Planning a Trip Over The Rockies

Hello, everyone I am wanting to take a flight from "COE" Coeur D'Alene, ID
to "GTF" Great Falls, MT I was wanting to do this in my Cessna 150 Any
advice or helpful hints from some one thats done the trip over the Rockies
in a 150 I know I will have to be at really high altitudes just wondering on
how well the 150 will perform.

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:24:41 -0700, NW_PILOT wrote:

Hello, everyone I am wanting to take a flight from "COE" Coeur D'Alene, ID
to "GTF" Great Falls, MT I was wanting to do this in my Cessna 150 Any
advice or helpful hints from some one thats done the trip over the Rockies
in a 150 I know I will have to be at really high altitudes just wondering on
how well the 150 will perform.

The advice that I've heard most often is, get some classes in mountain
flying. They should be able to teach you about things ranging from what
gear to carry to the types of planes & equipment to fly, to safely fit
your mission.


Greg

Hello, everyone I am wanting to take a flight from "COE" Coeur D'Alene, ID
to "GTF" Great Falls, MT I was wanting to do this in my Cessna 150......

The advice that I've heard most often is, get some classes in mountain
flying. They should be able to teach you about things ranging from what
gear to carry to the types of planes & equipment to fly, to safely fit
your mission.

That's good advice, but you can follow I-90 almost all the way, if I
recall correctly. And that's the prudent way to do it. You won't
have to get very high, you'll have the world's longest runway under
you if you have to land, and there will be civilization nearby if you
need help.

Very easy trip in a Cherokee, so it shouldn't be too difficult in a
150.

vince norris

vincent p. norris wrote in message . ..
Hello, everyone I am wanting to take a flight from "COE" Coeur D'Alene, ID
to "GTF" Great Falls, MT I was wanting to do this in my Cessna 150......

The advice that I've heard most often is, get some classes in mountain
flying. They should be able to teach you about things ranging from what
gear to carry to the types of planes & equipment to fly, to safely fit
your mission.

I think mountain flying classes are a great thing, but I think there's
a difference between "mountain flying" and "flying from point A to
point B near mountains".

That's good advice, but you can follow I-90 almost all the way, if I
recall correctly. And that's the prudent way to do it. You won't
have to get very high, you'll have the world's longest runway under
you if you have to land, and there will be civilization nearby if you
need help.

It's I-90 through Missoula to Helena I think, then I-15N, but that's
a nit. Yes, basically if one does this, you're "flying from point A
to point B along a valley near mountains" and the things one needs
to know decrease a bit. Get out the POH and do some careful study
of the rate of climb vs. altitude tables and takeoff/landing
distances.

As for the C150, the real question is what can THIS C150 do, and the
way to find out is take it out and see how high it will climb with
proper leaning
and attention to how Vy changes with altitude. Pay attention to the
roc you get at various altitudes and compare with book, compare the
service ceiling, and get a "feel" fo how it handles at higher
altitudes.

Avoid flying with winds aloft above 25-30 kts or so unless you're a
glider pilot or get mountain flying training, and try to fly
early in the am or late in the afternoon. Don't expect to get flight
following, file a VFR flight plan, and if you land to fuel somewhere
surrounded by mountains don't count on being able to open it in the
air.

If you plan to make side trips to this and that point of interest
or smaller airports tucked back in the mountains, then the "get
mountain
flying training" advice comes back to the fore, but we and other flat
land pilots who paid attention to DA and performance have managed to
do the "fly from A to B surrounded by mountains" thing without being
bitten.

Good luck and have fun,
Sydney

It's I-90 through Missoula to Helena I think, then I-15N, but that's
a nit.

Thanks for the nit!

What are the high altitudes on this route, and how narrow are the
passes? If I ever bring a Top Cub home, this will be my route.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! weblog www.vivabush.org

Cub Driver wrote:

It's I-90 through Missoula to Helena I think, then I-15N, but that's
a nit.

Thanks for the nit!

What are the high altitudes on this route, and how narrow are the
passes? If I ever bring a Top Cub home, this will be my route.

all the best -- Dan Ford

Do you have sectionals for your route? The interstates are clearly
marked (altho at times you may need a magnifying glass to find the
"I-90" lettering) as are many (but not all) the passes.

Another source of info are the specific states' Dept. Of Transportation
Aviation Divisions. Many states offer "not-for-navigation" aviation-type
maps identifying best routes.

Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
It's I-90 through Missoula to Helena I think, then I-15N, but that's
a nit.

Thanks for the nit!

What are the high altitudes on this route, and how narrow are the
passes? If I ever bring a Top Cub home, this will be my route.

IIRC the highest pass is less than 6k, and if you can fly at
8 or 9k you'll be above most of the terrain flanking the valleys
so it's comfy for a flatlander.

I'm not the right person to ask about "narrow" because, being a
flatlander, I think it's "narrow" any time I'm flying along
with terrain on either side *g*. People who do mountain flying
tell me there's plenty of room.

At the recent AYA convention there was a chap who had flown a
Tripacer all over South America, including through a 12,000 ft
pass in the Andes. Service ceiling on his plane was 10k, they
circled for an hour and a half in a thermal until they got
the altitude they needed. Amazing story, wish I'd gotten to
hear more of it.

Cheers,
Sydney

What are the high altitudes on this route,....

The terrain across southern Wyoming is about 7000 msl, but it is
relatively flat.

and how narrow are the passes?

Miles wide.

If I ever bring a Top Cub home, this will be my route.

Follow the Interstates in the high country and you'll have no problem,
Dan.







all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! weblog www.vivabush.org

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:24:41 -0700, NW_PILOT wrote:

Hello, everyone I am wanting to take a flight from "COE" Coeur D'Alene, ID
to "GTF" Great Falls, MT I was wanting to do this in my Cessna 150 Any
advice or helpful hints from some one thats done the trip over the Rockies
in a 150 I know I will have to be at really high altitudes just wondering on
how well the 150 will perform.

The direct route is never more than 30 nm from an airport and highest
terrain is about 9200 ft and you could probably find a route
that you never need to fly above 85-9500 ft (I don't have the
sectional handy, just my IFR charts).

I agree with the other posters -- a mountain flying course or at
the very least, a mountain flying checkout with an experienced
CFI.

"NW_PILOT" wrote in message
...
Hello, everyone I am wanting to take a flight from "COE" Coeur D'Alene, ID
to "GTF" Great Falls, MT I was wanting to do this in my Cessna 150 Any
advice or helpful hints from some one thats done the trip over the Rockies
in a 150 I know I will have to be at really high altitudes just wondering
on
how well the 150 will perform.

Get a briefing from an instructor on mountain flying. A 150 will do just
fine. (Watch the takeoff performance tables though.) A bit of wind can
make for a very rough ride if you don't know how to avoid it.

moo