Flying out of Palm Springs

airplanerik

Well-Known Member
Is it plausible to fly out of Palm Springs in the summer, in a 172SP with three people, and make it over the mountains up into the central valley? Does anybody have any experience flying out of PSP, or have any suggested routes?
 
Which mountains? Sorry the central mountains don't ring a bell to me. What is your destination?


I have gone through the Banning pass and up to Twenty-nine Palms multiple times with 3 pax in a 172
 
Yes. It is possible. Done it many times. You can climb towards Yucca Valley to head around Big Bear, then over to Palmdale and over the hills into the valley at 8,500. Or you can head through the Banning Pass, hug the mountains and go up through Cajon Pass, then on from there.
 
Which mountains? Sorry the central mountains don't ring a bell to me. What is your destination?


I have gone through the Banning pass and up to Twenty-nine Palms multiple times with 3 pax in a 172

The central valley, not the central mountains. I was planning on heading up to the San Francisco Bay area. Banning pass seems like the best option if we have to stay down low... the only other option would be going around the east side of Big Bear... I'm just worried about it being like 115 degrees and having a really high density altitude.
 
Yes. It is possible. Done it many times. You can climb towards Yucca Valley to head around Big Bear, then over to Palmdale and over the hills into the valley at 8,500. Or you can head through the Banning Pass, hug the mountains and go up through Cajon Pass, then on from there.

This looks like the ideal route to me. V386 - V137. As long as we can make it up to 8,500 (which we should be able to) it will be all good.
 
Likely you are already thinking this way; but try to go early in the morning when the density altitude is not such an issue and the turbulence over the mountains is likely to be mild. Nicer flying, better performance and happier passengers.
 
I'd say it's doable if you don't go in the afternoon. If the seats must be full, consider taking off with half tanks to keep the weight down. Check the performance charts in the POH. Don't accept the short runway at PSP. Plan your climbout to miss the hills. Do you rent out of PSP? I spend a lot of time doing nothing here. PM me if you feel the need to discuss this with a CFI over coffee.
 
Can you do it? yes. Should you? heck no! I've done it more than a few times and i can honestly say that your pax will not like it. If you definetely have too, take off no later than 8-9am.
 
Like the last guy said. And don't forget that the turbulence can be really bad near PSP on the climb out. Keep that in mind for your passengers, unless you want to clean up afterwards :).

Early morning departure would be best. You could also head a little west of Big Bear and never really have to climb higher than 6-7k over the next pass into the palmdale area.

Here is a flight January OAK-PSP 172G1000
 

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Give the pax two shots of Dramamine each, go east around big bear and try not to clip a windmill going through the Tehachapi pass and give them a tour up the shore line to the Golden Gate! you won't be disappointed.
 

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Be aware that there may be one or two days each year where this is impossible due to strong winds aloft causing a massive mountain wave.

I experienced this in a 182 with three people aboard over the PSP area. Full power, full prop, and best rate of climb was yielding 800ft per minute down at 9000ft MSL. The updrafts were equally as strong. The amazing thing was how long the cycle was in between the up and down drafts. It would take 5-10 minutes to make it from the trough to the crest of each wave. I could hear all the airliners on the same frequency being unable to maintain assigned altitude as well.
 
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