Planning HPN to SAF

In article m, Tom Fleischman wrote:
I'm planning a trip for mid-May from WHite Plains, NY (KHPN) to Santa
Fe, NM (KSF). I'm wondering if anyone here has made a similar flight
and has any advice for me.

I did HPN-BFI (Seattle) last year. Single pilot, but with a
non-pilot passenger (my Highly Significant Other). No specifics
on your route, but perhaps a few insights anyway.

I will be single-pilot IFR, will be flying a Beech Debonair and am
planning to file for a TAS of 165kts at 10,000'. I've broken the route
up into three legs of approximately 3.5 to 4 hours each.

If you already know your route to that extent, you're already
overplanning things. The catchphase for my flight was, "Okay,
we need another plan". Fortunately, most of the time (but not
always), I was saying it on the ground. You need to check the
weather at each leg, and if the thunderstorms are to the North,
plan the route further South (and vice versa).

Make sure you have a full set of charts beyond what you think
you might need. We had one chart that covered the entire U.S.
which helped with our strategic planning every day.

Most of our trip there was IFR with a couple of VFR legs; the
return trip was mostly VFR with a couple of IFR legs.

Of the two inflight diversions, one was due to arriving at
the destination airport at the same time the thunderstorm
did. Rather than circle, we went to another nearby airport
that was clear. The other diversion was due to a failed
alternator (broken wire, fixed within the hour and we were
on our way).

4-hour legs will be taxing unless you have a cast-iron bladder.

Our first leg was 4 hours, HPN-AKR (Akron, OH), longer than
planned due to adverse winds. By the time we landed, we were
both feeling pretty beat up. Once I realized ground speed
wasn't as good as planned, I watched the revised ETA closely,
saw it was okay, and pressed on. In hindsight, if I had
diverted and took a break earlier, say around the 3-hour
mark, I probably would've been up for another leg and
perhaps would've been able to make better forward progress
that day.

We flew IFR that leg, but had to wait around a few hours before
leaving due to the fog that had HPN below minima. What we'd
intended for our lunch stop became the first overnight stop.

After that one, our legs were closer to 2.5 hours. There
were a couple of times I was glad to have the extra fuel
reserves. At one airport, there was a medical emergency
on a commuter plane. The approach controllers messed up what
had been a nice orderly sequence, and it took them about an
hour to sort things out.

I missed the approach into one airport on the way home because
about 10 things went wrong (most of which were compound interest
on my *mumble* mistakes) and they sent me to the back of the
line (which I richly deserved), which took an extra hour.

Flying into the Rockies (uhm, let me try to rephrase that)...
When we got to the Rockies, the plan was to go VFR and follow
the I-90. This allowed lower altitudes and provided
less-hostile terrain in the event of a forced landing.

Crossing the Cascades into Seattle, I had to go IFR. West
of the Cascades was VMC, but Seattle had its usual marine
layer. I took an airway that followed the I-90, decended
into the clouds around Snoqualmie Pass, and cancelled
once I got below the clouds.


I could fly lower for the first two legs, but the MEA after DHT on leg
3 requires 10,000'. I would like not to have to carry oxygen if I can
avoid it. Assuming decent weather is it ridiculous to think that this
trip can be made in one long day? I'm not at all adverse to stopping
for an overnight at OJC, but would like to try and do it in one day if
possible.

It sounds like a pretty long day, even if the weather is totally
cooperative. My trip averaged two legs totalling about 5 flight
hours per day. Even IFR capable, we spent quite a bit of time on
the ground waiting to see what the weather would do. Next time,
I'll try to average 3-leg days, which would mean less dawdling in
the morning and shorter lunch stops.


HTH,

Morris