Low level routes out west? (best of?)

[SIG600]

Guys,
We're putting together a weekend trip with some guys from my squadron to get some low level training in, and we're discussing where to go, and where the best low level routes are. Everyone seems to wanna go to Colorado or Arizona, any suggestions? Spectacular routes?
Sig


Oh ya, close to a good party town too!

 

[IP076]

Guys,
We're putting together a weekend trip with some guys from my squadron to get some low level training in, and we're discussing where to go, and where the best low level routes are. Everyone seems to wanna go to Colorado or Arizona, any suggestions? Spectacular routes?
Sig


Oh ya, close to a good party town too!

I can say I've seen more than a few of you guys go below me while flying around Northern Arizona. Seems like a rather common occurence. There are(or at least were, havent checked today) a few TFRs out around though for forest fires, so those may affect your MTRs.

Some of those guys stop here in PRC, but I don't think it really qualifies as a good party town. (Unless you're 62!) You could try Flagstaff, but I honestly don't know much about up there.

Hope the info helps.....what are you guys flying? T45?

 

[Talon83]

If you're passing through ABQ, try VR-176. It begins about 45 miles west of ABQ, and covers much of southwestern New Mexico. It's up to 40 NM wide in some points, so it's like having a low-level MOA. It also has multiple alternate entry/exit points, which is nice for planning purposes. It covers some pretty isolated and rugged parts of the southern Rockies. I believe the NM ANG owns the route, so call them prior to a weekend to book it.

There are some nice IR routes in northern NM, mostly owned by the 27 FW at Cannon AFB. They also cover some really high terrain, but the routes tend to be narrow.

I haven't flown much in AZ. I've flown some nice low-levels behind Pike's Peak and down past the Sangre de Cristo range in southern CO. These routes are owned by the CO ANG at Buckley AFB. They may be closed due to noise complaints, but if you can get on them, they are great.

Cheers

 

[Occam's Razor]

IR-1266. Fly it out of Yuma. Cool topo, the chance to go below sea level, and some neat "targets".

Yuma has a couple of excellent Mexican food places. Chretin's (on 15th) is an military aviation shrine. Best margaritas on the solar system! Joe is gone now, but if you call them, they'll come pick you up and drop you off. (928) 782-1291

The VR-288 is a nice route too, even though I may have gotten "lost" on it when I was going through VMFAT-101.

 

[rhinodriver]

VR-1266 near El Centro / Yuma. At point C you can get in the canyon and have the walls above you on both sides. 5000' drop off after a ridge crossing right after flying over the Salton Sea. Good place to invert and pull! Look out for gliders near point F after coming over the ridge line. Good flying though!

Also VR-1355 near Whidby Island WA. Lots of ridge crossings and great views.

 

[SIG600]

VR-1266 near El Centro / Yuma. At point C you can get in the canyon and have the walls above you on both sides.

Is that the one they call the Star Wars run?

 

[bssthound]

Man, you youngsters REALLY know how to crush an old man's spirits!! ;-)

 

[rhinodriver]

Is that the one they call the Star Wars run?

Yes. The entrance to the canyon is not actually right at point C. You have to go northeast and look for the second looking canyon entrance. You can kind of see it on a TPC. You go in and it turns right - left - then right again (if I remember correctly) with increasing G required. It's not too high so you can always spill out of it above. You can also chase the crazies living in thier little compounds and cooking meth out in desert around (not that I would ever do that).

 

[SB Diver]

You gotta do the VR-1355 up in WA. Hands down one of the best low levels in the U.S. You'll know why after flying it...

 

[Huggyu2]

VR 1250, VR 1261, IR 207(?): all scheduled through Fallon. Takeoff from Mather, Travis or Beale, and hit these. You'll get some gorgeous flying. I've flown some of the others, and these are worthy too. You'll start on the east side of the Sierra, and go over and across them, with an alternate exit point just before entering the Fallon range. Then, you can cancel, and rage around VFR before landing at Reno, SUU, MHR, BAB, etc.... Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley,... very nice.

 

[Bjammin]

If your going in a Goshawk from Kingsville you'll need a ton of legs to get up to Whidbey to do the VR-1355. The VR-1266, VR-1267 out of El Centro are good, and the VR-289 that starts North of Twenty Nine palms is not a bad way to get from Phoenix to El Centro. You can also fly the IR-217 as a low level and get a good look at the Road Recce route if your are going to be doing R/R's out of El Centro. The VR-233 out of Phoenix is good as well.

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
Anything in the Dixie Valley is awesome flying. Although, I would have to say that it's alot different in a helicopter than a high-speed jet! If you are in the Navy than you'll get all the Dixie Valley you want when you go up there for your CVW det prior to deployment. Here in Virginia there are some pretty good routes through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[SIG600]

Boris

Someone threw out the idea of partying it up in Austin TX for the weekend, any good low lever routhes out there in TX?

 

[Vector4fun]

Boris

Someone threw out the idea of partying it up in Austin TX for the weekend, any good low lever routhes out there in TX?

Yes, but they're not published, and we get a lot of angry calls from the non-flyers on lake Travis.


See, every time some MD-80 taxis by and asks "What are all those F-18s/F16s/T45s etc doing on the Signature ramp?" And I say: "I suppose they're partying down on 6th street." Nobody ever believes me....

 

[Bjammin]

There are no good routes in South Texas at all. Too flat with too many birds, but Austin is a great party town. If you have some AN's or IR's it's not a bad stopover.

 

[Mud Eagle]

Is that the one they call the Star Wars run?

I thought that IR-126A was that one? Starts out in New Mexico, crosses the Painted Desert, ends just east of the NTTR. It's owned by Barksdale, IIRC.

 

[HueyPilot]

Texas MTRs

VR-196 through the west Texas mountains is perhaps the best MTR in Texas.

 

[Purduepete]

There's a few really cool ones near Luke in Pheonix. The best one that I can think of is currently on fire, VR-241. VR-223 is awesome though too and so is VR-231. Both go through some really cool terrain and have some good ridge crossings. I don't know what the availability would look like for flying them though. You'd probably have to be pretty flexable.

 

[Fury220]

See, every time some MD-80 taxis by and asks "What are all those F-18s/F16s/T45s etc doing on the Signature ramp?" And I say: "I suppose they're partying down on 6th street." Nobody ever believes me....

You are correct, sir...that's EXACTLY what we're doing.


Don't forget the special military rate at the Driskill... Such a great deal.

 

[SIG600]

Thanks for the advice guys... gonna run 1266 and 1268, can't wait! Also one on the west side of NM, can't remember which one, and one out of Ft. Smith AK, 189 I believe which is supposed to be good. Gonna be a long weekend of flying, hope to snap some good pictures.