Private license, flying long x-countries?

[Sled14]

So I'm about a month or so away from my private license after a ton of weather cancellations, and my dad and I were talking about flying out to the mid-west after I get my license, checked out in a 172 and build a little more time. We would be going from the east coast (DC) to Kansas City, MO. My dad has his commercial pilots license with around 300 hours or so and thousands more as a navigator, but hasn't flown in a long time (25+ years) and thus isn't current. I feel comfortable with the planning, airspace, etc for the trip (all the cancellations mean a ton of studying time, plus flying in and out of the DC ADIZ helps) but was wondering how much time and experience everyone would feel is good for a private pilot to complete the trip?
Of course this is a better question for my instructors who know how I am as i pilot, which I will ask, but was just curious what you guys think?
How much more time after getting your private license would you feel comfortable flying longer (500 NM +) distances?

[BigGuyFlying]

Hey!

Good luck on your private checkride.

I personally don't try to go over 250nm right now, I'm waiting to get my instrument if the need is there for it. I'm working on my instrument rating right now.

[launchpad]

Originally Posted by BigGuyFlying

Hey!

Good luck on your private checkride.

I personally don't try to go over 250nm right now, I'm waiting to get my instrument if the need is there for it. I'm working on my instrument rating right now.

that's definitely a smart idea. However, if the weather is forecast as VFR everywhere you plan to go, there really is no reason not to go. Just plan everything thoroughly. You'll learn a lot and have a good time doing it.

[dc3flyer]

Go when you feel ready. Just remember, a very long cross country is just a series of shorter ones (ie fuel stop to fuel stop). And as long as the planning is good, there is no difference in a leg that is 3 or 4 hours vs a 1 or 2 hour leg. If things start to look not so good, plan an out and talk to someone.

The biggest advise I would give a newly minted PPL (or soon to be) when planning a long cross country, is don't get in a hurry, and don't make decisions because you have to be back at work on Monday. Guess what? If you crash on Sunday, you won't be at work on Monday either!!!!

Be smart and you will be fine.

[Nihon_Ni]

I'm not going to offer advice because you shouldn't compare yourself to any other pilot. I doesn't matter what someone else would do, they aren't with you. When you are in the airplane, you alone are the commander and will decide the flight's destiny. (That's why you log PIC time.)

I suggest you should sit down with a personal minimum checklist and think about what recent experiences you need to make yourself feel comfortable for this type of flight (and others). The checklist will help you define a box that you can safely operate inside of, and you can expand the box as you gain more experience or shrink it due to a lack of recent experience. If you think about what weather, currency, training, etc. you want to have while in the comfort of your house you won't be pressured to make a bad decision when you get to the airport and haven't thought through some of these situations.

http://www.faa.gov/education_researc...0checklist.pdf

After you fill it out, you should sit down with your CFI and have him review it with you.

Blue skies,
Rob

[mooneyguy]

sounds like great experience. If you feel comfortable then I would say do it. Its not really a 500 mile X-C, its just a flight to the next airport.
Have fun!

[Sprint100]

I say that if you get your PPL then you are competent enough to do it. I would go with what you feel comfortable doing and if you have doubts or it gives you the nervous jitters then don't go yet especially if you have to cross busy airspace you're not accustomed to.

[killbilly]

Originally Posted by dc3flyer

Go when you feel ready. Just remember, a very long cross country is just a series of shorter ones (ie fuel stop to fuel stop). And as long as the planning is good, there is no difference in a leg that is 3 or 4 hours vs a 1 or 2 hour leg. If things start to look not so good, plan an out and talk to someone.

The biggest advise I would give a newly minted PPL (or soon to be) when planning a long cross country, is don't get in a hurry, and don't make decisions because you have to be back at work on Monday. Guess what? If you crash on Sunday, you won't be at work on Monday either!!!!

Be smart and you will be fine.

I had a similar conversation with my CFI not too long ago and he said roughly the same thing I've quoted above.

I am SO looking forward to my XC work. Navigation/pilotage is, so far, the most fascinating aspect of aviation that I've found, which is amusing to me; I'm not always a meticulous person by nature, and it seems to require that.

[sundog]

The biggest problem you'll have to worry about with a fresh PPL on long trips, is thats a lot of territory and there will be varied weather across it. Thus, you are that much more likely to have a weather cancellation somewhere along your route.

Sometimes it is fun to get stuck for a few days in some small airport along the route, but it was no fun one time that i had to sleep in the back seat of a piper archer in a small desert airport (with no pay phone, in the days before cell phones) because of thunderstorms in one direction and fog in the other.

[PatrickCPS]

Your biggest concern is getting into weather you are not prepared for, and thats where the problems begin. You are very likely to get to a point where you should land and wait for better weather, but you will want to keep flying, which is both against regs (as you are not instrument rated) and very unwise.

Use good judgment, and stay within your limits and comfort zone.

If you make it to KC come visit!