Any of you fellow pilots ever flown from SEA area to Mesa, AZ? Falcon Field is my destination. Suggestions are welcome as I am planning a flight there in about a month.

Are you looking for suggested routes, stops along the way, and/or suggestions for places to land and stay in Mesa?

There aren't too many reasonable alternatives for the route, and of course, weather will drive some of those options. What type of airplane will you fly? Can you go IFR?

VFR.......But a da or 2 early or a day or 2 later....Doesn't matter.....I'll work with the weather so it doesn't work with me. I fly a 182 with Oxygen and a GNS 480.

l

Looking for best available route. Gonna spend Easter with my mother. I carry 55 gal. usable and have a personal 1 hour minimum reserve on cross country flights.

I'll be watching this thread closely as I am headed in the same direction around the same time.
Destination will be near PHX. IFR is an option for me as long as ice isn't an issue.

Lee, when are you heading toward Pheonix? I plan on leaving a few days before Easter(around April 2); will be in Mesa a week or so.....then back to the NW.

I make the trip from KVUO (Portland area) to Mesa (KIWA or KFFZ) often.  GPS direct (886 NM) is not possible, as it goes through the "Area 51" restricted areas in Nevada.  So depending on weather I'll choose from these four routes:

1.  The shortest is KVUO - KBNO - KEKO - KELY - BERYL - ZERLO - KFFZ (914 NM).  The views are stunning, and the terrain is fascinating.  But it's almost all very remote and desolate.  (You can use the Tuckup Corridor to transition the Grand Canyon SFRA at or above 10,500'.  Be sure to have the special Grand Canyon SFRA chart aboard.)  Elko, Cedar City and St. George are good fuel stops.  I add the dogleg at ZERLO to assist in navigating under the PHX Class B.  Don't count on VFR service or Bravo clearance from PHX approach.

2.  The route I use most often is KVUO - KRDM - KLKV - FMG - OAL - BTY - KHII - BXK - A39 - FFZ (971 NM).  It's still remote terrain, but you're close to major highways most of the way.  Again I add the dogleg to A39 in deference to the Phoenix Class B; perhaps you can negotiate a more direct route in the Phoenix metro area.  And there are multiple MOAs to be aware of after KHII.  My favored gas stops are Yerington NV (O43) and Jean NV (0L7).  O43 usually has the cheapest fuel in the area, but finding the onfield coffee shop open has been difficult lately.

3.  If weather is bad in California and Nevada, there is a longer way through Idaho and Utah via KBOI - KBYI - KPVU - KCDC - ZERLO - KFFZ (1,031 NM).

4.  The longest of the four, via the California Central Valley, keeps you over lower and friendlier terrain, and close to civilization and many airports.  KMFR - 1O6 - KRBL - KPVF - EHF - PMD - LUCER - L22 - BLH - BXK - A39 - KFFZ (1,085 NM).   Going by way of Palmdale, LUCER and Yucca Valley keeps you out of the L.A. Basin and its traffic and possible low ceilings, and avoids R-areas at Edwards AFB and Twentynine Palms.   Convenient fuel stops include Red Bluff (KRBL), Placerville (KPVF), Visalia (KVIS) and Lancaster-Fox (KWJF). 

As to where to stay in Mesa ... The City of Mesa covers a huge area, so it's probably best to do an internet search based on the address of your destination. There are several newer hotels along the Superstition Freeway (US 60); one that I often recommend is La Quinta Inn at US 60 & Superstition Springs Rd.

Have a good trip.

One other thing: Once Spring Training starts -- and that's only two weeks away -- hotel rooms and rental cars are very hard to come by anywhere in the Phoenix metro area.  Plan ahead and make reservations EARLY!

Thanks Jeff, that's great info.

Thanks so very much Jeff........Truly appreciate the info and advice!! I'll let you know how my trip goes.

Here are some photo albums with highlights of each of the above routes.  Each photo is accompanied by a small map showing where it was taken.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Pilawt/ArizonaSept2009#
http://picasaweb.google.com/Pilawt/IWA070526#
http://picasaweb.google.com/Pilawt/IWA070406#
http://picasaweb.google.com/Pilawt/IWA060330#
http://picasaweb.google.com/Pilawt/IWA050311#

•LUKE SATR - to go into operation on May 6, 2010 
The "Special Air Traffic Rules" also called SATR is quickly coming to Luke AFB. This new airspace was the subject of many presentations and public feedback several years ago (circa 2006) and is now finally being implemented. (A background summary from the Federal Register and a chart depicting the airspace boundaries can be viewed by clicking this item.) In a few words, this airspace will exist whenever LUKE AFB is in operation and will require VFR operations to establish two-way radio communication with the Luke RAPCON prior to entering the Luke SATR area and maintain communication while operating in the area, much like a Class "C" airspace. The new airspace is planned to go into operation on May 6, 2010. The airspace will be on the Sectional map being updated in the same time period. DVPA is closely working with Luke and DVT Tower people to aid in educating and informing DVT pilots of the new airspace, procedures, protocol, etc.

Keep an eye on this if you're coming on down after April.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
www.indianhillsairpark.com

Here's a link to the final rule as published in the Federal Register (PDF).

Thanks Bruce! That link really helped.

  - Ed

  I'm not the one planning this trip, but I like to live vicariously through others    so was trying to follow the thread. I gave up when the whole route was given via airport identifers-- it's just not worth the ten minutes or so it'd take to look them all up.
  For those of us unfamiliar with the routes and airports being discussed, at least in aviation-speak, it would sure save a lot of thumbing through sectionals and/or airnav.com time if people would use the name of the airports (like the last quoted reference to fuel stops) in addition to or instead of just the identifier.

Eric ( lost between FYI & WTF )