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Hi Greg,
I am planning a VFR trip from Scottsdale, AZ to Salt Lake City, UT next month and wondering if you can advise on the best route to take viz. SDL-Page-SLC or SDL-Cedar City-SLC following I-15. How do I tackle Grand Canyon Airspace.I have read your book ‘Flying Carpet’ and absolutely love it.
Thanks & Regards,
Ruhil
Hi Ruhil,
I have flown that trip several times – it is spectacular and you and your passengers will love it! Before flying there my first time several years ago, I sought out a pilot who’d often made the trip before. He told me that 1) the middle route over Richfield is most beautiful, 2) when winds aloft are strong, the western route over Cedar City is safest and smoothest. 3) Terrain is lowest on the east side, providing you can clear one high pass at the north end. As it turned out the weather was good for both of our trips, so we flew the central route over Bryce Canyon and then north between rows of snow-covered mountains. It was spectacular, and there are airports and places to pass through the ranges if for some reason you want to get out of the valley. So the central route is what I’d recommend in good weather: over Grand Canyon -> Bryce Canyon -> Richfield -> Provo -> SLC.
As for the Grand Canyon, you need to pick up a copy of the Grand Canyon Special Flight Rules chart. It is sort of a cross between a sectional chart and a terminal area chart, and makes navigating the airspace easy. (Have a preliminary look at the chart online at skyvector.com – run your mouse over the globe at upper left, and select it at the bottom of the pop-up.) That particular chart rarely renews so you can likely keep yours for a long time. As you’ll see, there are GPS waypoints identifying the corridors – you will want to program those in ahead of time. Flying over the Grand Canyon is great fun in good weather – if possible, don’t miss it!
Thanks Greg. Will let you know how the trip went. Let me go get the charts. Keep writing though. Love your articles.
Regards,
Ruhil.
Greg, I happened across your bit about Phil Role and his lovely Piper Comanche. I know Phil quite well having met him and his lovely lady thru the International Comahche Society. I was also a Comanche owner (both single and twin) who had to sell my precious plane following cardiac problems. But my point here is, how very nice of you to feature Phil and his Comanche. So well done and appreciated. Thank you.
Frank Sargeant
Thank you, Frank!
I just finished reading your article Airplane for Sale about Phil Role’s plan and his sickness.
He is probably already aware of it, but you might advise him to check out the Myelomo Institue at UAMS in Little Rock, AR. They are doing some amazing things.
http://myeloma.uams.edu/
Thank you, Phillip! I’ll pass it on to Phil.
I just read “Airplane for Sale” and was blown away! My brother has the same cancer and is 42 years old. I have not meet anyone who has this cancer or even knows about it. It has changed my view on life and it seems flying is the only thing that can keep my mind off the thoughts of it.
My brother goes in for stem cell replacement at the end of April. I keep trying to get him up in the air but some days he is just so ran down. I pray that one day he will be well enough to go up, so I can see how proud he is of me and maybe he will forget about his cancer for one second!
I would love to hear more about Phil Role and his fight! Thanks for the write up on him and if there is a way to contact him to follow his fight please let me know.
I will pray for him.
jon goslee
I will pass on your request to Phil, Jon. Thanks for your kind words and wishes!
Dear Greg,
I am seeking the best flight instruction possible to earn my initial CFI. Do you actively instruct? Would you have any recommendations?
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark, A worthy and appropriate objective for such an important qualification! Where are you located?
Hi Greg,
I’ve been reading your columns in AOPA and I’m a big fan! I moved to Glendale, AZ a few months ago for a graduate degree and have been flying in the local area just enough to be proficient but my family is in town this weekend and I’d like to take them somewhere special (weather-permitting.)
What would you recommend within about 200nm of KDVT? Is there anything worthwhile over at Roosevelt Lake or should I just head North?
Thanks!
Hi Daniel, Welcome to Arizona! Flying over Roosevelt Lake would indeed be beautiful providing you plan to stay in the air, but there’s no place to land over there. One option if you go over that way would be to continue to Payson and land for lunch. It’s a pretty place and you can eat right there on the field. Of course if you really want to wow your guests, Sedona is the place to go. The flight is beautiful, the airport environs is spectacular, you can eat a scenic lunch right there on the airport restaurant patio, and walk to the scenic overlook. There’s also an incredible hike right there around airport mesa. Have you had any training flying at higher density altitudes? How heavily loaded would your plane be with your guests, and what model will you be flying? (You can write me back at the email above, if you prefer.)
Can you help me understand altimeter errors associated with flying from high to low pressure areas and low to high pressure areas? I am studying out of the Jeppesen text book and I’m just not getting it. Thanks.
Mark, I’ve just realized I never got back to you on this. Please forgive me! Let me know if you still have questions on the topic. Greg