Up and Back

I needed to head up to Chesapeake, Virginia for a meeting Tuesday morning.  It’s about a 10 hour drive or 4.5 hours via Breeze Airlines. That’s not bad but the return flight is at 6AM so that won’t work.  The other airline options include a stop and take closer to 8 hours door to door.  Of course I didn’t consider any of these options, I flew.

Flying myself averaged 4 hours each way and the plane left on my schedule.  The trip is 466 nm so airtime at normal cruise is 2:30. With a 25 knot headwind it’s 3 hours.  On Monday when I headed up I had a slight headwind until Savannah which then became a few knot tailwind which became a headwind as I approached Chesapeake.

As flights go this was pretty simple.  I filed 9,000’, direct CATHY direct.  This keeps me over dry land and sets up a 350 straight in approach to runway 5.On departure I did spend a short time climbing through some clouds but then it cleared and was extremely smooth.    The scenery starts nice with the coastal view but after Charlseton, it’s mostly just flat green and with the haze, was not much to look at.

I spent the flight looking around for traffic, watching the temperatures, pressures and making sure that the flight was as humdrum as it seemed.  I also kept watching the winds aloft to see if my promised 10 knot tailwind would magically appear. Spoiler alert, it did not.

The days are getting much shorter and by the time I was descending to land, the sun was starting to dip and combined with a high overcast, made for a dusky look.  The airport is busy with training and I was lucky and arrived at a lull in the action which allowed me to slide in for a nice touchdown.  

Overall this was an easy flight.  I had flown the route before, there were no enroute obstacles at 9,000’ and the weather was almost perfect (not the winds aloft). Even on these easy runs, I still review the route, the airports, the NOTAMs and the weather but with our modern tools that can be done rather quickly compared to the olden days of paper charts.

I had squeezed the trip in Monday to Tuesday because a front was moving across the country and promised to make Wednesday much more challenging with IFR and weather in the Chesapeake area.  Heading home I wrapped up a bit early and was in the air just after 11 AM.  Departure was easy and I was once again direct to CATHY at 8,000’.  My headwind had no issue showing up and I enjoyed 25 knots on the nose most of the flight.  That equates to an extra 75 miles to fly. 

Typically I run around 25 gph for 185-188 KTAS.  Today I ran a bit over 26 for 191-192 KTAS.  With the headwind the fuel burn difference was negligible. 

I had left early to stay ahead of all the weather but near Myrtle beach I was showing some rain.  My onboard radar confirmed it and I was cleared to deviate.  The trip up and back had been perfectly smooth up to this point and even though my radar was just showing light rain above my altitude and off to the side I didn't expect much turbulence.

As I passed this disturbed area I had about one minute of turbulence with alternating up and down drafts which gave me airspeed fluctuations +/- 15 knots.  I was watching closely and ready to pull back the power but just as quickly as it came, it was gone.  The rest of the flight was smooth and after a quick dive through clouds at 4,000’, my home airport appeared and I took the visual to 14.

I don’t use any fancy flight planning forms, just a pad of paper where I record clearances and frequencies.  The flight took 16 frequencies starting with ground and ending with CTAF.  Typically on such a short flight I might have half that but the route cuts through a bunch of approach controls so you don’t spend much time with center.  Overall a good trip and glad I am home with the rain forecast for tonight.

Cross Country Flying

Generally the FAA defines a cross country flight as greater than 50 nautical miles.  As a student flying my C-152 over central Tennessee, this seemed like a long way to go and find my way home.   These were the days before GPS, we were using paper charts, the trainers had questionable avionics and the visibility was often less than 10 miles.  Somehow we found our way.

My first solo cross country was 57 miles from Smyrna, TN to Bowling Green, KY.  I did a touch and go at Nashville International on the way home bringing the total distance to 120 miles and it took me 2.1 hours.  Thats 57.1 kmph which is a bit worse than a car.  The Baron could do that in 40 minutes air time plus say 10 minutes for manuevering.  

Our basic training teaches us to fly "Cross Country" but it is clear that a my first solo trip was nothing like the trips I fly now.  So what does it take to go truly long distances and how do you plan for weather weeks away when the technology to forecast simply does not exist?  What I have learned over the years is that there are cross country flights and there are cross country flights.

The simple ones are like my first solo or other flights I took during my FAA training.  These are shorter routes typically less than 250 nautical miles and are completed the same day.  With modern flight planning tools, onboard data link weather and the current forecasting, these are all about not taking off when the conditions exceeed the skills of the pilot and/or the capabilities of the airplane.  Gone are the days of unforecast significant widespread weather.

The next level of cross country are trips in the 200-300 mile range where you stay a few days.  These were my most frequent types of trips for many years, basically flying down to see the grandparents or having a quick getaway.  These are not as simple as the day trips but the two and three day forecasts are pretty good and if you build in a few hours flexibility you can pick your weather.  

Picking your weather is a pilots greatest tool.  Most reservations can be cancelled 24-48 hours out without penalty, some with even less notice.  I am not ashamed of the many trips I didn't take.  A few I probably could have made as the weather was not as bad as forecast but many that were cancelled were just not going to happen.

The next level of cross country flying is stretching out to 500+ miles.  The further you go the more different weather systems and possibly terrain you may encounter.  Add to this longer durations where you are less certain of the weather coming home and you hit your next set of challenges.  I find that "Weatherstreet" and "Windy" do a pretty good idea on long range forecasting out to 10 days.  You just have to realize that the farther you go, you are really looking at more of a trend than a forecast.  If it is showing building high pressure and clear skies, it's unlikely you will have a deep low but it's not giving you a lot of detail.

On these trips it becomes more about skills, training, proficiency and equipment.  You also need flexibility.  It is amazing how a little flexibility goes a long way.  For example I have come home and found a thunderstorm on my home airport but landing nearby and tanking up was enough of a delay to allow me to return home in clear skies.  I have stopped for ice cream when there was a line of storms ahead.  An hour later I was on my way in sunny skies.

Equipment and proficiency also come into play.  We have diverted more than 150 miles out of the way on many occasions to pick the weather we wanted to face, having a fast plane makes this less than an hour detour.  Having onboard radar is also a huge advantage when flying in areas of convection without great visibility.  Sometimes a little flexibility is not enough.  We were in Niagara Falls and planned 3 days but a strong front was coming.  We chose to leave a day early to avaoid the weather and made it to our next stop in nice weather.  We often flex for weather.  In the Niagara falls case the rain came in soon after we left, we would have been hiking in the rain which I don't like so leaving early had several advantages.

The final type of trip is when you head out for a few weeks and really go across the country.  You will cross multiple weather systems, you will have no idea what the weather will be later in the trip at the beginning.  At this point it really is about equipment, proficiency and flexibility.  The more you have of the first two the less you need to rely on the third.  Luck is also a factor, for example in 16 arrivals we only shot one relatively easy instrument approach, one visual approach in 6 miles visibility and the rest were good VFR.  That said, I was prepared to alter our route as needed, change our reservations or just wait out any truly adverse weather.

The segment that casued me the most concern on the trip was Billings, MT to Idaho Falls, ID.  The combinations of fires producing low visibility, possible mountain obscuration, possible low clouds and some really tall rocks meant I needed some pretty good weather to fly my preferred route.  It all worked out for us but I had in my back pocket 3 back up routes.  The worst case route added well over an hour of flight time to a flight that was only 1:15 long.  We also had time to burn and could have waited hours for the right weather.

The real takeaway after flying to all 48 states has been, train, train, train, like your life depends on it, it does.  Expect to have to alter plans.  Make sure your travel companion(s) also know this and are on board, it makes it so much easier.  Be ready to cancel some trips.  Our first attempt to go to Arizona We cancelled a few days out becasue the weather just wasn't what we needed.  Same with one trip we planned to Utah and California.  This was the year we had atmospheric rivers that never ended.  I was very happy we cancelled as some of the places we wanted to visit closed due to the weather.

No matter where you are in you pilotimg journey, Cross Country flying can be quite rewarding.  Whether you choose to make a quick run for BBQ or stretch your wings and see our amazing nation, there is a sense of accomplishment reaching your destination and returning safely.   

Gone West

My father A Jay Cristol passed early on October 21, 2024 at the age of 95.  In addition to being a husband, father, grandfather, judge, retired USNR Captain, bullfighter, water skier, world traveler, all around good guy, he was a pilot. 

He started flying at the age of 15 in a Piper J-3 cub on floats in Biscayne Bay. His lessons ended when his mother found out. He would begin again as a cadet and earn his Navy wings.  He went on to fly off carriers in the Korean War zone.  As a Navy reservist he flew transports to Vietnam.  Though his career turned to the law he had a short stint as a copilot for Eastern airlines. 

His wife, my mom, was not a fan of light aircraft and for a while he was less active but after I became a pilot, he dusted off his certificate and began flying again.  I had learned from his mistake and waited until I had my certificate to inform my mother.

We got to share some great aviation adventures.  When he was 70 we went to California to check out in a Martin 404, one of the planes he had flown for Eastern.   I got to take him on a pilgrimage to First Flight where we stood at the birthplace of powered flight and touched the big rock that famous pilots preceding us had touched.

For many years we had a tradition of heading out on Thanksgiving for a quick flight before settling in to feast on Turkey.  He flew with me in both my Mooney’s, my Bonanzas and my Baron as well as many other planes .  We snuck off to dogfight each other at Sky Warriors in Atlanta and no we did not tell mom.

Mom softened a bit when the grandkids came along and she took a few flights with him to meet up with the girls.  I think she was still terrified of heights, but she loved the kids more.  He had flown a wide variety of aircraft and because of him I got some rides in some very cool aircraft like a very cherry C-195. 

A few years back I was able to get him into a Stearman.  He had trained in the Harvard and lamented that he had never gotten to fly the classic bird.  I found one in central Florida and we headed down and took turns getting a ride.  It was a stretch in his late 80s getting into the cockpit but he pulled it off.

He flew as PIC into his 90s but realized his limits as he aged.  In his early 80s he quit flying solo and would either bring an instructor to watch over him and any passengers or another qualified pilot.  He loved helping people and even flew Angel flights. His last flight was at 94 and getting into and out of the plane was more of a production.  He flew the G1000 but I think was more comfortable with steam gauges than my glass panel.

Heck, he flew Aural ranges and told me about the excitement of being one of the first planes in his squadron to get a DF.  Not an ADF which did all the work for you.  Somehow he found his way back to the boat and other destinations with this crude equipment though I think the magenta line helped him out in later years.

He lived an extraordinary life, and did many amazing things, yet at his core he was a pilot and loved flying.  

Making Plans

Looking back on our travels, I see I write a lot about the flying but that's just one part of the logistics.  It's an important part but if you arrive somewhere and can't get around or have no place to sleep, it's not much of a vacation.  When I start planning a trip I usually start with what we want to see.  Usually I have some desitination or main attraction in mind.  

For example, when we went to Michigain I wanted to see Mackinac Island and the Shipwreck museum.  Once I know where I want to go, I need to consider three things.  Where to park the plane, where park us and how we are getting around.   It then becomes a balancing act trying to find the best options.  In general for most locations we need a rental car.  This seems to drive our decisions a lot more than you would think.

There are some locations where we can Uber, for example St. Louis, much of what we wanted to see was near our hotel so Uber was perfect. We actually rented a car one day but it was literally a morning pick up and same day drop off.  Having a car would have been more of a bother and would cost a lot more.  This is the rare case, on our latest trip we needed a car in all but our first stop and that was because it was really just intended as an overnight without sightseeing.

The easiest way to get a car is to land at an airport that has airline service, almost all of them have some car rental option.  In most cases the car rental company will drop the car at the FBO (fixed based operator) if you are in their loyalty program which makes the entire process easy.  Rentals at these airports tend to be the cheapest too.  The next best option is that some local rental company services the FBO and will drop off a car.  Sometimes you go through the company and sometimes the FBO has a negotiated rate but typically this will cost a bit more.  That said, being at a more convienient smaller airport often makes it a good trade off.

We did this in Tacoma for example, Enterprise was the supplier but I made the reservation through the FBO.  It was a bit more expensive but easy.  In some locations you have to get creative.  In Nebraska a local ford dealer dropped a car for us.  Pricing was good and it wasn't a terrible car but I initially couldn't find the keys.  The FBO didn't have them and I ended up calling the dealer.  They just left them above the visor.  I guess this big city kid isn't used to cars with the keys left inside.

Second consideration is the plane parking.  Big airports come with big costs sometimes and can often be more congested to get in and out.  Gas pricing can be quite a bit different from airport to airport.  On our last trip we had a spread in price of  $2.75 per gallon and with us buying several hundred gallons over the trip, price starts to matter.  Luckily with the Baron I have big tanks and it is preferrable to leave it partially fueled as we have better performance a bit lighter.

What I usually end up caring about is parking fees, ramp fees, junk fees and the minimum fuel purchase required to waive the fees.  Some places will waive all the fees and even a night of parking if you buy a minimum, typiclly 30-40 gallons with the Baron.  So if fuel is $2 more than my next stop and I need to buy 30 gallons, I hope to avoid $60 in costs to justify it.

On our latest trip we only paid parking in 3 of the 8 overnights, parking varied between $15 and $30 a night.  At the expensive place I got one night waived as well as all the fees which were around $80 so the overpriced fuel worked out.

Hotels are the last consideration.  Typically this relates to how close we will stay to what we want to see.  For example, we could have stayed closer to Yellowstone than the 1:20 drive we chose but the accomodations closer were much more rustic.  I don't mind basic but I am done with rustic charm, give me a clean room with a hot shower and decent bed and I am happy.

In the end ground logistics can be a huge driver of where we land.  In Wyoming I could not find any rental cars going into Laramie so we chose to land in Cheyenne and drive 40 minutes to make the logistics work.  It was not all a loss as one of the places we wanted to visit was between the two so we picked it up on the drive back.  Typically it is a trade off balancing the three factors.

On our Oregon stop I looked at Medford and Klamath falls.  The FBO was cheaper at Klamath but cars and hotels were a lot more and Medford, while slightly farther to Crater lake, had more other things we wanted to see closer.  Sometimes you have multiple good options but often one of the factors will drive your decison and you make everything work.

This is just a glimpse at what goes into planning some of our bigger trips.  I can easily spend more time on trip logistics than flight planning but the time spent translates into a better travel experience.  It's really nice when you land, you are expected, the car is there and the hotel has your room.  Not having to hastle with logistics enroute is the reward for planning.