Renting in Las Vegas

We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172 for
a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to fly
by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas, tips,
suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.

Thanks.

- -
Al Gilson
Spokane
1964 Skyhawk

--
Al Gilson
Spokane, WA USA
1970 VW Convertible
1964 Cessna Skyhawk

"Al Gilson" wrote in message
...
We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172 for
a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to fly
by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas, tips,
suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.

Thanks.


Depends on how much time you have.

There are many interesting spots with good restaurants.
Try Temple bar (1 mile walk, but they'll pick you up) or
Echo Bay (better restaurant, but longer & sometimes they
don't come out and it's a 5 mile walk). You can do either
in about an hour round trip flying time from (presumably) VGT.

Grand Canyon West has an interesting approach, but just
a snack bar. They have a brunch thing down in the canyon,
but it is $30 or so per person. That's about 1 1/2 hours
there and back in a 172. You can fly over the lower
part of the grand canyon for a while, but it isn't as impressive
as further up. But you can be lower here...

To the north is Mesquite; to the south Laughlin. Both are good
spots for brunch with casino-type fare. To the west is death
valley. Bit longer, but all doable within 2 hours. For all these
trips, expect to spend about 20 minutes waiting to get out
of VGT. It's pretty busy on the weekends.

General concerns. It's all pretty remote. File a flight plan and
carry something warm in case you have to put down. Not too
many boats out on Lake Mead at this time of year. Lake Mead
has a traffic advisory frequency, 120.65, which you should
monitor and self-announce on. There's a lot of traffic into
and out of the canyon; all sorts of altitudes, but mainly heading
east-west.

"Al Gilson" wrote in message
...
We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172 for
a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to fly
by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas, tips,
suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.

Thanks.

I'm sure you are going to get some advice from the checkout pilot about
flying the lake, dam, and canyon. You might ask him/her what the busy times
of day are to avoid the swarm of rotary wings.
If you are comfortable (and current) a night departure from North Las
Vegas via the Showboat departure route will give you a fabulous night view
of Las Vegas from about 2,00 feet AGL. Check the TAC. An acquaintance of
mine told me he once requested and received clearance and vectors to
directly overfly the city for a "photo opportunity" at a lower altitude.
Hey, all they can do is deny the request. Be advised, there are some tall
things poking up out of the brick and mortar and glitzy lights. Look real
close at the TAC.
Northeast of Las Vegas is the spectacular Virgin River Gorge. Head for
the Mormom Mesa VOR (MMM). When you get there, shift to the east and fly IFR
(I Follow the Roads) up Interstate I-15 toward St. George. If you stay over
the highway, you fly between the two wilderness areas -- but note the mean
terrain altitude is higher on the St. George side. Any urge to fly below the
the peaks should start on that side.

"Tony Cox" wrote in message
nk.net...
| "Al Gilson" wrote in message
| ...
| We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172
for
| a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to
fly
| by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas,
tips,
| suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
| maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
| Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.


Mesquite is OK, but Overton is closer to both Lake Meade and the Valley of
Fire State Park. Better yet, Echo Bar.

If you have time, a trip to Sedona, or maybe a flight down to Thermal to
pick up the crew car and get a date milkshake.

Al,

one excellent lunch spot east of the GC was forgotten: Marble Canyon.
Good food, great scenery.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

We were just out to Las Vegas this past Decemeber and rented an Archer II
out of Henderson. We had been given some good ideas on where to rent. Flying
over the Canyon and Hoover Dam is a must. It was a real treat for this
Florida boy.

I have a PhotoShow slide show of our trip at:
http://www.photoshow.net/scripts_mai...show=WHfbFvAnd

Have fun.

Richard


"Al Gilson" wrote in message
...
We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172 for
a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to fly
by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas, tips,
suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.

Thanks.

- -
Al Gilson
Spokane
1964 Skyhawk

--
Al Gilson
Spokane, WA USA
1970 VW Convertible
1964 Cessna Skyhawk

www.westairaviation.com

nuff said

BT

"Al Gilson" wrote in message
...
We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172 for
a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to fly
by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas, tips,
suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.

Thanks.

- -
Al Gilson
Spokane
1964 Skyhawk

--
Al Gilson
Spokane, WA USA
1970 VW Convertible
1964 Cessna Skyhawk

death valley (furnace creek)
elevation 200 ft below sea level.

Tony Cox wrote:

"Al Gilson" wrote in message
...
We're going to spend a few days in Las Vegas and have reserved a C-172 for
a few hours for some aerial sightseeing. After we get checked out to fly
by the FBO, any suggestions on what/where we should go? Any ideas, tips,
suggestions, concerns? We are thinking about flying over Hoover Dam and
maybe over to the Grand Canyon. We have the Las Vegas sectional and
Terminal chart plus the Grand Canyon chart.

Thanks.


Depends on how much time you have.

There are many interesting spots with good restaurants.
Try Temple bar (1 mile walk, but they'll pick you up) or
Echo Bay (better restaurant, but longer & sometimes they
don't come out and it's a 5 mile walk). You can do either
in about an hour round trip flying time from (presumably) VGT.

Grand Canyon West has an interesting approach, but just
a snack bar. They have a brunch thing down in the canyon,
but it is $30 or so per person. That's about 1 1/2 hours
there and back in a 172. You can fly over the lower
part of the grand canyon for a while, but it isn't as impressive
as further up. But you can be lower here...

To the north is Mesquite; to the south Laughlin. Both are good
spots for brunch with casino-type fare. To the west is death
valley. Bit longer, but all doable within 2 hours. For all these
trips, expect to spend about 20 minutes waiting to get out
of VGT. It's pretty busy on the weekends.

General concerns. It's all pretty remote. File a flight plan and
carry something warm in case you have to put down. Not too
many boats out on Lake Mead at this time of year. Lake Mead
has a traffic advisory frequency, 120.65, which you should
monitor and self-announce on. There's a lot of traffic into
and out of the canyon; all sorts of altitudes, but mainly heading
east-west.