Beat the Heat

If you’ve lived in the American Desert Southwest, you know real heat. You also know that escaping it for a weekend getaway is an attractive idea. 

To beat the heat, you decide to fly from your home airport, Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR), to Van Nuys (KVNY). But first, you need to plan carefully because it’s hot, you’re carrying a passenger, and your point of departure and destination lie within busy airspace. 

Let’s plan.

• On this flight, you’ll be cruising at 8,500 MSL to avoid obstacles and maximize glide distance, but your calculations show that the density altitude up there will be around 12,000 ft.
• Your path sends you through the Luke AFB SATR after departure.
• KVNY is inside the LAX Mode C veil, near LAX Class Bravo, and within Class Charlie.
• Interstate 10 is nearby for most of the flight.

This is a very doable flight, but it requires special planning. In addition to everything you normally consider for a flight, here are some tips and additional factors worth considering.

Mind the performance changes. 
You’ll be flying in hot air for most of your flight, then cooler, possibly humid air once you clear the San Bernardino Mountain Range.  

Have supplemental oxygen handy.
Your body doesn’t care what the altimeter says, but it does care how much oxygen is in the air. With a 12,000 ft density altitude, both airplanes and humans suffer degraded performance.

Look for the blue boxes labeled “Special Air Traffic Rule” on the Phoenix VFR sectional and TAC. 
There’s more than one, and your course will determine which frequency to contact Luke AFB for guidance through the SATR.



Get Flight Following.
One segment of your flight includes a 118-mile stretch with no serviceable runways below. File a VFR flight plan for good measure.

Back up your ELT.
The desert can be as isolating as the ocean. Consider renting a satellite phone or getting a personal locator beacon to back up your ELT. iPhone models 14 and beyond have emergency text capabilities using satellites. 

Follow I-10.
Not only is it a great visual navigation aid, but it’s potentially a place to make a forced landing where emergency responders can get to you quickly.

Don’t forget sun protection.
You’ll be fine if you land in a cornfield during the gentle Pennsylvania summer. The desert, however, could be more dangerous than the engine failure that got you there. Bring as much water as you can, as well as clothing and other items that keep the sun off your skin.

Know Before You Go