Southwest trip advice

Paul kgyy wrote:
Without special training, I'd avoid a direct route to
Denver from Arizona.

I'm with Paul on this one. Re-tracing your steps along I-40 to
Albuquerque and I-25 north to Denver and crossing the Rockies between
Albuquerque and Santa Fe offers lots of airports with services, lower
terrain, and a long ribbon of asphalt should you need it. A more
direct route through the Four Corners area will provide absolutely
gorgeous scenery, but there's just not as much civilization out there
and you'll have to cross the Rockies in a much more challenging manner.

Know how to calculate density altitude. Sometimes it's given to you on
AWOS at high elevation airports, but it isn't always. I use my own
"rule of thumb" calculation: pressure altitude plus 125 feet per degree
C above standard temperature, and don't forget that the "standard"
temperature at elevations found in Colorado is really damn cold. Know
how much runway the book says you'll need at a given weight and D. A.,
and use a good sized fudge factor. I shoot for at least 100% more
runway than the book says. Use your best short field technique and
remember that the nose will be a lot lower for a given indicated
airspeed. If the book says your best rate of climb is 72, use 72
indicated even if the nose seems level. If the book suggests you might
not make it, DON'T TRY! It'll be cooler early in the morning. To
avoid turbulence, try to stay upwind of the many giant chunks of
granite you'll encounter - picture in your mind the laminar flow
upstream and the turbulent flow downstream of rocks in a river of
water. Do the things you were trained to do when you got your
certificate, and have a ball. Take lots of pictures.

-R