Flight planning western US
 

Been a long time that I have planned an extended trip where I didn't know the area or could jump on a high altitude IFR flight plan and fly the airways.
Well, planning a trip from Chadron, NE (CDR) to Santa Maria, CA (SMX) in the RV and the questions started popping up when I got to the Salt Lake and Vegas areas. Weaving my way through the restricted and MOAs got to be too much.

Where I got was fly VFR direct when it is easy and altitudes look good, and fly the V airways below the base of the class E airspace and burn a bit more gas for the tough areas. I'm sure that I will find a few short cuts, but am I missing something?

Western US
 

Hey Codon,

I fly a lot in the Western US IFR and know pretty well what to expect. After reviewing your flight I would suggest the following:

KCDR MMM LAS DAG PMD KSMX

This route will make the controllers happy and if you file or not you can always ask for direct to.... Weekends are more flexible around the military areas including the restricted spots so I would also suggest flight following if you are looking for shortcuts.

Sorry
 

Sorry, I will be VFR in the RV. I will certainly ask for flight following when I can get it and fly over the cat B spaces when necessary. I usually like the 8500ish altitudes when I can to keep the oxygen use down and the plane seems to like it a bit better. Thanks, Don

Foreflight
 

Put it in Foreflight and it looks like you have been there before. With exception of jumping over Las Vegas, I think you have avoided most of the problems. Thanks.

H-u-u-u-m-m-m-m
 

I don't think you are missing anything but for me, planning a flight to a new destination is one of the most joyful life enriching things I do. When I take off regardless of the primary form of navigation I am using, I always have a sectional chart out and pilotage and dead reckoning are fully active. MOAs don't REQUIRE and weaving and I do not.

Bob Axsom

I'm with Bob.
 

I live in the center of a MOA with F-15's and so on buzzing about almost daily.

Keep your eyes open and fly through them.

Best,

Be aware that flying at only 8500' msl over the West will often prevent flight following, not to mention placing hard things in your path if you try to go direct. Both radar and radio are not available that low in lots of places.

Like many/most regular Western VFR pilots, I generally plow through MOAs. They are so large and ubiquitous (along with Restricted areas) that avoiding the MOAs is too burdensome for my tolerance levels.

Drive right through the MOAs, but do contact the controlling agency for flight following. You can screw up an exercise as a "stranger", the military has to wait for you to drift by, ...or worse. Often, you can get permission to enter restricted areas, but the iffyness means you can't plan on it.

John Siebold

I usually prefer to avoid any MOA if active. If active, the risk of collision does exist. For those of you whom may have to operate within a MOA for professional reasons is one thing. As Pierre stated, keep your head on a swivel. In Pierre’s case, most of his flying day is at and below 300’ AGL. However, for the pleasure flyer transiting the airspace, even if you are under radar contact, your presence may be interfering with military training operations. For example, a six ship ACM (dog fight) sortie may be scheduled in your airspace. Center may have the training sortie delay their maneuvering until the slow mover clears the airspace. If the slow mover decides to transit the airspace not in communication with the controlling agency, that makes matters even worse.

Even electing to fly near the floor of an active MOA is dangerous. If ACM activities are going on believe me, those aircraft will be utilizing the vertical limits of the MOA. A F-15 conducting an evasive split S maneuver at 600 knots from 20,000 ft can quickly be in your face…even with your head on a swivel, you probably would never see it coming.

If I could figure out how to post it, I have a video of a six ship ACM training furball from the cockpit of an F-16. The safety value of reviewing such a video illustrates what little chance a high “g” maneuvering F-16 pilot has of seeing you.

You will hear on this forum that many do this all the time with no problem. What you need to hear is the dialog from the military pilot perpective.
Perhaps some of our fast mover pilots could chime in with their near miss experiences within MOA’s…it happens to many of them.

So, as you plan your cross country out west, remember, those MOA’s get used, if active, enter at your own risk.

JMHO.

Regards,

As Louise mentioned, them are some big mountains out there! I have found anything less than 13.5k, flight following gets sketchy through many parts of Utah and Nevada. They will also drop you like a hot rock with little more than; "xxxN radar contact lost, sqwak VFR". They won't wait for a reply.
There are areas they will drop you well before you are in radio range of the next controller. Expect to be on your own for some of your flight.
Big mountains, vast country.

I always make an attempt to contact the controlling entity in MOA's to find out if they are active. I also let them know my altitude and if I will be transitioning the area maintaining that altitude. They will often come back even if they are active and let you know if your altitude is a factor or not, or tell you to not exceed a given altitude. Sometimes they give you a code and put you on FF even without asking.
I have a radio, it is very easy to use. Why not?