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Flying New (to me) RV9A from Yakima to SC Home

edclee

Well Known Member
Patron
Any advice on flying from YKYM to SC76 This coming weekend? My IFLY Real Plan has my first fuel stop at Billings then KVTN. This will be my first flying over the Rockies but I have 4000+ hours of flying experience. I figure 9500 feet at least over the mountains and the Real Plan has the route determined that will give me at least 2000ft ground clearance over the route. Of course WX is the joker in this affair and who knows what that will be yet.
Ed
 
I've flown this route through Montana several times in my 9A. First advice would be to fly I-90 the majority of the way. Those are real mountains and you don't want to be doing an off field landing without a road nearby. Second, you are flying a 9...feel free to take advantage of that wing and go up into the teens (if you have oxygen). I prefer to fly at 13.5, 15.5, and rarely at 17.5 when going east due to the great tail winds that are usually available. I don't usually stop at the big airports for fuel...they tend to be much more expensive. 8U8 is a good stop as is Miles City.
 
A few things:
* If you don?t have any RV time, get some. I?ll take you up in my -9A in Savanah for free (no LODA);
* Have you flown control sticks before? Left hand stick? Some folks have trouble, some don?t. No way to predict who will and who won?t;
* Like many planes, the -9A gets pitch sensitive in the flare;
* Flap speed in the -9A is low, and the -9A floats like mad if you?re too fast;
* And if you get real slow on final, you?ll get a high sink rate;
* With the big wing, the -9A will beat you up in turbulence, more than in most spam cans;
* With the Cascades already behind you, you?ll be past the highest of the mountains. Still, read up on mountain flying. The -9A should tolerate density altitude well, but it?s not summertime yet;
* For first flights in a new plane, make your first legs short till you learn your fuel consumption precisely;
* I always plan two hour legs in my -9A so that in case the fuel isn?t available at the planned stop, I?ve got an out. Had to use that twice so far;
* Glass cockpits can have steep learning curves. Don?t assume that all will be well.

Hope this helps!

Ed

PS. I've flown from Washington state to Oshkosh several times in a Cessna 175.
 
Sounds like a great adventure

You're going to love the -9A. They are just amazing traveling airplanes, real time machines.

+1 on going higher if possible. The -9 wing is flat-out an aerodynamic marvel and likes to go high. Oxygen really opens up the abilities of these airplanes (I have a Mountain High Aero O2D2 and couldn't be happier with it). It also lets you find smoother altitudes, which is nice because the -9 can beat you up in turbulence.

If you're going IFR, keep in mind that holding an assigned altitude while hand-flying a -9 through cumulus, especially summer cumulus, can be a real workout. The -9's combination of fast and light gives it sort of a "butterfly on a windy day" effect. Up and down drafts in and around cumulus can also have very large effects on your airspeed. Having done the hand-flying-in-the-big-puffies bit in my -9A, I consider an autopilot with altitude hold required equipment for that task.

I didn't fly when I lived out in Seattle, but I remember everyone followed I-90. Locals will have a much better idea of icing potential, etc. I'm extremely paranoid about in-flight icing in my -9A, for all the obvious reasons and since I don't have the filter bypass.

Take lots of photos!! Not exactly on your way but feel free to stop by W96 sometime!

Any advice on flying from YKYM to SC76 This coming weekend? My IFLY Real Plan has my first fuel stop at Billings then KVTN. This will be my first flying over the Rockies but I have 4000+ hours of flying experience. I figure 9500 feet at least over the mountains and the Real Plan has the route determined that will give me at least 2000ft ground clearance over the route. Of course WX is the joker in this affair and who knows what that will be yet.
Ed
 
+1 on following I-90. I have taken that route a number of times (both ways) in a Tripacer. I would consider KYKM- KMSO-38S-KBTM-KBIL as your route. No need to stop at each but a nice route through the mountains. A little zig zag but only 25 miles farther and you generally have that long runway underneath you. Try to resist the urge to "cut the pie" over the mountains unless really good conditions and no turbulence. I have quite a few hours in a 9A and it is a wonderful machine at altitude. Something to consider is that KYKM to KBIL (524 nm) is a fairly long leg even with expected tailwinds going east. Especially if it is a new plane and you are not as familiar with fuel consumption. You could stop in Deer Lodge or Butte and stretch your legs without such a long leg.

Keith
 
I should have waited for Ed's post....

...since he did a better job. :) +1 on the low flap extension speed for the -9. It's one of very few gotchas of the airplane. It also lands just fine without flaps, FWIW.
 
Welcome to SC!

As yo get close, remember the mountains out hear end just north of Atlanta.

When flying VFR with cloud cover, head for KJZP. That will keep you north of ATL and SW of the mountains.

Have a great flight!
 
background on options along the way, for your ditty bag

My wife was not thrilled about flying the mountains,... so coming out of Auburn we stopped at S83,... so we could stretch, get fuel, and get set for going on. It was a nice stop with self serve fuel and open facilities. It is right beside the highway,... so easy enough to stop. After that we stopped at Helena,..(away from all the mob at Yellowstone,... not a factor right now) . that was also good, local Hampton inn, picked us up and dropped us off,... local restaurant was next to it. After Yellowstone we stopped at Rapid City,...after Devils Tower (and Mt Rushmore.)

Confirming earlier recommendations
I 90
Oxygen

We ended up going higher and south at one point (heading to Rapid City) in Jun due to weather / icing. Nice to have weather at the passes.
 
I stopped at KBIL (Billings, MT) for fuel a year ago on my way south to Denver. I stopped on the return trip as well. Self serve fuel, not bad for price (Skyvector.com has it at 3.75 today). It was the biggest airport I'd flown into at that point and I didn't have any trouble. It was also an interesting and not at all difficult experience of sliding in between A320, B717 and E90 airliners.

I'd stop there again in the future, but as I don't have ADS-B out, I can't fly into the class C. It's a shame, I liked the stop.
 
My wife and traveled from KC to Yakima several times. Our route to cross Rockies North of Cheyenne following I80 to Rock Springs and on to stop at Logan (nice friendly) airport. From there follow I84 to Boise up the valley to Yakima.
Lot of small good airports along the way. Baker (BKE).
Safe Travels.
 
Waiver

I'd stop there again in the future said:
The FAA has a site to request a short term ADSB waiver. Your case might be the perfect example. Your plane does not routinely fly this route or airspace and you are far from home. This way you might be able to use an airport you like. Certainly worth a shot.
 
Last edited:
A few things:
* If you don?t have any RV time, get some. I?ll take you up in my -9A in Savanah for free (no LODA);
* Have you flown control sticks before? Left hand stick? Some folks have trouble, some don?t. No way to predict who will and who won?t;
* Like many planes, the -9A gets pitch sensitive in the flare;
* Flap speed in the -9A is low, and the -9A floats like mad if you?re too fast;
* And if you get real slow on final, you?ll get a high sink rate;
* With the big wing, the -9A will beat you up in turbulence, more than in most spam cans;
* With the Cascades already behind you, you?ll be past the highest of the mountains. Still, read up on mountain flying. The -9A should tolerate density altitude well, but it?s not summertime yet;
* For first flights in a new plane, make your first legs short till you learn your fuel consumption precisely;
* I always plan two hour legs in my -9A so that in case the fuel isn?t available at the planned stop, I?ve got an out. Had to use that twice so far;
* Glass cockpits can have steep learning curves. Don?t assume that all will be well.

Hope this helps!

Ed

PS. I've flown from Washington state to Oshkosh several times in a Cessna 175.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I got home in two long days of flying in the most wonderful Xcountry airplane I have ever owned and I have owned quite a number over the years. (76 now and 4000+ hours). The WX over the Rockies just did not work for me. Too much risk of not having the visibility and I have long since quit flying IFR so no longer current, but the airplane was not appropriately equipped anyway. I had to take the southern route down to Salt Lake, then Albuquerque. Then virtually due east to home. Wind no help until ABQ, then had tailwinds all the way home. I went south of the low pressure WX centered over Memphis and got HUGE tailwinds over 50k. At times I was doing over 235mph over the ground at 13000 feet. I cannot believe how well this airplane flies at altitude. The delightful light controls are wonderful, but if one is flying IFR in WX, it would be quite the experience.

Thanks again for the advice and thanks to Van for designing this great airplane. How else can one fly at 13000 feet burning 7 gal per hour and do 180 mph TAS?

Ed Lee
Lancaster SC
Sonex/Corvair 2016 Built
Vans RV-9A (bought, not built)
 
I am sure it was a pretty ride. Congratulations Ed you will love this wonderful machine. Enjoy and keep us posted about your endeavors you live in a picturesque country.
 
Hope you got photos!

Thanks again for the advice and thanks to Van for designing this great airplane. How else can one fly at 13000 feet burning 7 gal per hour and do 180 mph TAS?

Of all the -9?s delightful qualities, its efficiency as a two-person traveling machine remains the standout to me. I loved my old Warrior, but the -9 is in a completely different capability category when you want to actually go somewhere.
 
Have your fuel stops/legs shorter than you think you will fly, you can always fly longer if you have enough fuel and physically feel okay. You can't always fly a shorter leg if you planned for a leg with not enough airports between the two stops.

There will be airports without fuel available, even if every single piece of information available to you states fuel is available when you plan on landing there. So have at least one alternative for every stop.

Oh and, never stop flying the airplane. If you need to gather your thoughts and make a change of plans, find a good airport to land at and take some time on the ground to figure things out.
 
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