TIPS NEEDED - Massachusetts to San Fran. sensible route with interesting stops?

Hi all

Before moving back to the UK I'd like to do a cross-country from Boston to San Francisco. The plan is to do this trip this coming April. I have two weeks to complete the journey.

The plan is to take a slightly southerly route and move on relatively quickly in the beginning to allow some time to do the classics in the Arizona / Utah area: Animas (00C), Cortez (KCEZ), Page (KPGA), Goulding Trading Point (N25)

Would appreciate some ideas on a good an interesting route to take to get to this area, taking into account 2 / 3 hour legs max, weather patterns in April, thanks not to miss en-route whether it is interesting airports, classic sites, great landscapes etc. And avoiding restrictive airspace.

Also what would be a sensible route from the Arizona / Utah area to San Fran, ideally avoiding the worst of the Rockies and all the airspace and MOA's in the area?

I won't have oxygen, all flying to be VFR and although I have done some big x-country flying, not so much in the US.

I'll ship the aircraft from CA so no need for a return journey.

Thanks

Rogier

Westerhuis said:

Hi all
Also what would be a sensible route from the Arizona / Utah area to San Fran, ideally avoiding the worst of the Rockies and all the airspace and MOA's in the area?

I won't have oxygen,

Rogier

Click to expand...

From AZ aim to pass just south of Las Vegas, continue west and slightly south past Palmdale, over the Tehachappi's, north toward Bakersfield, up the CA central valley and into the Bay area. If the wx is good, an alternate route is: west of Las Vegas, west of the Nevada Test Site restricted area, over the Sierras at the pass at Mammoth Lakes (fly south west for a bit), and on into Bay Area.

I would urge you to reconsider the "no O2" part. Rent, borrow, buy O2 if possible. Remember over much of AZ the ground is at 7000'. Having O2 just gives you lots more options. And, depending on your age and condition, a lot of pilots just feel better with O2 even at 10,000'.

altitude

If you don't mind 1000 AGL the I 40 corridor is very practical at 8500 west bound, with a couple of small detours around higher terrain. People in Cubs and other low powered aircraft would be very happy if they could make 8500'.
Keep a close watch on surface winds. Try to pick airports with good crosswind runways. Try to avoid the single runway airports if the surface wind is a factor.