A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Piloting
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Anyone ever fly from SF Bay Area to Seattle area?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old December 23rd 04, 02:59 AM
Cecil Chapman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Anyone ever fly from SF Bay Area to Seattle area?

Just a pipe dream at this point, but has anyone out there flown from the SF
Bay Area to Seattle (as the PIC, I mean)? Since my dad lives up there, I've
thought it might be fun to do someday, but no matter how I look at the
sectionals for the route - some of it doesn't look very 'pretty':

Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.

Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?

Thanks in advance!!!

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL-IA
Student - CP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -


  #2  
Old December 23rd 04, 03:39 AM
C J Campbell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Cecil Chapman" wrote in message
...
Just a pipe dream at this point, but has anyone out there flown from the

SF
Bay Area to Seattle (as the PIC, I mean)? Since my dad lives up there,

I've
thought it might be fun to do someday, but no matter how I look at the
sectionals for the route - some of it doesn't look very 'pretty':

Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.


I have done it many times. Generally, the I-5 route is best unless there are
problems with forecast icing. There are lots of runways you can use for
emergency landings. It can be difficult to cover the entire route VFR,
especially in winter. The hard part is the Siskiyous, which are IFR a lot of
the time and which seem to attract tons of thunderstorms. That is the area
between Redding and Medford, basically.

Going up the coast can get very foggy without any warning at all. Overall, I
have a far easier time going up I-5.


  #3  
Old December 23rd 04, 04:04 AM
vincent p. norris
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Just a pipe dream at this point, but has anyone out there flown from the SF
Bay Area to Seattle


Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?


I did the opposite, on a flight around the perimeter of the Lower
Fortly-Eight. Wanted to fly the coast but it was socked in, so we
flew from Seattle to Portsmouth to Redding to Oakland. Great view of
Mt. St. Helens.

It should work just as well going the other way.

vince norris
  #4  
Old December 23rd 04, 05:31 AM
Peter Duniho
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Cecil Chapman" wrote in message
...
[...]
Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.

Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?


I've flown between the Seattle area and both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
As CJ says, I-5 route is probably easier, but other than the basic weather
issues, neither route should be terribly challenging.

As far as "parts of the route get dark brown really fast", I'm not sure
exactly what you mean, but the minimum altitudes necessary are definitely
not a big problem. There are some high areas around the Siskiyous, to be
sure, but nothing as bad as going over parts of the Sierra Nevadas or the
Cascades (never mind the Rockies).

You should certainly have some basic mountain training before doing a flight
like that, but on a nice day (scattered to clear, or a nice high ceiling,
and winds that aren't too strong), the flight should be well within the
capabilities of even a relatively new pilot. Just pick a cruising altitude
that is well over the mountains.

The only "unpretty" things I can think about the route are some of the
sections along the north and south of the Siskiyous that are just plain
uninteresting to look at, especially when the visibility is less than 50
miles. Otherwise, the coast and the I-5 route both have great scenery to
offer, and a perfectly reasonable challenge level for a pilot paying
attention to the weather.

Pete


  #5  
Old December 23rd 04, 07:28 AM
Bob Fry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Cecil Chapman" writes:

Just a pipe dream at this point, but has anyone out there flown from the SF
Bay Area to Seattle (as the PIC, I mean)? Since my dad lives up there, I've
thought it might be fun to do someday, but no matter how I look at the
sectionals for the route - some of it doesn't look very 'pretty':

Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.

Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?


I've done it in a C-172 and an Aircoupe, both VFR in the summer. The
last time I flew up I5 and back along the coast. I'm from Sacto but
that's just 30-40 minutes from the Bay Area.

As for the "dark brown"--mountains--it's only slightly tricky from
Redding to Medford, or a little beyond. Get an early start and fly
past Mt. Shasta in the morning and you shouldn't have any problem.

I always considered the real problem to be the Seattle area weather,
but I've lucked out so far. Be prepared for several days delay if you
are VFR.
  #6  
Old December 23rd 04, 05:07 PM
Bob Gardner
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Many, many times. The coast route is beautiful but, as you say, there are
stretches where there is nowhere to put the airplane. My favorite route is
I-5 (V-23, really).

Bob Gardner

"Cecil Chapman" wrote in message
...
Just a pipe dream at this point, but has anyone out there flown from the
SF Bay Area to Seattle (as the PIC, I mean)? Since my dad lives up there,
I've thought it might be fun to do someday, but no matter how I look at
the sectionals for the route - some of it doesn't look very 'pretty':

Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.

Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?

Thanks in advance!!!

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL-IA
Student - CP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -



  #7  
Old December 24th 04, 02:54 AM
Michelle P
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Cecil,
I flew half Moon Bay to Everett as part of a Virginia to San Diego to
Everett, WA to Virginia Trip. Quite a short trip in retrospect ;-)
Michelle

Cecil Chapman wrote:

Just a pipe dream at this point, but has anyone out there flown from the SF
Bay Area to Seattle (as the PIC, I mean)? Since my dad lives up there, I've
thought it might be fun to do someday, but no matter how I look at the
sectionals for the route - some of it doesn't look very 'pretty':

Go up along the coast and you have some airports but they are mostly along
the coast and subject to coastal fog (makes problems for a needed fueling
stop). Go up along I-5 and parts of the route get dark brown really fast.

Anyone do this? If so, what route did you take and why?

Thanks in advance!!!




 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Free Starter, Seattle Area... John Ammeter Home Built 0 November 1st 04 12:37 AM
Patrick AFB, NASA-KSC Area Log - Tuesday 09 March 2004 AllanStern Military Aviation 0 March 10th 04 07:15 AM
Where can one get aerobatic training in the seattle area? SeattleFlyer Aerobatics 1 January 22nd 04 03:56 AM
Soviet Submarines Losses - WWII Mike Yared Military Aviation 4 October 30th 03 04:09 AM
Patrick AFB Area Log, Monday 30 June 2003 AllanStern Military Aviation 0 July 1st 03 06:37 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:00 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.