Flight to Mesa AZ via Monument Valley UT

My hanger mate has been considering buying a RV-6A for a few months.
We made one trip to Texas to view one but that did not work out.
Today we went to Mesa AZ (Phoenix area) from Colorado Springs CO to
view another one. My planning generated a trip that straight line
was about 478 nm. But that was not good enough. There were several
targets of opportunity along the way.

First was Ship Rock NM (NW corner), the Meteor Crater and if time
permitted Monument Valley in SE Utah. The trip was close to 544 nm.

The planned 0700 liftoff was actually 0725 with expected cruise
altitude of 16,500 feet. After passing to the west of the Fort Carson
restricted and a south turn and we have a great view of the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains.

http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...oMtnsSmall.jpg

We made a realtime change and elected to cross through Mosca Pass
since that would bring us over The Great Sand Dunes National
Monument. The following pictures show Mosca Pass as we approach it
(at 14,500 feet), then the pass with the Sand Dunes on the west
side,,,and finally a slightly better pic of the dunes.

http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...aPassSmall.jpg
http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...DunesSmall.jpg
http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...DunesSmall.jpg

After crossing La Manga pass near the CO/NM border, we were
approaching Farmington NM and soon saw our first planned
sight.....Ship Rock NM. The following three pics show it from various
angles.

http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...Rock3Small.jpg
http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...Rock8Small.jpg
http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...ock10Small.jpg

Soon after leaving Ship Rock and heading towards Monument Valley Utah,
Dub noted that we were close to the four corners area (where NM, Utah,
CO and AZ meet at one spot). Since we were mere minutes away, we
flew up there and snapped a few pictures. One follows. You can see a
road leading from the front of the left wing just outboard of the fuel
cap. A circular area is where the four corners plaque is located.

http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...ners3Small.jpg

From there we went to Monument Valley where many westerns were filmed.
I had wanted to fly a bit lower than we did but not having the proper
frequency to announce intentions, we overflew it then headed south
towards Mesa AZ (Falcon Field..FFZ).

http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...lley1Small.jpg
http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...lley2Small.jpg

That path led us almost exactly over the Meteor Crater in AZ.

http://www.pcisys.net/~ronlee/RV6A/M...ater1Small.jpg

The airplane inspection went well and we returned IFR (north to I-40
east to I-25 north) The return trip was about 580 nm and took 4.3
hours. The trip down took 4.1 hours including all the picture taking.
The pictures were taken with a 1.3 megapixel camera and do not do
justice to the beauty of the area we covered. At one point we saw a
mountain in the distance that was perhaps 90 miles away.

It was a great trip and I finally flew to several places that have
been on my list of places to visit since I got the RV. It was another
mountain flying experience that surpassed anything I have done since
my mountain flying course last summer.

Ron Lee

On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 02:44:18 GMT, (Ron Lee)
wrote in Message-Id: :

From there we went to Monument Valley where many westerns were filmed.
I had wanted to fly a bit lower than we did but not having the proper
frequency to announce intentions,

What exactly prevented you from flying lower?

Terrific pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

I thought that there was a frequency that pilots use to announce their
positions. Since I did not have it, I elected to stay high rather
than risk a mid-air. My understanding is that air tours fly through
there.

I am still looking for that frequency so I can make another trip and
get closer pics.

Ron Lee


Larry Dighera wrote:

On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 02:44:18 GMT, (Ron Lee)
wrote in Message-Id: :

From there we went to Monument Valley where many westerns were filmed.
I had wanted to fly a bit lower than we did but not having the proper
frequency to announce intentions,

What exactly prevented you from flying lower?

Terrific pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

In article ,
Ron Lee wrote:
I am still looking for that frequency so I can make another trip and
get closer pics.

The frequency for Mt St Helens is in the NW AF/D. It's something
pedestrian like 122.75. I never would have noticed it (I mean, who
looks in the AF/D for information about mountains?) but FSS volunteered
it when I got a briefing.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

the best and easiest thing to do when VFR is to call center and get flight
following.




Ron Lee wrote:

I thought that there was a frequency that pilots use to announce their
positions. Since I did not have it, I elected to stay high rather
than risk a mid-air. My understanding is that air tours fly through
there.

I am still looking for that frequency so I can make another trip and
get closer pics.

Ron Lee

Larry Dighera wrote:

On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 02:44:18 GMT, (Ron Lee)
wrote in Message-Id: :

From there we went to Monument Valley where many westerns were filmed.
I had wanted to fly a bit lower than we did but not having the proper
frequency to announce intentions,

What exactly prevented you from flying lower?

Terrific pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

"Jeff" wrote
the best and easiest thing to do when VFR is to call center and get flight
following.

I agree, although below 10,000' in that area there isn't any radar. It was
cool to see those pictures as that's the airspace I control. I've flown
through it too a few times, usually bumpy ride, in the summer anyway. That
area is crisscrossed with MTR's, and they are used on a regular basis. Lots
of B52's and B1's.

Chris

Allot of this area is like that, get below a certain altitude and they lose you.

but at least at 10k-12k he wouldnt need to wear O2.

On my trip back home, flight following helped me out by seeing a airplane at my
12 o'clock climbing, had to give me vectors since they were not talking to him,
turned out to be a flight of 2 mooney's but center only saw one of them.

then in the baghdad MOA I think I had a couple of fighters use me for target
practice, I saw them comming at me then peel off together, then they was gone,
man those guys are fast.

SeeAndAvoid wrote:

"Jeff" wrote
the best and easiest thing to do when VFR is to call center and get flight
following.

I agree, although below 10,000' in that area there isn't any radar. It was
cool to see those pictures as that's the airspace I control. I've flown
through it too a few times, usually bumpy ride, in the summer anyway. That
area is crisscrossed with MTR's, and they are used on a regular basis. Lots
of B52's and B1's.

Chris

Jeff wrote:
the best and easiest thing to do when VFR is to call center and get flight
following.

Jeff,

FF is worthless at 1000' agl over most of the western US. In the
four corners area, ground is at ~4500'msl, no radar coverage
below about 8000 to 9000 msl. If you call Center for FF below
9000msl, they just say "unable"!

MikeM

yes I know FF is use less at 1000 ft AGL, but he was at 16000 ft and did not
want to decend for fear of hitting someone.
I never mentioned 1000 ft agl.
I only suggested he could use it to get lower and not have as much worry about
hitting someone as much, lower being anything under 16000

MikeM wrote:

Jeff wrote:
the best and easiest thing to do when VFR is to call center and get flight
following.

Jeff,

FF is worthless at 1000' agl over most of the western US. In the
four corners area, ground is at ~4500'msl, no radar coverage
below about 8000 to 9000 msl. If you call Center for FF below
9000msl, they just say "unable"!

MikeM

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 02:44:18 GMT, (Ron Lee)
wrote in Message-Id: :

From there we went to Monument Valley where many westerns were filmed.

I had wanted to fly a bit lower than we did but not having the proper
frequency to announce intentions,


What exactly prevented you from flying lower?

Terrific pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

122.75 in Monument Valley. Not many tours flying this time of year.

I was just down there this past weekend. Helped the Utah Backcountry
Pilots clean up the Fry Canyon airstrip, and went on to "dewinterize"
the boat, and spent the night on Lake Powell. It was CAVU and 80+ degF;
gorgeous...

http://www.utahbackcountrypilots.org/airport_search.asp

Type in "Fry Canyon". UBCPA is hosting a flyin there next weekend.

http://www.utahbackcountrypilots.org....asp?newsid=26

Flying low over this country is a real treat; however, the slickrock,
and the red rock canyons afford few potential emergency landing sites.
I think of it as being similar to flying over the glaciers around
Denali, the glaciers near Mt St. Elias, or the fiords along the
Alaskan coast. If your are confident in your airplane and your
abilities, then the risk/reward is worth it! If you need 2000'
of pavement to land, and dont have confidence in your aircraft,
then maintain at least 3000 agl, and always know where the roads are...

MikeM