Looking for any and all route and weather advice you want to offer.
My situation: I fly a RV9A with fixed pitch O-320 with autopilot and ifr capability - no oxygen. I am instrument rated with about 300 hours - mostly over the flat midwest. I have flown over the Appalachian mountains several times but otherwise have limited mountain experience. I just moved from central IL to northern AZ. Given my equipment and experience, I am looking for the best route and plan from 3MY in Illinois to KCMR in Williams, AZ. I gotta get the plane out here before I can start improving my mountain flying!
The flat midwesty parts of the trip will be fine - but looking for the best ideas for going through the mountains to final destination.
1. Route suggestions?
Maybe stay north and enter the mountains from Amarillo and fly over I-40 - but peaks are a bit higher so mtn waves will be too.
Maybe go south to El Paso and skim the border - but lots of moa’s and it is not as direct.
2. Weather tips?
What is the best predictor of mtn waves? Wind speed? Direction? I have read lots of you Rocky Mtn flyers descriptions of wind patterns and predictions etc - really helpful stuff - thank you for posting. Anything else I can look for on the ground to increase the odds of an easy flight over the mountains?
Thanks for any ideas you have.
Tim
My situation: I fly a RV9A with fixed pitch O-320 with autopilot and ifr capability - no oxygen. I am instrument rated with about 300 hours - mostly over the flat midwest. I have flown over the Appalachian mountains several times but otherwise have limited mountain experience. I just moved from central IL to northern AZ. Given my equipment and experience, I am looking for the best route and plan from 3MY in Illinois to KCMR in Williams, AZ. I gotta get the plane out here before I can start improving my mountain flying!
The flat midwesty parts of the trip will be fine - but looking for the best ideas for going through the mountains to final destination.
1. Route suggestions?
Maybe stay north and enter the mountains from Amarillo and fly over I-40 - but peaks are a bit higher so mtn waves will be too.
Maybe go south to El Paso and skim the border - but lots of moa’s and it is not as direct.
2. Weather tips?
What is the best predictor of mtn waves? Wind speed? Direction? I have read lots of you Rocky Mtn flyers descriptions of wind patterns and predictions etc - really helpful stuff - thank you for posting. Anything else I can look for on the ground to increase the odds of an easy flight over the mountains?
Thanks for any ideas you have.
Tim