Awe what the heck. I'm gonna give my two cents. DO IT!! And don't forget to start a trip thread with daily pictures!

I plan to do a low and slow flight all across the U.S. someday, too. Probably what I'm going to spend my retirement money on.

VFR:

Sounds like a great trip.

There is a book by a retired airline pilot that did what you are contemplating. After retirement, he loaded up his 180 and did a several month flight around the west. I will search through my stack tonight and see if I can find it so I can get you a title and author. Maybe someone on the site will know off the top of their head.

For spots in NM, see NMpilots.org website. There is a "search airport" function and go to it.

Negrito / Me Own / Beaverhead are in the SW portion of the state in the Gila National Forest. There are links on the airport to videos and pictures. Negrito is an especially beautiful spot. Be careful of density altitude. Negrito is at 8,100 feet. There is also a safety briefing for Negrito that I would recommend reading. If you happen to be flying around the early June time frame, we will be having a work party (see calendar).

In the middle of the state is Park Springs. A historic old ranch that was around in the time of the Santa Fe Trail. It is private, but if you call ahead the owners are usually very open to dropping in. Send me a PM if you are interested and I will get you their #.

In the north west portion of the state, if you are into fishing, I would recommend landing at Navajo Dam strip. It is just above the San Juan River (it is a long walk, but worth it). If you are a fly fisherman and haven't fished the San Juan, it will be well worth your while. Call Abe's for a guide to pick you up and take you out on the river for a day.

Finally, l agree with recommendation for Hanselman's guides. Idaho, Montana and Utah are all well worth it. Would also suggest you log onto Shortfileld.com. Good inventory of strips throughout the west.

Good luck. When you wander through NM, i am at E98. Give me a call when you come through.

Larry

Oh yeah, totally do it. After the plane, gas is the main expense. When i bought my tent for the AK trip it was pretty pricey. The whole new life was. I figured i had to sleep in it two weeks in order to justify it, cuz it's like half a month's rent. But hells bells it's practically making me money now. You can do anything on a budget. You just have to think different and not give a poop somedays. Most people you run into know the routine out west. Have fun.

Oh and opinions don't own nuthing.

The book 88H is referring to I believe is called " West by 180". Not sure of the authors name. There is another around the US called "Canibal Queen". I haven't read west by 180 and it has been years since I read Canibal queen. So not sure how much they would help other than great motivation

Enjoy the journey.

Is this the one?

http://bookstore.trafford.com/Products/ ... y-180.aspx

'Greg

Rigster wrote:The book 88H is referring to I believe is called " West by 180". Not sure of the authors name. There is another around the US called "Canibal Queen". I haven't read west by 180 and it has been years since I read Canibal queen. So not sure how much they would help other than great motivation

Enjoy the journey.

This is a funny place to be if you were hoping to hear that it's a bad idea. Lots of great ideas and lots of good advice from some pretty seasoned aviators so, Just Giver

The only recommendations I can think of are:

• It sounds like all your time is in tricycle gear airplane. If you want to do it in a taildragger, get proficient and practice a lot because the last thing you want is crosswind anxiety to play much of a role in deciding where you land when you need to land.
  
• Have enough in your reserves to either effect large repairs, or get home via some other means should the worst happen maintenance-wise to your bird.
  
• Make some overnighters in your general area to perfect your airplane camping checklist and practices before taking off for the big one.
  
• Buy a halfway decent camera and several memory cards.

Have fun, enjoy the dream.

And most of all, Do it! You'll only die regretting what you didn't do.

I can say for certain that when you reach the Portland area there will be people who will be happy to greet you, house you, and show you around a bit. Maybe more than one.

You know, you really haven't made a trip out west until you've visited Kodiak Island in Alaska.

I'd second the suggestion to read Stephen Coonts' Cannibal Queen, though it is a bit of a different adventure...

Also, get a copy of Richard Bach's "Nothing by Chance"....He and two others decided to see if they could survive as barnstormers through a summer, in the midwest. Again, a different sort of trip, and different part of the country than you're discussing, but good motivators, and proof that it can be done.....and that there are a LOT of people out there who will make the trip a trip of a lifetime.

Just do it.

MTV

I'd advise strongly AGAINST having any kind of itinerary other than a list of "must see or do" things.
Play it by ear, do the things on your list, and allow plenty of time for the opportunities that will POP UP. My experience is that the unexpected adventures/experiences will be far better than anything on a list. Collect a good list of contacts (from here & SC.org) & you'll be well entertained & taken care of.
I KNOW that it's a good trade to be fed & put up in trade for some good fresh BS! (exp. from both sides)

Again thanks, Someone mentioned rental hadn't thought about that, and a 172 would solve weight problems, also mention was the pacer, which I owned a Tri-pacer and love the airplane, but the short wings will not alow slow enough flight for what I want, the same for the 172.

The tape measure is a real eye opener, thanks for that, maybe I better be checking into old peoples homes with landing strips.

A little over a dozen years ago, I wanted to take my little Sea Ray open boat out to the San Juan Islands "some day". Then I started reading more, and planning more, and made a bunch of mods to the boat, and all of a sudden in 2001, I was ready to go. I dragged the boat out to Port Orchard, WA, and from there went up through the Puget Sound to Anacortes, across to the Gulf Islands and Nanaimo, then across Georgia Strait and up the Sunshine Coast to Desolation Sound, then over to Campbell River and north from there, touring and camping all along the way, just me and my Golden Retriever Maggie. After 24 days and nights and over a thousand miles, Dog and I returned to Port Orchard, and I was ready to return home--but with absolutely no regrets for having done it. You can read about it in my book, The Ultimate Small Boat Adventure, still available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc., only $15.95.

Just before I left, one of my friends at church made this comment: "I'm really glad you're doing this, Cary". I asked why. "Because you're not getting any younger!"

Could I still do it, at age 68? Sure. But it was easier physically 11 years ago. Now I'm seriously contemplating a trip up the Alaska Highway in my airplane, and that just may happen, if not this year, then next. But there will come a time in all of our lives when we run out of the physical ability to do things.

If you get my book, you'll see this quote from Mark Twain, which says it all:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Cary

This may sound silly, but from what it sounds like you're planning to do it might help if the airplane has any kind of intrigue value to it. Meaning that if it has something about it that catches notice around the airport, you just might find yourself receiving more offers of car keys, a backyard to camp in, a hangar to borrow, and friendly reception and conversation in general.

I flew a 65 HP non-electric Taylorcraft round-trip from Alaska to New Hampshire in 2003 when I had about 100 hours total time. Something about that combination really seemed to catch people's interest. I was offered all of the above routinely, plus restaurant meals, a guest room, and even had a newspaper reporter write an article on my trip. I assume this was because a) airplane people are good folks, and b) something about a pre-WWII plane packed full of camping gear roused their imaginations.

If you'd said you wanted to run contraband, I suppose this would be lousy advice. But it sounded more like you wanted to enjoy people, places and opportunities as you go. Call it a marketing strategy, perhaps. Either way, go for it and have a blast!

This forum needs a "like" button!

Before I got married and had a child - I was on a plan that I affectionately referred to as "incremental retirement." I took 2 sabbaticals of 1 year off each- to explore my dreams before I was too old to do it. I was a full time rock climber - living the dirtbag lifestyle in a volkswagon van. I want to do it again - next time around I don't think I want to do a full year - and I'm done climbing other than super easy fun. I want to do this sort of trip - plane camping and mountain biking and climbing.

Good on ya! The runway behind you does you no good.

'Greg

Cary wrote:A little over a dozen years ago, I wanted to take my little Sea Ray open boat out to the San Juan Islands "some day". Then I started reading more, and planning more, and made a bunch of mods to the boat, and all of a sudden in 2001, I was ready to go. I dragged the boat out to Port Orchard, WA, and from there went up through the Puget Sound to Anacortes, across to the Gulf Islands and Nanaimo, then across Georgia Strait and up the Sunshine Coast to Desolation Sound, then over to Campbell River and north from there, touring and camping all along the way, just me and my Golden Retriever Maggie. After 24 days and nights and over a thousand miles, Dog and I returned to Port Orchard, and I was ready to return home--but with absolutely no regrets for having done it. You can read about it in my book, The Ultimate Small Boat Adventure, still available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc., only $15.95.

Just before I left, one of my friends at church made this comment: "I'm really glad you're doing this, Cary". I asked why. "Because you're not getting any younger!"

Could I still do it, at age 68? Sure. But it was easier physically 11 years ago. Now I'm seriously contemplating a trip up the Alaska Highway in my airplane, and that just may happen, if not this year, then next. But there will come a time in all of our lives when we run out of the physical ability to do things.

If you get my book, you'll see this quote from Mark Twain, which says it all:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Cary

OLD POST REVIVAL:
OK 1st of all I chickened out of doing this trip. Opportunity arose and I changed direction of thought.
I became a bus driver for Greyhound shortly after this thread was started. I have been having a real good time seeing this country in my big blue RV (Greyhound bus). I have spent considerable time in the Northwest corner of this country. So I have one thing to say.

Its not what I expected, I have had my jacket ripped off of me by the wind in Salina Kansas, Seen trucks blown off I-80 with the tempature at 10 degrees on the high plains, some sort of snow everyday in Denver, Silver fog in northern Texas, hiways full of condensed ice along the Columbia gorge, etc...... If you live out there, I know you can fill in more.

Glad this rookie did not attempt this trip, I am afraid it would have not gone well.
If anyone is reading this and has thought about such a trip I suggest a different approach. Go in a RV and rent an aircraft for day trips. I still plan on doing this.

I have seen a lot of magnificent landscapes out west, I hope one day to see more by air.
But it will be in an airplane that won't play backwards on a windy day out west.

I bought a 182B in Providence RI and flew it to Northern, CA. I announced those plans on this site and I had a Dozen Offers to be lodged and fed by BCP members. I mooched by way across this country. Did not pay for one motel room and only bought 4 meals. I was still working and had to get home so it was only a one week adventure.

I have extra rooms and you are welcome.

Tim

Thanks Tim!

I want to do what VFR had planned , but in a slightly different way. I want to set up a trailer that can house a Kit Fox and camping quarters in one unit and tow it with a truck. I want to see the USA from the air and explore it on the ground. This will give me my housing, transportation, and aerial platform all in one mobile rig.

A typical scenario would go like this. Roll up to a place I want to stay for a few days, Got to the local airport and set up the plane and pay for a weeks tiedown. Head to the camp ground and set up the trailer. Un hook the truck and drive where ever I need to. Spend badweather days sight seeing on the ground and good weather days exploring by air.

I know there are million variables to that scenario, but that is my retirement dream. Only 10 more years until I retire.

In 2004 my wife retired from the military while in germany, I had retired three years earlier and was working as her trophy husband/arm candy. We flew up to Alaska and found a house in May, after that we picked up our truck on the East coast. We planed to find a 5th wheel trailer and spend the summer traveling the country. My wife is a nurse and likes to have a dates and plans set before we start. We had a great time, but one thing we learned was to make as few plans as possible and let the fate decide our path.
I would encourage anyone that can find the time and money to go see this country at a slow pace to do it!!! We travel around Alaska on our cub a fair bit now and it is not uncommon to have to completely change plans or sit in a tent for 3-4 days waiting for the wind to die down. It is all part of the adventure. The locals are usually willing to give advice on the best sites and dangers to avoid. I would like to go back to the western states with the cub some spring or fall soon. Death will come at his time not mine, I figure it I keep moving he will have a hard time finding me.
DENNY

Denny, I completely agree with you about not setting a schedule. My Wife and I traveled to Australia a few years ago. We stayed for a month with no plans, reservations, or agenda except to see OZ. It was the best trip of our life.