Suggested VFR flight plans from Portland area to WI?

[WileEcoyote75]

I am looking for some VFR flight plans that you have used to travel from the Portland area to the upper Midwest (OSH). Any recommended airports and accomodations that you have used for your half way point on a two day trip? The plane will be an RV-6 and the route should be well suited for a pilot with no mountain experience. Thanks.

[Jim P]

With all the guys in the Portland and Battleground areas, I'm sure you'll get a ton of recommendations, but I suspect they all start with The Gorge!

Coming from the Puget Sound area, we normally converge on a pretty common routing. I've gone the southern route through Twin Falls, ID, Scottsbluff, NE, then into southwest MN, eastern SD, or eastern NE (I like O'Neil) for the night, getting you into OSH after a short hop the next morning. Or, there's the more direct route through Helena, MT, and out over MT and ND.

Due to weather considerations, you might plan out a couple options as large Montana convective systems have forced a more southern route, but at our speeds, it doesn't make a big difference in time.

[smiller]

A southern route will probably give you "less" mountains (well, lower, but "wider"). I've had good luck with e.g. KHIO-KJER-KAIA-KIIB-KOSH, but each time I've gone I've stopped at different places. It's not uncommon to have to divert due to thunderstorm activity suddenly building up. I can't suggest specific airports or accommodations, but I can offer a few tips for your trip to Oshkosh:

• Call ahead at the airports you plan to stop at and confirm that they have fuel, courtesy car if you need, etc. A small rural airport is more like to have a free or cheap courtesy car available than a big city airport; and cheaper fuel too.
• Keep up with NOTAMs. TFRs for fires, airshows, etc. pop up all over the place sometimes!
• Some places, like KFOD I believe, have special "Oshkosh travelers" stuff going on. IIRC, at KFOD a group of ladies set up a little sandwich and hot-dog stand during AirVenture week, just for the pilots stopping by for fuel.
• Leave early in the morning (crack of dawn or earlier!) and try to get over the mountains before the winds (and storms) pick up. Wyoming is nearly always bumpy by late morning, and if nothing else, it wears you down.
• Choose a route over the lower mountain passes and try to fly at least 2,000' AGL.
• Get flight following if you're going VFR. You may not have radar or even radio contact with ATC the entire time over the Rockies, but you will most of the time.
• Allow an extra day each way if you can, to help reduce the "get-there-itis" effect when the weather is questionable.
• And if you're camping at AirVenture, being a power strip so you can charge your phone/etc. even when all the shower building outlets are full.

Have fun! PIREPs appreciated! ;-)

[SteinAir]

I would suggest a quick call to Rob at Advanced Flight Systems (even if you don't have one of his EFISes, I'm sure would be willing to give you some excellent advice)- he has made that flight many times in his RV4 and RV10 and does it yearly to OSH from your area. Also, Joe Blank and some of the guys from Vans are also always bringing planes out regularly, so they know the drill pretty well. Heck, if you timed it right you might be able to follow one of them out!

Often times a good stopping point seems to be somewhere around here in Minnesota or Eastern SD...

Cheers,
Stein

[Frank Smidler]

Hi chad, sorry I don't have an answer for your travel plans but I do welcome another RV-6 to the Madison area. Look me up, my plane is located in Stoughton.

[Chris Thomas]

Most folks prefer the "northen route" or "southern route". The northern is more scenic but summer TS stopped us, I did the southen route about a year ago and enjoyed it.

Even if your plane can make it over the Rockies (need 02 for a safe margin and "what-if's) with performance capability you have to ask yourself about your high altitude knowelge and ability to deal with significant turnleuance and moutain wave.

http://pilotbrian.blogspot.com/2008/...r-rockies.html

http://www.pprune.org/north-america/...r-rockies.html

http://www.avweb.com/news/places/183119-1.html good route info

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum...ad.php?t=43458

I found www.skyvector.com to be a good tool to see the big picture.

[rv9av8tr]

This is my recommendation:
KHLN KMLS KABR KMKT KUNV

From KABR you can decide to go south or north of Twin Cities based on Wx

[hydroguy2]

KPDX to KOSH direct puts you right past Townsend(8U8) and it has $5.15 fuel. Also is only about 3 hrs from PDX. Next stop can be KMBG or KABR.

IF you are uncomfortable with mountains either go south via Twin Falls or aim north a bit towards KCOE and then KMLS-KHLN.