Gearing up for a long XC

[BlueYonder]

My flight plan has me landing at peripheral airports in pretty much every big city along the way -- don't usually like to mess with the main city airports unless I specifically need the extra services found there. As you say: fast in-and-out, often lower prices, and usually an overall lower hassle factor.

For Boise, I'd marked in Nampa, but will take your recommendation to check out Caldwell. (The winds sound like a good reason to stay high and keep going over Twin Falls.)

Other intended targets: Salt Lake = South Valley. Austin = Austin Executive. Houston = Ellington Field or Sugar Land, depending on rental car availability. Critique of these choices is invited.

Flying the dog on the last leg home will be fun, too. He hasn't been up in the plane yet, so we'll do a couple of local trial flights before the trip. Got the MuttMuffs and a good harness, and someone on our local pilots' list recently sent me a link to Aerox's pet mask for the O2 system. I had no idea such a thing existed.

[carym]

Sara,
I have flown 100's of dogs as part of PIlotsNPaws, and have never used MuttMuffs nor oxygen (although I haven't gone above 9-10K with them). In fact, none of the other pilots that I engage with on PilotsNPaws use MuttMuffs. Nearly every one of them fell asleep after leaving the pattern and didn't wake up until well into the descent (although there are some notable exceptions ). My understanding is that their hearing is geared toward much higher frequencies than we can hear and the ear damage from flying is primarily from low frequencies. Maybe others here have more information.

[Colin]

If I was making my FIRST long cross country flight I would not be making that flight "mostly direct." I would add 1.5hrs to the 13hrs of flight time and fly KBFI HURLO KRNO KHOU, because then I fly over all the settled portions of Oregon and Northern California and on across the plains. I am a big chicken and I don't want to carry survival gear, I want to glide engine-out to a friendly airport with a motel nearby. With two engines I've been a little more more courageous and flown over the badlands.

There is, of course, a page on my blog about what I carry. But I am not nearly as thorough as these other lists.

[Colin]

We landed KOGD in Salt Lake and there was a restaurant for lunch that was fancier than I expected. I was a little wiped out from flying through a lot of smoke from South Dakota to Utah so I don't remember much else.

[dgger]

I realize you already got your $2 worth of everyone's $.02. In any case, regarding safety I would like to second Antoine's suggestion to bring the VHF handheld you already got. Also, unless you have a 406 MHz ELT consider either an Iridium phone or a 406 MHz PLB (staring at about $200) for SAR purposes. And, given the terrain you will be overflying, bring water.

Other the that I go with Colin: Pick some good lay-overs.! And the most important thing: Enjoy your trip!