esa17

Once you've done this a few times you'll feel better. I've crossed the country multiple times in everything from a 150 to a King Air.

Always have a plan B, C, and D. Even flying the B200 I ran across things that killed plan A. In a single it almost never worked out.

Be familiar with your route but don't spend weeks studying it, you're wasting your time. Be familiar with your aircraft, getting stuck 600 miles from home sucks.

My most comfortable legs were three hours. Any more than that and you start out-flying your bladder. Besides, stopping at all the cool little airports along the way is most of the fun. I always avoided towered airports unless weather was involved. Small town America is damn cool and very much worth seeing.

Flight following, it's your friend. Know it, use it, love it.

And finally, enjoy.

Planespotta

Wow, thanks for all the replies!
Haha no problem with staying away from the coffee (I'm probably the only pilot in the world who doesn't drink it) . . . and it sounds like 3 hour legs would be better on the airplane's tanks and mine.
Yeah, the family member has flown quite a bit in small planes . . . he knows what he's getting into (must be pretty desperate )
I have the plane for 4 days, so waiting out weather or planning an alternate route shouldn't be too much of a problem. I guess it's just an issue of how far south I can go, because the border pretty much prevents me from going that far north to skirt the wx.
I'll post the pics on here for you guys to enjoy!

atpwannabe

Planespotta:

I will echo pretty much what everyone else has said about taking breaks, staying hydrated, and take along some snacks. Most of all enjoy and have fun. Like one poster said,"take lots of pics" and above all else......be safe. We'll "see" you when you get back.



atp

Ewfflyer

#1. Get flight following. You don't even need to file a VFR flight plan and all the easy to forget about stuff that goes with it if you get flight following!!!

#2. Call the FBO's to confirm hours of operations and any good info. Use AirNav to help plan and check things out(this is my standard for trips to new destinations). I'd use this website to plan cheap fuel stops and alternates just incase you need them.

#3. Keep the cockpit clean. Bring all your charts you need etc... Just don't clutter the front end. Leave them reachable, but not in the way. Hard to enjoy a trip with stuff all over the place.

#4. Snack-Pack. Mainly, I just carry a water bottle, but on those days where I'll be stretching legs for max range, I'll bring some simple granola bars or something of that nature, and in that case a 2nd water.

Lastely, I've been to GWB(because it's just north of here) to pick up planes for Mx etc.. Good folks, should take care of you. Also, PCW is a nice airport. Never got services there, but there was always someone on Unicom to ask what you needed(even though we were doing taxi-backs). Since you're within 10nm of 3W2(Put-In-Bay) I'd recommend a due north departure over that island, it's just neat, then if you head on course from there you'll overfly Cedar Point amusement Park. Over KSKY you can get Cleveland App on 126.35 for Flight Following.(BTW, from Cleveland westbound to MKE I would say I have extensive knowledge of the area, so any specifics you need just let me know)

Citation32

I did a long cross country last summer all VFR from Pompano, Florida (KPMP) to Taunton, Massachusetts (KTAN). I was with a friend of mine and here are my reccomendations:

1. Like Ewfflyer said, get flight following.

2. Check your enroute weather. When i was on my trip, we hit some weather in Virginia. All we saw from the air was some low clouds. We tried to get under them and maintain VFR, but was unable. After landing we found out there was a huge cell just ahead of where we were trying to go.

3. Check your special use aircpace along the route and ake sure you know which you can penetrate and which you cannot and how to find that information on your sectional.

4. Stay hydrated and sharp. If you feel like you need a break prior to your next planned fuel stop, just land and take a break. And although after that lojng flight, your going to feel like a king in the aircraft, do not get complacent. An airplane can humble you in an instant.

And most of all, have fun and enjoy the scenery and experience on the way out and back!

Planespotta

Well, thanks everyone for your willingness to help, but unfortunately, the other day, the man's wife called me and told me she had second thoughts about the whole plan . . . even though she proposed the whole thing in the first place . Funny how that can work out.

Sorry to waste your time I'll take some other pics to post here

usmc-sgt

Not a waste at all. Most pilots enjoy hearing about others adventures and also enjoy sharing their strategies and personal experiences.

As you are starting to find out I have probably planned more trips that I have not flown in GA than I have actually flown.