OneCharlieKilo
Well Known Member
Over the first 2 years and 200 hours our RV has been flying, my wife had eased into RV flying with 3 short hop local flights and one 35-40 minute (each way) flight to attend the Calaveras airport open house last year.
So I was excited this past weekend when she finally felt ready to really stretch the RV legs with a day trip from San Jose to Palm Springs and back. Maybe the fresh paint job helped encourage her now that we don't have to get out of an ugly, "unfinished" naked RV
Weather forecast was for great weather and looked good for a reasonably smooth air flight to keep things comfortable for Kellie, so off we went to meet my parents for lunch in Palm Springs where they now spend their winters. Trip report and some pictures are below (photography credit goes to my wife).
Two lessons learned for me to keep Kellie coming along for future weekend RV adventures:
1. need to get her one of the in-ear headsets that she doesn't have to share with anybody as she doesn't like the traditional over the hair and ears style headset and doesn't like the fact that so many other passenger lips have spent time that close to "her" microphone on my passenger headset (Lightspeed Zulu).
2. Be kinder to her ears - plan for much milder descent rate than I use solo!
I parked at Atlantic Aviation at KPSP for about 4 hours. Cost is high relative to the typical airports I use, but I knew that going in. There is a $40 "service fee" that is waived if you buy their way overpriced fuel ($6.89/gal minus a $0.75/gal weekend discount for the Saturday purchase). They told me the minimum purchase for piston single to waive the service fee is 15 gallons, or "top off". I'm sure there's a limit to that "top off" rule so filling up at nearby, much lower cost, Big Bear City (L35) on your way in and then topping off at Atlantic in KPSP probably won't get the fee waived....
More pictures and writeup are posted on my web site at links below and some of those pictures are posted here.
KRHV-KPSP leg: http://rv6aproject.ckhand.com/PhaseIIflying/PalmSpringsTrip(Feb2011)/PalmSpringsRHV-PSP-leg(Pg1).htm
On ground in Palm Springs: http://rv6aproject.ckhand.com/PhaseIIflying/PalmSpringsTrip(Feb2011)/OnGndPalmSprings(Pg2).htm
KPSP-KRHV leg: http://rv6aproject.ckhand.com/PhaseIIflying/PalmSpringsTrip(Feb2011)/PalmSpringsPSP-RHV-leg(Pg3).htm
Shot of Monterey Bay on climb out from Reid-Hillview:
Mountains south of Palmdale as we cross into LA basin west of Banning Pass:
Palm Springs airport on very high, right downwind for 31R, cleared to land while still at 7,000' AGL!
Kellie and Mom with our RV on ground at KPSP:
South side of mountains around Big Bear City; photo taken while departing through Banning Pass:
And gorgeous view of sunset over Monterey Bay as we finish up a great day trip that can only be done right by RV:
So I was excited this past weekend when she finally felt ready to really stretch the RV legs with a day trip from San Jose to Palm Springs and back. Maybe the fresh paint job helped encourage her now that we don't have to get out of an ugly, "unfinished" naked RV
Weather forecast was for great weather and looked good for a reasonably smooth air flight to keep things comfortable for Kellie, so off we went to meet my parents for lunch in Palm Springs where they now spend their winters. Trip report and some pictures are below (photography credit goes to my wife).
Two lessons learned for me to keep Kellie coming along for future weekend RV adventures:
1. need to get her one of the in-ear headsets that she doesn't have to share with anybody as she doesn't like the traditional over the hair and ears style headset and doesn't like the fact that so many other passenger lips have spent time that close to "her" microphone on my passenger headset (Lightspeed Zulu).
2. Be kinder to her ears - plan for much milder descent rate than I use solo!
I parked at Atlantic Aviation at KPSP for about 4 hours. Cost is high relative to the typical airports I use, but I knew that going in. There is a $40 "service fee" that is waived if you buy their way overpriced fuel ($6.89/gal minus a $0.75/gal weekend discount for the Saturday purchase). They told me the minimum purchase for piston single to waive the service fee is 15 gallons, or "top off". I'm sure there's a limit to that "top off" rule so filling up at nearby, much lower cost, Big Bear City (L35) on your way in and then topping off at Atlantic in KPSP probably won't get the fee waived....
More pictures and writeup are posted on my web site at links below and some of those pictures are posted here.
KRHV-KPSP leg: http://rv6aproject.ckhand.com/PhaseIIflying/PalmSpringsTrip(Feb2011)/PalmSpringsRHV-PSP-leg(Pg1).htm
On ground in Palm Springs: http://rv6aproject.ckhand.com/PhaseIIflying/PalmSpringsTrip(Feb2011)/OnGndPalmSprings(Pg2).htm
KPSP-KRHV leg: http://rv6aproject.ckhand.com/PhaseIIflying/PalmSpringsTrip(Feb2011)/PalmSpringsPSP-RHV-leg(Pg3).htm
Shot of Monterey Bay on climb out from Reid-Hillview:
Mountains south of Palmdale as we cross into LA basin west of Banning Pass:
Palm Springs airport on very high, right downwind for 31R, cleared to land while still at 7,000' AGL!
Kellie and Mom with our RV on ground at KPSP:
South side of mountains around Big Bear City; photo taken while departing through Banning Pass:
And gorgeous view of sunset over Monterey Bay as we finish up a great day trip that can only be done right by RV:
