Taildragger flying across the rockies

[AAflyer]

Greetings all,

I will be flying a good old fashioned tail dragger from the midwest to Nevada shortly. Any thoughts from guys with mountain experience the best place to cross. I was looking at the sectionals and Wyoming. The Oregeon pass looked the best place to shot over.

Will be flying day VFR. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

AAflyer

 

[Knob]

depends on where your coming from and where your going. If your going to northern Nevada, the lowest route is around Laramie, over to rocksprings and southwest from there.

 

[NW_Pilot]

This route seems to work for me when crossing usually can do it at about 8,000' CPR RKS EVW HIF LWL EKO RNO just watch weather and wind Don't hesitate to delay a day or 2 this time of year due to weather or winds.

 

[AAflyer]

This route seems to work for me when crossing usually can do it at about 8,000' CPR RKS EVW HIF LWL EKO RNO just watch weather and wind Don't hesitate to delay a day or 2 this time of year due to weather or winds.

Thanks for your email, I appreaciate your help. If I screw it up, then I am sure there will be one more happy recalled pilot.

AA

 

[avbug]

I'm not sure what the aircraft having a tailwheel has to do with anything, but knowing your departure points and destination would be a plus. The midwest isn't very small, and your best routing really depends what part of Nevada you intend as your destination.

The type of aircraft also makes a difference, as does your experience around mountains.

 

[AAflyer]

Avbug,

Yes you are right, my question was rather vague. As to the taildragger comment, I simply put that there, if it had been a C150 I may have put that.

The actual relevent part would be a small fabric, single engine VFR only A/C.

From an airport near the Twin Cities to Reno NV. I got a hold of NW pilot and he had some good info, however I am open to any other suggestions.



Regards

AA

 

[avbug]

Bear in mind that NW pilot has been posting some outlandish things that have had him repeatedly run over the coals by a number of respected professionals lately (here and elsewhere)...take what he's offering with a grain of salt. A big one.

With your routing, you miss almost all the big hills, unless you're wanting to see them. Going down over Rock Springs, Salt Lake, and west following I-80 to Reno will work. You may see weather along the way, but that's a flight planning issue. If you drop down toward Cheyenne and follow I-80 toward Rock Springs and Salt Lake, you miss most all the hills. You'll have a few hills between Rock Springs and Salt Lake (Wasatch and Uinta ranges), and then a few between Wendover and Elko (Ruby Range). However, following the freeway you have the most available airports (which aren't many) to consider, the safety of a very long, straight, unobstructed highway with light traffic beneath you, and the clearest path to Reno.

I always advise folks traveling in the mountains to take not only a sectional, but a low altitude enroute (for frequencies if you need to contact higher traffic to pass on a message, primarily), and a road map. Roads follow the lowest terrain and mountain passes for the most part, and give you some good insight into flight planning for low, VFR trips in terrain.

You won't really have any terrain of any significance until you get to western Wyoming. After that, you have several good airports along the way, some with fuel and some without, near the freeway. Following the freeway is the safest bet, and there's still plenty to see.

Have a safe flight.

 

[FL420]

One more thing to pay closer than normal attention to when flight planning out west is surface winds, especially in a taildragger. Sometimes the winds can exceed the stalling speed of a small fabric-covered taildragger. I have landed at CYS and had to call on UNICOM to get the FBO lineman to tie down my Stinson before I could shut it down and get out. Similar thing happened once at EED. Gives new meaning to the phrase "fly it all the way to the chocks."

 

[AAflyer]

Thank you all.


AAflyer

 

[FirstMate]

From what town will you be departing initially? While on spring break in college one year,I flew a 1946 C140 fabric wing from Indiana to the Outer Banks, then on down to CHS, ATL, then back to its respective grass strip in IN. Logged approx 22 hrs on that trip. Was loads of fun and learned a lot. Last day had to fly west into about a 50 kt headwind between 5000 and 7000 feet to clear the Appalachains. I remember looking down somewhere in the mountains over Georgia and watching cars pass me on the highway. The mountain waves were so severe for about 2 hours that my hands cramped up from gripping the yoke so hard. Had to make an unsked fuel stop somewhere in TN from those winds. Wish I had the opportunity to do what you're going to do. It was a treat flying cross country in that old classic.