Canyon West during a combined Run The Rim Marathon (NUtters if you ask me!! 
) and an Indian festival. Friendly people running the event and think it was about $30 landing fee - the reason being its apparently a privately owned strip - no PPR required though. If you go check out the Whoppy Copter driver scaring the crap out of the fee paying passengers when they drop over the rim!!!
Hope this helps and if you have any specific questions then just ask.
P.S. Make sure you watch the weather!!! Unlike Florida the West Coast can be as bad the UK. Fine one minute and absolute cack the next! I ended up taking over from a mate on the flight back into LGB as the LA Basin was IFR. As we came over the mountains it was like flying over a huge bowl of trifle! So plan an alternate!
Likewise i/c/w this make sure you know the performance of the aircraft you are taking, get to know it before you go on your trip - you want to make sure it can give you the power and achieve the alts when you ask of it! Check its not near the 50hour if you are going on a decent length round trip, pretty common sense stuff.
Make sure you buy the dedicated Grand Canyon charts that are available!
Vegas is excellent, we actually landed at night and the approach was parallel to the strip which made for some pretty impressive sights as we touched down. Handling charges & fuel charges we on the pricey side if I remember rightly but the service was top notch.
Vegas to the Canyon is dead easy. All RT is done on a Unicom basis with pilots calling position reports out so as not to hit each other, it can get very congested with tourist sightseeing traffic. Did the same route in Nov and flew over the Hoover Dam as well - not too close as dont want to get shot down
We landed at Grand Canyon West during a combined Run The Rim Marathon (NUtters if you ask me!! ) and an Indian festival. Friendly people running the event and think it was about $30 landing fee - the reason being its apparently a privately owned strip - no PPR required though. If you go check out the Whoppy Copter driver scaring the crap out of the fee paying passengers when they drop over the rim!!!Hope this helps and if you have any specific questions then just ask.
P.S. Make sure you watch the weather!!! Unlike Florida the West Coast can be as bad the UK. Fine one minute and absolute cack the next! I ended up taking over from a mate on the flight back into LGB as the LA Basin was IFR. As we came over the mountains it was like flying over a huge bowl of trifle! So plan an alternate!
I've flown with a few GA outfits in Las Vegas, I'd recommend West Air. Best aircraft, facilities, attiude etc. But contact someone early to get your licence sorted if your original PPL wasn't a FAA licence.
www.westairaviation.com
www.westairaviation.com
