Ft Worth to Salt Lake City by RV-6

I just posted photos & a write up about my recent trip from Ft Worth to Salt Lake City.

http://www.thedukes.org/rv/20071106.html

Enjoy!

Enoyed your write-up, Groucho. I've done the Texas to Idaho trip a couple of times and you're definitely right - flying over the Rockies is no joke. I once dialed up the AWOS station on a mountain pass and listened to a report of 45 knot surface winds! Don't want engine trouble on a day like that.

Thanks gents. I've been severely lacking at doing trip write ups & adding photos to www.thedukes.org/rv. Too much time working on other web pages I guess.

Deven, that red mountain looked amazing from the air. I didn't notice the switchbacks on it until I was past it (after I took the photos). Jordan, there was a guy flying around at 12.5 trying to talk to Denver Center while I was up at 16.5...and I thought I was low!

Hey Groucho,

Really impressed by the clarity of the terrain on the Blue Mountain display. Is that the G4 model or an earlier model?

rvator51 said:

Hey Groucho,

Really impressed by the clarity of the terrain on the Blue Mountain display. Is that the G4 model or an earlier model?

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It's a G4 EFIS/Lite. Love it. It doesn't have terrain pop-up warnings like a 496, but it color codes all the deadly stuff red. You can put the terrain on the map or the ADI (attitude indicator) page...or both.

How do you get up there?

Great write up Bryan, but it raised a question I have been meaning to ask for some time.

I have not used my O2 system yet and so far have not needed to climb above 12.5k.

Normally If I am cleared directly to say 10k I climb ROP and lean on the way up and keep an eye on the CHT's.

If I am at cruise and get sent higher I am normally cruising LOP and I simply pull the nose up and maybe tweak the mixture a little when I get there to optimise. I often get a surprised remark from the controller on the rapidity of the climb even when LOP, the RV is probably doing pretty well for a small airplane either way.

Do either of these methods work for the really high altitudes or will climbing LOP to say 18k (IO360)mean the motor will run out of puff before it gets there?

Thanks

Frank

frankh said:

Do either of these methods work for the really high altitudes or will climbing LOP to say 18k (IO360)mean the motor will run out of puff before it gets there?

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Seems like both should work fine. I have an O-360-AIA with one mag & one EI...all else is stock...driving a Hartzell "old style" C/S prop. I typically leave it full rich until past 9000' MSL, then slowly lean watching the EGTs. I typically climb way rich (always cooler than cruise EGTs at whatever altitude I'm at), then just lean when I get there.

I've also changed my climb airspeed schedule recently. I used to climb everywhere at 120mph IAS. It's not the fastest climb rate, but helps keep things cool & the climb rate is still ok. Now I climb at 120mph until about 10k, then slow to 105-110mph. Seems to work up to 17.5. YMMV.

I really like flying at 16.5 or 17.5 when I'm going places. There's almost no traffic up there & controllers seem to help me out more when I'm up there (could be all in my mind). Seems like flying high is an auto "clout" generator. Could be my imagination. Gotta watch out for the wind up there though.

That said, when I'm not going places I really like to fly low.

groucho said:

Seems like both should work fine. I have an O-360-AIA with one mag & one EI...all else is stock...driving a Hartzell "old style" C/S prop. I typically leave it full rich until past 9000' MSL, then slowly lean watching the EGTs. I typically climb way rich (always cooler than cruise EGTs at whatever altitude I'm at), then just lean when I get there.

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Since this is an SLC thread.....

Out here (4200-4600' msl) it's common to lean right after engine start, and then fine tune to a lean setting before takeoff. There is quite a noticable difference in takeoff power between full rich and the leaner setting.

In reality, we usually never go back to a full rich setting, until it's time for another startup. For simplicity's sake, pull the mixture knob till it runs rough, then about halfway back to rich. Then re-adjust in flight, as desired.

I'm well aware that many pilots who fly from coastal or low lying areas, do not lean until altitudes like you've mentioned. I know of a guy from the U.K. who thought we were nuts leaning before takeoff, until he came here & took a mountain flying course. We also don't go along with POH's that state "full rich" on approaches.

In fact, many mountain/backcountry flying guides, suggest leaning above 3000' when considering density altitude.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed the mountains, as I sure do! And speaking of Texas, I was so surprised that the Houston area had so many tall trees. I always figured that all of Texas looked like El Paso...

L.Adamson

L.Adamson said:

Anyway, glad you enjoyed the mountains, as I sure do! And speaking of Texas, I was so surprised that the Houston area had so many tall trees. I always figured that all of Texas looked like El Paso...

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There are lots of trees in Texas! You just have to go several hundred miles east of El Paso to see them. I grew up on the coast south of Houston...so many trees you could barely see your neighbors' houses.

I do lean for takeoff at higher elevations, but it depends. The takeoff performance is good enough in a -6 with a C/S 360 that unless I'm at about 7k density altitude or higher I don't bother. I leaned for my takeoff at Angel Fire, NM (8300' MSL), but not at SLC (4200' MSL). Back in my EZ days, if I didn't lean for takeoff at Tehachapi in the summer (4000' MSL), I'd smack the mountain at the end of the runway.