Getting to the other side of KMIA from the Keys

I live in the Ft. lauderdale area and have made the Keys trip many times.
If I don't file IFR i usually just fly down the west side of Miami. I'm
based out of HWO -Hollywood / North Perry. Not much to it. Just get a Mia
chart and stay below their airspace or contact them.


Steve




FlipSide wrote in message
...
As a rather new VFR pilot with only 122 hours, I have not ventured
far from my home bases. I am planning a trip down to the keys and
back. But I would like to return along the east coast back to Jax.

Capt. Doug suggested that it's easiest to stay at 1000' or less and
follow the beach. Just north of Ocean Reef at the topmost portion of
the keys is the Biscayne National Park with a minimum altitude
restriction of 2000'. About 15 miles north of that the outer airspace
of KMIA begins with a floor of 3000'. For about 8 miles a pilot would
be sandwiched between 2000' over the park and 3000' under the KMIA
airspace. This doesn't seem like a lot of room to manuever. Wouldn't
it be pretty easy to bust either airspace if perhaps some clouds got
in the way?

If I were to swing out about six or seven miles east of the islands in
the Biscayne National Park I could fly at 1000' and bypass the park
restricted area. Of course there is no way to glide back to land if
the engine quits at that altitude and distance from land.

I wanted to get some idea of what some other pilots might do if you
are not wanting to fly through KMIA's airspace.

Kirk