drill_and_buck

drill_and_buck

Well Known Member
Patron
I would like to stretch my legs and start utilizing this marvelous aircraft Van has designed. My Hobbs just passed 110 hours and the plane is running well. I plan to take a week off in April and would like to fly from Boston to Nashville to visit my son.

I am looking for some route suggestions. I.E. I could fly the coast to Virginia beach then turn westward to BNA or I could fly something along the lines of a semi direct: BOS JFK, x, y, BNA.

I don't have any experience flying outside the New England/New York area and am looking for some suggestions regarding routes. Suggestions?

Thanks!

Mike
 
BOS-K22-BNA.

Your route will be 25 miles South of me. May be able to meet you there for lunch. Not the cheapest fuel but a very good restaurant. Pack some O2, XM weather and fly high to increase your glide range over the hills. Airports are scattered farther apart through this area.
 
Mike, you need a qualified co-pilot such as myself!

;)

Seriously, have fun on your trip; if you want to noodle over the sectionals with me sometime give me a call. Maybe some Saturday before I go to the gym over a cup of coffee?

:) CJ
 
AirNav

Mike,

AirNav has a wonderful route planning function. I put in KBOS and KBNA and came up with several options for you. Looks like ALLEGHENY COUNTY is the best stop in this example. Have fun with it.

Here are the 10 cheapest routes with 1 refueling stop

ROUTE DISTANCE (in nm) LONGEST LEG SAVINGS ($)
----------- ---------------- --------------- -----------
BOS-AGC-BNA 826 [+1%] 419 (BOS-AGC) -18.96
BOS-2G9-BNA 818 431 (2G9-BNA) -24.07
BOS-FWQ-BNA 823 [+1%] 418 (BOS-FWQ) -24.58
BOS-2G4-BNA 817 412 (BOS-2G4) -24.92 (shortest route)
BOS-OMH-BNA 837 [+2%] 432 (OMH-BNA) -30.75
BOS-LUA-BNA 826 [+1%] 418 (LUA-BNA) -31.02
BOS-MGW-BNA 818 435 (BOS-MGW) -32.58
BOS-OKV-BNA 821 [+1%] 444 (OKV-BNA) -33.96
BOS-FRR-BNA 823 [+1%] 434 (FRR-BNA) -34.29
BOS-4G4-BNA 846 [+3%] 441 (BOS-4G4) -35.78

Savings are based only on the fuel costs, according to the parameters you provided, and are relative to the average cost of flying along shortest path making 1 stop. The average fuel price in your flight area is $6.08/gallon. Negative savings mean that you would actually spend more by flying that route than the average for the area.


2G4 OAKLAND, MD GARRETT COUNTY $5.60
2G9 SOMERSET, PA SOMERSET COUNTY $5.40
4G4 YOUNGSTOWN, OH YOUNGSTOWN ELSER METRO $5.68
AGC PITTSBURGH, PA ALLEGHENY COUNTY $5.22
BNA NASHVILLE, TN NASHVILLE INTL $7.67
BOS BOSTON, MA GENERAL EDWARD LAWRENCE LOGAN INTL $8.39
FRR FRONT ROYAL, VA FRONT ROYAL-WARREN COUNTY $5.78
FWQ MONONGAHELA, PA ROSTRAVER $5.50
LUA LURAY, VA LURAY CAVERNS $5.68
MGW MORGANTOWN, WV MORGANTOWN MUNI-BILL HART FLD $6.00
OKV WINCHESTER, VA WINCHESTER RGNL $5.75
OMH ORANGE, VA ORANGE COUNTY $5.44
 
The coast is visually entertaining but I'd still choose to go direct in this case.
If you do decide to go coastal, I'd turn west at pax river instead of going further south.

As one that used to live north of the imperial FRZ, a few comments:

Pay attention to P-40 (Camp David, MD). It is just south of your direct route.
The area west of Dulles is busy with commercial traffic at our common cruise altitudes. I would recommend flight following for the additional separation safety and courtesy to the controllers directing commercial stuff.
 
Why KBNA?

Unless your son has access to the Nashville Airport from within, you should avoid BNA. Even if he did have secured access to BNA, I'm not sure I would want to terminate a long flight and then park an RV for a stay at BNA.

Depending upon which of these would be most convenient for him, assuming he would be picking you up in a car, I would recommend John Tune, or Smyrna, or Lebanon. Use the Airnav.com search to look at the fuel prices and comments for airports near Nashville.

There are some RV pilots in these forums who are more familiar than I am with BNA so I would hope they speak up. Their advice would be better than mine.

Also, having lived in western Virginia two years, I would plan a flight over the Appalachian Mountains very carefully. They aren't as high as the mountains out west, but the land is rugged, especially in West Virginia.

Plan carefully, it should be a fun trip and a great trip for the RV-8.
 
Don't be shy

Don, I keep my airplane at BNA and feel like I'm treated really well by ATC. As far as an overnight, it's not unusual to see a RV on tiedown at either FBO. If ones destination is more convenient to BNA there should be no reason for not landing there. Expect a ramp fee or gas purchase. I would pay the fee and plan gas enroute. A phone call will provide the info for figuring that.
 
Mike, As mentioned above 2G9 is a great fuel stop and scenery. We stopped there after flying our -10 into an airshow at Latrobe last summer. Be prepared, it can get windy on those ridges. There are lots of wind farms nearby. For me, I would either pack a picnic and go for the cheaper fuel or go for the restaurant stop. There is only one mile difference in mileage. Have fun either way.
 
Boston to KLNS to KLWB to KBNA.

Great Italian at LNS and a really good airport cafe at LWB, but check the fuel price at LWB it could be higher then others.

Those may not be ones you use, but they should be looked at an options in case of weather.....or.....well lets just say you didn't plan well on your hydrating :D


Have fun it will be a fun flight!

And that FRZ course is a must and monitor 121.5 anywhere near it.
 
Last edited:
UNCLE!

Randy Hooper said:
Don, I keep my airplane at BNA and feel like I'm treated really well by ATC. As far as an overnight, it's not unusual to see a RV on tiedown at either FBO. If ones destination is more convenient to BNA there should be no reason for not landing there. Expect a ramp fee or gas purchase. I would pay the fee and plan gas enroute. A phone call will provide the info for figuring that.
Click to expand...

Okay, I yield! :eek: I was hoping Randy would speak up. If he says it's okay to fly into BNA, then I'd go with that. Convenience, ramp fees, tie-down fees, etc., all may work out to support BNA as the best destination. As they say, YMMV! Nashville is a great city. I wish I lived closer.
 
I have flown into KBNA and KJWN. The BNA controllers have always been very helpful and courteous, as has the FBO, but my experience has been John Tune is less expensive and less of a hassle getting in and out. Just review the radio towers in the area as some are very high and in close proximity to john tune traffic. Also, be advised the CTAF for john tune typically receives bleed through of a local radio broadcast when just Northeast of the field while in the traffic pattern and on short final.
 
Last edited:
Much thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions.

At this point in time I am leaning towards the inland semi-direct route and considering options to KBNA.

I like the new Airnav fuel savings route calculator and will use this to identifying refueling waypoints.

I'll post my trip report when I return.

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.