RV-9A Oklahoma to San Diego

I’m planning to fly my newly purchased RV-9A from OKC to San Diego next week. Being conservative with fuel, and also wanting to do a few landings on the way home, I’ll probably make three stops.

Due to high terrain and restricted area avoidance, I’m looking at taking a southerly route.

PRZ: Portales, NM
DMN: Deming, NM
E63: Gila Bend, AZ
CRQ: Carlsbad, Ca

These airports are just some suggestions that I have come up with. Basically they seem to have fuel prices on the lower end, and in the case of Deming, a restaurant not too far away (lunch).

I am used to crossing the country about 40,000 feet higher than I will be on this trip. The last time that I took a single engine aircraft very far was probably about 20 years ago. any suggestions from your experience that will be better places to stop than what I have listed above are very welcome. Like I said, my priority is your price as well as food nearby. (food is more important than fuel price on the mid-day stop, in this case, Deming)

Any words of wisdom, suggestions, encouragement, etc. are very welcome.

St. John's AZ (KSJN) is always a good stop with cheap fuel and a courtesy car to get into the town for food.

The RV-9A likes getting up above 10,000', so terrain won't really be a problem if you stay on the more northern direct route over KABQ.

That route takes you through many Restricted areas, and across the middle of nowhere...

I would go a little more South to the Lubbock area, south to the El Paso area and follow I-10 to Gila Bend.

Make the last leg go towards the border and Yuma.

az_gila said:

That route takes you through many Restricted areas, and across the middle of nowhere...

I would go a little more South to the Lubbock area, south to the El Paso area and follow I-10 to Gila Bend.

Make the last leg go towards the border and Yuma.

Click to expand...

Hey there, yes, those are just the airports, not the route between the airports.

As mentioned, you?d have to go along the lines of Lubbock, Roswell, El Paso, Gila Bend, Imperial, and then into SoCal.

Thanks for looking out for me though.

Made this trip in my RV9 from Wichita Falls F14 to Redlands KREI a couple times, most recently last month. OKC area to Hale County KPVW to Portales to KSJN if you want an extra lndg. Then direct through SoCal mtns west of Palm Springs (Morongo Valley). MOA?s/restricted areas cold both trips over the wknd, so direct possible. Weekdays stay north of Cannon, over ABQ/Prescott and use corridor west of Turtle MOA to head south towards 29 Palms etc. Likely headwind westward; I had 30-50kts on the nose but direct KPVW-KREI left me with adequate reserves.
Slightly OT, I used to disregard avoiding MOA?s until my retired AF pilot buddy (now sim instr at SAFB) told me about how I was screwing up training for those guys. If GA disrupts the safety of that airspace they knock off training and they don?t have unlimited flt hrs/onboard fuel etc. FWIW.
9?s a great cruiser-get an O2 setup if you plan on using for cross countries.