There is little going on on the forum right now, and I guess most of us have very few stories left to tell from this past flying season. I was sorting some photos today and came across some older photos. I thought, maybe some would enjoy a write up of some US flying trip, even if older?
Unbelievable, but my last US flying trip dates back almost 10 years now. In February 2011, I spent one week in Phoenix, Arizona to do some flying just for fun. I sampled a variety of aircraft and did a series of day trips. The biggest one took me to the Grand Canyon, which had been a bucket list item for me for a while. I remember most of the details quite well, so why not write it up? The photos aren’t 2020 quality, but OK I guess.
First of all, for who is not familiar, Phoenix is in the desert southwest of the USA, which has a lot of good dry weather and is thus home to a lot of flightschools. One of the better known ones over there is Chandler Air Service. I believe it has changed hands in the meantime, but otherwise still seems very much the same today as it was 10 years ago. Link to their website.
Here, you can see the sectional of the Phoenix area, with Chandler (KCHD) situated to the southeast of Phoenix.
This photo was taken from the roof of the airfield cafe building, looking over the Chandler Air Service’s ramp, with some of their aircraft (including the Aztec, which they still have, and which I also flew) and their maintenance hangar and flightschool building.
On said Grand Canyon flight, I took one of their Warrior IIs, N9126M, a 1993 model. I believe Peter has also flown this one during his IR training. I believe the price per hour at the time was 85$/hour.
Here is the chart showing the first leg. The destination was Bagdad (E51), a place in the middle of the desert, which I just had to get into the logbook.
Here I am, at the holding point of runway 4L. It was just after 8:00h in the morning, and all the flightschool Warriors were getting ready to go on their first instruction flight of the day.
More aircraft parking outside on the ramp.
My route to the northwest took me across Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX), through their class Bravo, and across most of the Phoenix Metro area.
Cruising at 5500 feet (I know…., wrong semicircular altitude for the track being flown…).
This is Deer Valley airport (KDVT). Nowadays, I think this is the number one busiest GA airport in the world.
Lakes, mountains and desert… little else on the rest of this leg.
Base for runway 23 at Bagdad airport.
I walked around the ramp a bit, took a few photos and then left again. I do remember noticing that most of the aircraft parked on the ramp were unairworthy wrecks. In fact, I noticed that at many of the smaller airports in the area. Didn’t make a good impression of GA in the paradise of GA.
Anyway, one more stop before the Canyon. I chose Seligman airport (P23) as my next stop, as it was right by historic Route 66. Also, the town was just a short walk from the airport. Here is the route of the flight:
As you can see, I was absolutely the middle of nowhere. One thing that I hated about Chandler Air Service was that they required solo renters to file a flightplan for each and every cross country flight. This being before the days of Foreflight, etc., I really hated this. But, on the other hand, it gave me a little bit of resassurance that I might be found in case I had to go down there in the desert. Keep in mind that at the altitudes I was flying, I often had no radio contact with any ATC facility, hence there would have been no way to let someone know. Anyway, more on those flight plans in a minute.
As soon as I took off from Bagdad, more and more snow was seen. A hint that the terrain was rising higher and higher here in northern Arizona. And it was February, mind.
Approaching Seligman.
Short final.
Once landed, I intended to close my flightplan. But for some reason, my mobile phone had no signal whatsoever. Those damn flight plans! And time was running. Luckily, the town was nearby and I rushed into a store and asked the guy behind the cashier if I could briefly use his phone. I remember he a little reluctant at first, but sensed the urgency I guess and so let me use his phone to call Flight Service. It was that moment that I decided to sod it and just stop filing those flightplans…
A few impressions from the “town”.
The next leg was to be that leg on which I would finally fly across the Grand Canyon. As most of you will know, this is allowed only on certain tracks and altitudes. The destination of this leg would be Marble Canyon airport (L41), a small strip northeast of the Grand Canyon itself. Here is the approximate route flown and a detail of the chart showing the allowed tracks across the Canyon.
And here are some of the photos taken on this leg. Altitudes were 10,500
and 11,500 feet MSL, depeending on the leg.
Grand Canyon airport.
Flying towards Marble Canyon.
Approaching Marble Canyon airport.
I took a few photos of the spectacular scenery whilst down there, before I took off again.
The next flight was very short, just a few miles to Page (KPGA) airport.
A breathtaking view, just after taking off…
These stacks close to Page make for excellent visual navigation landmarks…
On final – sorry for this one being out of focus.
A look across the ramp and over towards Monument Valley. Not many airports that offer such views, I guess…
I remember that I had the FBO put 10 gallons of fuel into the aircraft here, to be on the safe side for the way back to Chandler.
The nice thing about Page airport is that it’s just a 15-minute walk or so into town, which is a proper town, although nothing to write home about.
I remember eating a pizza for lunch at this place.
Back at the airport, I started my way back south. A nice stop halfway would be Sedona (KSEZ), so I planned for that. As you might be able to see, that would take me past Humphrey’s peak, just north of Flagstaff. It’s the highest mountain of Arizona, at a peak elevation of 3851 meters.
I could have stayed at the ramp at Page airport for hours… on the other hand, I was looking forward to my next stop… Sedona.
But first of all, after departure, of course I had to take a peak at Glen Canyon Dam, which is right next to Page.
The scenery seen during the cruise portion this flight was also quite amazing.
Approaching, and passing, Humphrey’s Peak.
And on towards Red Rock Country!
Sedona airport.
This is the reception building. There was also a restaurant (which in the meantime has been re-built from scratch, I believe). Anyway, it was too soon for dinner, so I decided to continue my flight back to Chandler, with a touch ’n go at Scotsdale airport (KSDL), just north of Phoenix.
Some more Red Rock Country, before approaching Scotsdale from the north.
It was a massive GA airport!
After my touch ’n go, it was just a short hop back to Chandler. This is on righthand base for 22R.
Back on the ramp. Flightplan closed for the day. 
Hope you enjoyed this. Certainly brought back nice memories for me!
Great pics, thanks Bosco! I’ve flown several times in that area and it never gets dull. One small correction: the dam next to Page is Glen Canyon Dam, Hoover Dam is further downstream on the other end of Grand Canyon near Las Vegas.
All going to plan, I’ll be flying out there again in a few weeks. Your report makes me looking fwd to that trip even more !
Of course, right. Corrected. Thanks.
Bagdad Airport is definitely in the middle of nowhere…
Sedona is my favorite spot in Arizona, and FYI the new restaurant at Sedona Airport is really good. A decent enough hotel is across the street, basically at the airport.
Sadly Sedona is out of bounds to many rentals nowadays. Each time a flight school has an incident there, they place it off limits. The trick is to rent from somewhere far enough away that they have’nt heard of it. And I’m sorry, but the new restaurant isn’t a patch on the old one, which was made of polythene sheeting and festooned with model airplanes…..
Regarding flightplans, I learnt that lesson early on when I launched off on my first ambitious cross country – a triangular course with 100mi legs – and sounded off about it back in the FBO. “You went all that way without a flightplan?” cried out Gladys Morrison, founder of Northaire who’d moved the company inland to get away from the threat of Japanese invasion to this piece of desert scrub called Love Field (Prescott) in 1942. “It’s free insurance”. From that day to this, I call flight service and file a VFR FPL on the phone for any trip where I won’t be constantly on Flight Following. I always think about Mr Fossett in this regard.
Great report!
I did my IR at KCHD in 2006, but you did the extra flying which I didn’t have time to do; my checkride was just 2 days before the return flight to the UK. Also I was under the hood the whole 2 weeks… I would otherwise have flown up to Bryce Canyon.
I thought the PA28 looked familiar… that’s the plane I flew for 2 weeks!
Yes indeed very little flying is happening now. OTOH I saw a pic from Brac the other day with a few planes parked there, so some people are getting out.
@Boscomantico great report and good to see a pragmatic Warrior providing the transportation
Thank you for the great report! I thoroughly enjoyed this and it elevated my wish to one day do this as well!
Avgas prices are even lower now.
No matter how many times I see it, be it through my own eyes, or those of @Boscomantico, @Peter or whoever: I can’s stop thinking of the US as a different GA planet. Thanks for reminding me!
Hmmm, do I hear myself mumbling an EuroGA trip to the US once things are easier?
I, and possibly a few other Mooney flyers were going to meet at a Mooney event in Florida in October; COVID pushed it to 2021, but it is still on.
