by Bob Worthington
www.BobWorthingtonWriter.com
© Copyright 2023. All rights reserved!
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine June/July 2023 Digital Issue
Preparing for a cross-country flight is not like flying for the “$100” hamburger. At least it should not be. By cross-country, I am not referring to a hundred miles or so… I am looking at several hundred or maybe thousands of miles. This means one or more days in flight, covering different geological areas and often, vastly different weather patterns.
Much of how I prepared for lengthy flights has today been replaced with modern technology, saving space and weight. But what I did 40 years ago still applies today… the difference is how it is done. The same information is needed. How you get it has changed.
Later in my flying career, my wife and I would guide a group of planes through Canada, and into and around Alaska. From my home base (Las Cruces, New Mexico) and back, I would log around 8300 miles over three weeks. These trips were the most extensive cross-country flying I ever did. Most of my flights over the past 40 years were cross-country, ranging from 5 to 800 miles, to well over a thousand. I became well-versed in planning and executing long-distance and safe aerial excursions.
Preparing for cross-country trips would begin weeks before departing. First, I needed to ensure the plane was ready for several days of extended flight, that everything worked properly, and no scheduled maintenance was looming. I would also examine where I would be flying, so I would know what survival equipment, and navigation and airport information would be required. Starting a few weeks before departure, allows you time to determine what is essential, and what you are missing, so you can get what you need.
A major consideration is “weather.” I usually start following weather patterns a week before departure to understand what could be expected. I should mention that by doing this, I never encountered any completely unpredicted weather. Sometimes it would be worse or better than expected, but I always knew what could happen.
Also understanding the terrain, geography, and traffic conditions where you intend to fly helps with your planning. For example, flying safely in the western mountains means early morning flights in the summer because winds or rain are often encountered in the afternoon. Flying in the northeast can become extremely complicated. Airspace around Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston can become saturated with traffic, requiring Air Traffic Controllers to divert you where you may not want to go. This adds extra time to your flight planning.
Are you flying on a budget? Are expenses of no concern? The answers often dictate where you will stop for fuel and overnight. Stopping at smaller airports may mean savings on fuel. Overnighting in a city may be more complex and expensive, but more services will be available. Especially overnight accommodations. If overnight stops are in small communities with few hotels, it might be best to call ahead to reserve a room.
One must be prepared to find out that your best plans are out the window. Sometimes harsh weather may force you to stop where you did not want to stop, and you must spend a day or two waiting for it to clear. Sometimes mechanical issues require a layover, spending time on the ground, waiting for the problem to be fixed. Doing so may require alterations in your trip due to time constraints.
Are your iPads/surface computers up to date with the navigation information? Do you have coverage where you intend to fly and adjacent areas?
One night I was flying IFR from Montreal, Canada, to my parents’ home in Connecticut. I had to make an unintended stop in Albany, New York to disembark a last-minute passenger. I had some approach plates for an instrument landing, but not for the runway in use. I requested a PAR (precision radar approach) in which the controller provides both heading and altitude guidance in landing. The landing was uneventful.
The only equipment needed for a PAR approach is a two-way radio. I used to practice these approaches often as air traffic controllers loved to as well. But with GPS approaches today, PAR approaches are becoming a lost art.
Approach surveillance radar (ASR) approaches provide heading guidance only. For airports to provide either service, they must have the proper equipment (military airports do). These approaches are not common today. (The airports that can provide this service are listed in the U.S. Terminal Procedures publication).
A frequent problem with electronic flight devices is power. Being out of power was never an issue for me, as I carried extra batteries and had a solar charging device on top of the instrument panel.
Survival gear was discussed in my previous column, so I will not repeat that here. Keep in mind that your survival gear should be appropriate for where you will be flying, as well as the time of the year. Weight and balance are a consideration, especially for long trips in small aircraft.
I would schedule extra days for extensive cross-country trips to accommodate harsh weather delays or unexpected mechanical issues. My wife and I seldom reserved any overnight rooms in advance. Why? Two reasons. First, we would not always reach our planned destination for a variety of reasons. Second, we had membership in the Hilton Honors program, and upon landing, I could call my Hilton 800 number and (almost always) get a room for the night at a Hilton property.
While not all my cross-country excursions have gone as planned or expected, none have been disasters. The key is to plan the trip way in advance of your departure to ensure that you are ready.
Just as important is to build flexibility in your planning. If something goes awry, do not let it destroy your trip. Anticipate delays and enjoy unexpected stops.
Most of my 7,000-plus flight hours were cross-country trips. Some were less than a day, while others took a few weeks. But our planes, capable of long IFR flights, allowed my wife and I to visit friends and family across the U.S. frequently. With two people onboard, there was ample room (and weight) to allow sufficient personal baggage.
My cross-country flights have taken my wife and I as far south as Key West, in all lower 48 states, north of the Artic Circle, to Alaska and most of Canada, as well as Mexico and the Bahamas. Flights out of the U.S require extra work, flight planning, and responding to government regulations of both the U.S. and the foreign country. AOPA can help with foreign travel.
Cross-country flying is utilizing your plane to the utmost. With proper planning, each trip can be a memorable experience… a way to travel which most people will never experience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pilot, Viet Nam veteran and former university professor, Bob Worthington of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is the author of “Under Fire with ARVN Infantry” (https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/Under-Fire-with-ARVN-Infantry/), and producer of the 2019 film “Combat Advisor in Vietnam” (www.borderlandsmedia.com). Facebook: Bob Worthington Writer. Website: www.BobWorthingtonWriter.com. Bob Worthington has placed excerpts about combat flying in Vietnam (from his books) on his website. Here is a direct link to those excerpts: www.BobWorthingtonWriter.com/combat-flying-in-vietnam/.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this column is the expressed opinion of the author. Readers are urged to seek the advice of others, including their personal flight instructor, and state and federal officials. Neither the author, Midwest Flyer Magazine, Flyer Publications, Inc., or their staffs, employees or advertisers assume any liability for the accuracy and content of this column, or any other column or article published in this publication.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I am sad to report that pilot, author, and Midwest Flyer Magazine columnist, Bob Worthington, passed away May 9, 2023, at the age of 86. When my phone rang this afternoon, I had been editing his column, and caller ID indicated it was “Bob.” So as usual, I cheerfully answered, stating “It must be telepathy, Bob… I was just thinking of you.” But it wasn’t Bob… Rather it was Bob’s daughter, Susan, to break the news to me that Bob had passed away.
I knew that Bob’s health had been declining since the middle of February when he was admitted to the hospital after he passed out and injured his shoulder because of an erratic heartbeat. Bob had been exposed to Agent Orange while serving in Viet Nam, and his heart had been affected by the chemical. Unfortunately, he ended up back in the hospital for the same issue (minus his injured shoulder) at the end of April, but this time he was not improving. On Tuesday morning, May 9th, Bob passed away peacefully surrounded by his three daughters, Susan, Julie, and Karen.
Bob remained mentally sharp and active to the end, with the fighting spirit of the soldier he was. Especially with this last column, he wanted to make sure we got it in time and that it read well.
As recent as April 24, I received an email from Bob asking for my feedback on his selection of a photo for the cover of his next book, “Forty Years In The Sky,” A Pilot’s Guide to General Aviation. I and photojournalist, Skot Weidemann, offered to assist him in finding a more suitable photo, but in the end, his publisher apparently found the photo he needed. The book will be out within the next 9 months, so be sure to look for an advertisement promoting it in future issues of Midwest Flyer Magazine.
Preceding Bob in death was his wife – and proofreader – Anita, who passed away in 2021 from multiple health issues.
Peggy and I met Bob and Anita at one of many AOPA Expos around the country decades ago, and our friendship flourished. The last time we spoke, Bob was working on an easier way for us to get on and off our “Slim Cycles,” which if you recall, were the topic of his column in the June/July 2022 issue. He worked to stay fit to the end.
Feel free to access the many articles Bob wrote for us over the years in the “Archives” section on the Midwest Flyer Magazine website: https://midwestflyer.com/?cat=7123 He would be honored if you would.
I will miss Bob’s column, but more importantly, I will miss his friendship. RIP Bob and thank you for all you have done for us and Midwest Flyer Magazine.
