Dallas area Flying

Sisson2011

Sisson2011

Well-Known Member
I'm looking at doing a flight into either Grand Prairie or Arlington from Oklahoma in a C177 and I have some questions about Dallas area flying.

First question, which would make my life easier (and cheaper). Flying IFR into/out of either of those airport, or flying VFR and just getting vectored around in Class B?

Second, I was looking at the TAC for DFW. I noticed that neither Arlington or Grand Prairie had the Class D dash lines around the airport, but they are towered airports. If you were VFR under the class B vail, when would you contact their tower if you're flying through the airspace? Or would you even have to if you aren't landing there?

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Arlington and Grand Prairie are G airports, but they do have the tower. You are required to contact them within 4NM, but it is better to call them sooner if you need to transition or something. 91.126

(d) Communications with control towers. Unless otherwise authorized or required by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft to, from, through, or on an airport having an operational control tower unless two-way radio communications are maintained between that aircraft and the control tower. Communications must be established prior to 4 nautical miles from the airport, up to and including 2,500 feet AGL. However, if the aircraft radio fails in flight, the pilot in command may operate that aircraft and land if weather conditions are at or above basic VFR weather minimums, visual contact with the tower is maintained, and a clearance to land is received. If the aircraft radio fails while in flight under IFR, the pilot must comply with §91.185.
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I fly from Arlington to Chickasha and back quite a bit, and its almost always VFR. They just take you on the west side, over Alliance airport and then give you direct to your destination at some point. It isn't bad at all.
 
mojo6911 said:
Arlington and Grand Prairie are G airports, but they do have the tower. You are required to contact them within 4NM, but it is better to call them sooner if you need to transition or something. 91.126



I fly from Arlington to Chickasha and back quite a bit, and its almost always VFR. They just take you on the west side, over Alliance airport and then give you direct to your destination at some point. It isn't bad at all.
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:yeahthat:

Mojo got it perfect. Just go VFR and get flight following. They will hand you off to GKY in good time. It is a little hard to see GKY from the NW so try to identify I-20 first and move your eyes along that. If you try to go to an airport that is east of 20 and another intersecting highway (360), you are going to the wrong airport; GPM and GKY are really close together. GKY is considerably larger.
 
GPM guy here. Yup, heed all the above advice. The approach controllers are great and very helpful if they're not overly busy. The towered class G is a little unusual. At both places they may have you report landmarks you're not familiar with. If so, just let them know you're not familiar. Listen to the weather and let them know you have the current weather on your first call to them. It's very laid back at GPM. Like other said it's kind of tight between the two airports so make sure you know exactly where you are at all times.
 
VFR is never recommended when flying X-country!
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Unless an IFR flight plan will vector you half way across the country on an arrival before they start getting you into their airspace.

What about departing? I'm assuming I would tell tower North departure, just like any tower airport. Then once airborne stay low and out of class B until I contact departure, ask for flight following, and get Bravo clearance? Or do I get that from Ground before departing?
 
Sisson2011 said:
What about departing? I'm assuming I would tell tower North departure, just like any tower airport. Then once airborne stay low and out of class B until I contact departure, ask for flight following, and get Bravo clearance? Or do I get that from Ground before departing?
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If you're going north - staying low to avoid busting Class B is less than 2000ft - the class B goes this low at the major highway (Spur 303/Pioneer) that crosses the extended centerline north of GPM. Base to final for rwy 17 is north of this highway. The traffic pattern is 1400ft at GPM.

GKY will give you some more breathing room going north but not much.

From the few times I've flown out of GKY/GPM on an IFR flight plan, they have you fly heading 180 upon entering controlled airspace until radar identified (pretty quick) before vectoring you out to the west over Alliance.

If you really want to go north VFR, I'd say go west to stay in the 3000ft class b floor sector until you contact regional for flight following.

One other way I've gone north VFR is to fly east, contact regional over mountain creek lake for the bravo transition over love field (at the 18/36 runway), they then hand you off to ADS tower to fly over ADS, then back to regional to continue north/cancel flight following/whatever you want to do.
 
Sisson2011 said:
Unless an IFR flight plan will vector you half way across the country on an arrival before they start getting you into their airspace.

What about departing? I'm assuming I would tell tower North departure, just like any tower airport. Then once airborne stay low and out of class B until I contact departure, ask for flight following, and get Bravo clearance? Or do I get that from Ground before departing?
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Yeah, neither airport has radar, so they can't get you flight following. Like you said, just call Regional App/Dep in the air. You can go up to 2999 before entering the Bravo over GKY.
 
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