Eric. I flew this route at least 20 times behind a C-85 with a cruise prop. If your engine is running strong, you have nothing to fear.
The route that Wayne is recommending proved to be the best one. On your way through the Mojave Desert you will face Restricted area R2515. Ask ATC for permission to cross the airspace. Only in 2 cases I was not allowed to enter due to activities, and I had to fly around the airspace, which adds at least another 30 minutes to your flight. If you are not used to flying in high density condition, skip stopping at Big Bear, but I always stopped at California City. You will find the lowest fuel prices there and there used to be a nice restaurant as well. I hope your carburetor can be leaned and is not wired rich. It really makes a difference in performance when flying high and hot. Also flying with a passenger is maybe not what you want to do, because performance can be marginal at times and you need to start circling then for altitude. Entering the central valley over Bakersfield and flying north west is best to do in the morning. In the afternoon, you are flying towards the sun, and if that would not be bad enough, the fog in the central valley can go up to 6000ft. That is not really dense fog usually, but bad enough to make for bad forward visibility with the sun in your face. Just head for Priest VOR, then Salinas airport and then Watsonville. Make sure you are using good new charts and maybe a GPS, but the mountains usually are giving you enough indication for your whereabouts. If you live in San Jose you want your plane to be based at Reid Hillview or South County airport. Watsonville is affected by the costal fog - a problem when you are coming back in the afternoon from a flight. Hartmut ----- Original Message ----- From: r80gseric To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 7:10 PM Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Cross Country Help Hello, I am moving from Las Vegas, KVGT, to San Jose, California, and will probably base at Watsonville, California, KWVI. Thinking about crossing the Sierras is causing me to sharpen pencils in my you-know-where. Any advice about routes to fly my 415E, c85, cruise prop, while not purchasing high elevation real estate would really be great. I am a new pilot and a new 'coupe flyer. Has anyone flown the Sierras in Coupes? Any thoughts on mountain flying? Any know routes? Thanks in advance to all on this excellent group. If this is not a tech related article, sorry in advance. Eric Tarbox mobile email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
