Hpn-sfo sr22

MikeOH58

MikeOH58

Well-Known Member
I may have to bring an SR-22 from White Plains, NY to San Francisco, CA next week, and I was looking for advice from anyone who has ever done a coast to coast in a single piston....Having never flown out west, i was amazed just to see how much of a wall of mountains there are blocking me from California....Whats the easiest and most recommended route through the mountains to the Pacific?
 
I have family back east so I certainly understand where you're coming from. GA flies a lot lower out there on a regular basis.

I live in AZ and spend almost all of my time above mountains around 9-10k just to clear them by 1k feet or so. I'd avoid it at night, and for that route I'd get O2 and climb way up over them for additional safety margin. I'd plan a safety stop/fuel stop for right before you enter the area to check the weather. More experienced people will have better things to say :D

Will this be over 2 days or 1 day?
 
going south through AZ is:
A. Warmer and
B. Lower Mountains

If the weather is clear and the winds are not high then crossing the mountains is pretty much a non-event so long as you go as high as you safely can.

If you decide to go further north I can suggest some routes.
 
How's wx/terrain through the albuquerque area? Possible routing i'm looking at....and No, it's not a turbo.
 
If the WX is cooperative a northern route isn't unfeasible..say Rawlins Wy - Provo or Ogden UT - Reno NV - SFO. Lots of full service places to stop, parallels the Interstates and much of the elevation is 5-6000 vs 13000 with just a couple short dog legs around the higher terrain.
 
The thing is this time of year the northern routes are iffy. You get into WY or UT only to find you can't get through. You could wait on the ground but it may be up to a week. This is why I suggest the southern route. ABQ is a easy. After PMD, it's a straight shot to SFO. 9-10 msl will be fine.
 
bdhill1979 said:
V12 looks like a cakewalk all the way into the Los Angeles area
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:yeahthat:V12 out of ABQ is the way to go if you go the southern route. It ends up by Santa Barbara and from there you get a very scenic flight up the coast to SFO.
 
Stomp16 said:
:yeahthat:V12 out of ABQ is the way to go if you go the southern route. It ends up by Santa Barbara and from there you get a very scenic flight up the coast to SFO.
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I never understood why the airway goes to GVO. Unless it's for an approach. Anyway, it would make better sense to turn early at PMD or even RZS if you have to. Intercept V-25 (I forget the route number) around Fellows VOR and you're fine.
 
I would highly recommend going south of the rockies. I've been getting moderate turbulence, moderate mountain wave, and rough rides all throughout the rocky mountain area the past 3 weeks. I would not recommend crossing in a single piston.
 
I've found there is always a low area along the route between mountains out here. Especially coming in towards the SFO area there are lots of areas with "smaller" mountains that are easier to pass over.
 
ChasenSFO said:
I've found there is always a low area along the route between mountains out here. Especially coming in towards the SFO area there are lots of areas with "smaller" mountains that are easier to pass over.
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I wouldn't recommend any of the passes this time of year. Several calls to CO and WY FBOs for up to date local observations is my suggestion.

You aim for a pass only to find out it's bad so now you have to back track. If you can slip through the weather, great. Odds are against that. Better is to steer for the open route from the get go.
 
I just flew V12 from ABQ to Norcal not a week ago. It's easy, if bumpy. Some parts are pretty desolate but the MEAs are nice and low. The northern routes are getting marginal if you don't have ice protection.
 
If you don't have de-ice or O2 I would absolutely go the south route. When going through that area, try and do it early in the morning to get the nicest ride possible. Me personally- I only fly around mountainous terrain in a piston during day VFR.
 
I flew my Cheetah from 74S (Anacortes, WA) to Jacksonville, FL one year in December. I watched for a clear Sat shot, did it in two and half days, no O2. In retrospect, I should have bought an O2 bottle. I flew no more than 3.5 hours without stopping to refuel and recheck weather. The route was 74S to KSHR, KSHR to FYV, FYV to JAX. IF you don't have time to wait for weather then you need to go the southern route, come up the valley from Palmdale. I would recommend O2, I'm sure you can get that SR-22 up to 17K (I got the Cheetah up to 17.5 this summer going from CIC to MWH. Get the bigger bottle too, most FBOs charge the same.
 
I would recommend the ABQ route as many have already suggested.

I have delivered several old piston singles that route and never had a problem.
 
I Fly a Cirrus over the northern Rockies (WY/MT) almost everyday, so its doable. However Icing right now is a royal pain. Id go south if you had a choice.
 
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