Planning That 1st Cross Country

I sat down with Catherine from Klamath Falls to review her plans for her first cross country flight.  She was very, very organized and detailed.  This is a good thing.  She knew practically everything she needed to know about a flight from Redding (KRDD) to Marysville (KMYV) to Orland (O37) back to Redding.  Her flight log was overwhelmed with information.  So we pared it down to two different pieces of information we needed for the trip...the "need to know" and the "nice to know".

The "need to know" is pretty basic:  what direction is my True Course?  What distance will I have traveled at the Top of Climb?  How far out from Marysville will I be before I need to start down?  Are there any good landmarks I can identify from the plane to calculate my Actual Time of Arrival and my fuel burned?  What are the winds aloft?  What is the weather forecast for Redding, Marysville and Orland?


The "nice to know" was just as basic:  What RCO's (Remote Communication Outlets) are available should I not be able to reach Flight Service on 122.4?  At what airport will IASCO's Chinese students be practicing their instrument approaches?  Where does my Flight Instructor get his coffee; Starbucks or Dutch Bros.?

We reviewed the performance charts for the Cessna 172.  We reviewed how to plot a wind correction angle (WCA) on the back side of the "whiz wheel" otherwise known as the E6-B.  We discussed the TFR at Beale Air Force Base and what frequency we could contact NorCal Approach should we require flight following.  And we discussed the biggest issue of all:

S. A.

Situational Awareness.

Where am I?
Where am I going?
What's going on with my airplane?
What's going on with me?
Where can/will I go should an emergency arise such as an engine failure?

We all need a good dose of Situational Awareness at all times, whether we're flying an airplane or driving home from the airport.

Catherine went home and reviewed what we had discussed.  When she comes back, I'm sure our cross country flight to Marysville and back via Orland will work out just fine.

Eric Lancaster
Lost Dog Aviation