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Livermore to El Paso routing?

Vern

Well Known Member
East coaster looking for recommendations for routing and weather advice from locals . RV from Livermore,Ca ultimately to Georgia via southern route thru El Paso

Thanks!

Vern
 
Just made the first 2/3rds

Hi Vern, I just a couple days ago flew from Saint Simons Island, GA. to Chino CA. I used SSI KVKS KBWD SFL KDNA KLSB E77 KBLH KBNG KCNO. We made the whole trip at 8500 feet . The route take passes and keeps you low. I stopped in Vicksburg, Brownwood and Lordsburg for fuel.
From Livermore looks like down to VIS, Visalia then to Burbank will keep you below 9k.
Spectacular scenery.
 
WJF, TNP, A39. Usually cheap fuel at A39.

What time of year is this trip going to take place? Winter can see fog from Sacramento all the way to Bakersfield.
 
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KLVK pmd L35, KSJN, KBGD and RON (Remain OverNight). Before going to bed, look at weather for your final day home and maybe only need one fuel stop. Pick airport that has reasonable fuel costs or route around the weather.
 
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Route

There has been a lot of snow in the mountains of AZ and NV already. If the CA central valley and Tehachapi Pass are good, Then LVK MOD BFL, thru the pass to Mojave, south around the Edwards areas, then HEC EED, south to P20 GBN TFD SSO DMN ELP. There is no reason to go all the way to LA. And no reason to cut across central AZ unless the weather is severe clear. Once you get to Bakersfield surface winds will be your biggest problem at least as far as Dallas. I try to pick airports with multiple runways. Lots of choices, a few examples are Needles, Las Cruces and Pecos. Try to avoid RON in West Texas. Motels if you can find one are extremely expensive.
 
My Sun'n Fun routing is usually similar to Gary's:

L35, kcgz, klsb, EWM, kcnm.

My experience is a windy bumpy ride from AZ and through NM especially later in the day. Maybe a smoother ride up above 12-15,000' but not guaranteed.
 
There has been a lot of snow in the mountains of AZ and NV already. If the CA central valley and Tehachapi Pass are good, Then LVK MOD BFL, thru the pass to Mojave, south around the Edwards areas, then HEC EED, south to P20 GBN TFD SSO DMN ELP. There is no reason to go all the way to LA. And no reason to cut across central AZ unless the weather is severe clear. Once you get to Bakersfield surface winds will be your biggest problem at least as far as Dallas. I try to pick airports with multiple runways. Lots of choices, a few examples are Needles, Las Cruces and Pecos. Try to avoid RON in West Texas. Motels if you can find one are extremely expensive.

If you travel south of the oil fields, Ft. Stockton is a good RON with crew cars and cheaper hotels along I-10.
 
There has been a lot of snow in the mountains of AZ and NV already. If the CA central valley and Tehachapi Pass are good, Then LVK MOD BFL, thru the pass to Mojave, south around the Edwards areas, then HEC EED, south to P20GBN TFD SSO DMN ELP. There is no reason to go all the way to LA. And no reason to cut across central AZ unless the weather is severe clear. Once you get to Bakersfield surface winds will be your biggest problem at least as far as Dallas. I try to pick airports with multiple runways. Lots of choices, a few examples are Needles, Las Cruces and Pecos. Try to avoid RON in West Texas. Motels if you can find one are extremely expensive.

I fly from Mojave to Chandler often, and have dozens of these trips in all seasons (4 PM in August is not a lot of fun!). I'm wondering why you are taking him due East to Needles, then turning him South rather than the more direct shot? I have also done much of your route when going into Havasu so I'm familiar with both... What am I missing?
 
I too would go down the valley first and then cut across the mountains down near WJF, PMD, EDW especially if you plan on doing this during the winter months.
Summer time you will find coastal fog but the central valley will be clear, winter time will be the reverse. The good news is since LVK sits in a small valley between the bay and the central valley we are generally (but not always) clear.

Purely from a comfort level/turbulence/terrain standpoint I don't think I would strike out eastbound from LVK to cross the Sierras around Mammoth/Bishop to then run down the Owens Valley or down Beatty-Pahrump-Vegas unless there was an overriding reason to not go the southern route.

I have done that sort of trip a few times in airplanes that are RV fast but have short legs so you are looking for someplace to land every 2 hours. The good news is along that southern route (LVK, Palmdale area , Phoenix area, El Paso) there are plenty of good spots to stop.
 
Route

Michael-
Much friendlier terrain and closer to good airports, just in case. I broke an exhaust stack a couple of years ago and in case that happens again I want to be close to airports or at least some useable roads. That was may fourth exhaust failure, two in homebuilts and two in spam cans, all in nasty looking terrain. Navajo was FLG direct Havasu at night and burned a hole in the cowl.
 
Staying closer to I-10 keeps you nearer populated parts of Southern Arizona :)

I would go down the CA central valley, Fox Field, Yucca Valley, Blythe, VICKO, somewhere in the Tucson area, Lordsburg and El Paso.
 
Livermore trip

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully we will arrive Livermore on Dec 26 to pick up the RV.

Vern
 
Just as added info - Vern is flying with me and giving me transition instruction in my brand new to me RV-6A. We are planning on departure on 12/27 if weather cooperates.
 
Michael-
Much friendlier terrain and closer to good airports, just in case. I broke an exhaust stack a couple of years ago and in case that happens again I want to be close to airports or at least some useable roads...

Appreciate the perspective. Although the airports are not exactly "plentiful" on either "your" or "my" routing, I'd argue the terrain is a bit more forgiving going south of the R-2501 complex towards TNP and BLH than "over the top" towards EED. About the only bit of doscomfort I get is the short radar/radio blackout between Big Bear and Yucca Valley which just happens to be while crossing the small portion of "unlandable" terrain.

That said, I've done the MHV, TNP, BLH, P19 run so many times over the years that I'm just used to seeing the moonscape below. I've also done both this one and the EED area on a moonless night with a dark plexi canopy and don't like that one bit!
 
Just as added info - Vern is flying with me and giving me transition instruction in my brand new to me RV-6A. We are planning on departure on 12/27 if weather cooperates.

I hope it works out too... I'm planing another MHV-P19 trip on the 27th as well. Let's try not to hit each other. ;)
 
Well?
How did it go?
The wind was howling today from the north so I imagine it was bumpy.
As luck would have it I just happened to do essentially the reverse of your trip yesterday. Started in Florida, went the southern-ish route to drop in So. Cal and then turned north for home.
 
Yep, I did the trip today and the Victorville to Blythe section was rough. Spent too much time @13.5 to get over the cloud tops but was rewarded with a strong tail wind. Not a great day to fly, but no real drama.
 
We made it safely from Livermore to El Paso yesterday. It was very bumpy in and around the Tejon pass. We also had some weather developing over southern AZ that kept us on our toes. And we just did make it into El Paso at sundown. Glad we did, though, as our original planned stop at Dona Ana turned out to be socked in this morning. We were able to get out of El Pas, but wouldn?t have been able to from Dona Ana. We made it as far as Monroe, LA today and lowering ceilings to our east have forced us to overnight here. Hoping it raises enough tomorrow to push the rest of the way home (just over 2 hrs).
 
We went Avenal to Gorman to Palmdale, then Apple Valley to Blythe. From Blyth (fuel, restroom, and quick lunch) we went Tucson to El Paso. Yesterday we went from El Paso to Monroe, Louisiana then lowering ceilings forced us to overnight there and we made it the rest of the way home to Georgia today. Great trip and great learning experience.
 
livermore to El paso trip

Aloha Jim JR sent me a text saying you made it back home with your new bird
glad I could help out.
/BR and Happy New Year
Lee
 
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