What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Flight planning help for the North East

togaflyer

Well Known Member
Heading to Groton Ct. for Thanksgiving with our kids. 15 hours drive vs 5 hour flight, so I would prefer flying. I have been doing some flight planning from our airport (9A0) near Gainesville Ga. to (KGON) Groton Ct. I figured that with the winter temperature and filing IFR, I will need to keep my enroute under 5K in case I need to punch through clouds and to avoid icing conditions. I was looking at staying South of Charlotte, East of the DC area (did the DC training) and then hooking around North of the Philadelphia and the NYC airspace, then direct to KGON. Most of the route stays on airways that have MEAs of 2-3 thousand, so it looks good on paper, but I also know ATC may have other ideas where I need to go and how high. No experience flying the North East part of the Country. Is it reasonable to expect a clearance to stay below 5K or is flying up to the North East this time of the year more luck than standard operating procedures.
 
Done that many times. Be aware that they may want you over the water, the Atlantic south of Long Island and then Long Island Sound north of Long Island, to get you to Groton. If you?re not comfortable over water flying just tell them but be prepared for the possibility of some circuitous routing.
My experience is while they may talk fast they are quite accommodating. I even had a flight directly over JFK once. Can?t remember the altitude. I have also flown up the Hudson River corridor at a lower altitude. That is a very pretty Flight.
 
I usually have luck going V1 right over JFK at 7K headed north. 6K headed south.
Departing JFK Northbound, they usually have you go V16-V229. V16 should get you close to KGON.
 
NE IFR

For many years I have done a lot of flying between Richmond VA and Allentown PA, so I know the "east of DC" portion of your route pretty well. You'll definitely get airways for most of that route, perhaps with occasional shortcuts. I've never had the least bit of problem with ATC in that area, quite the contrary, they seem to be uniformly awesome.

Obviously the freezing level and the clouds can get pretty low this time of year. Assuming 5000 will keep you out of it, I strongly suspect they can handle you there or lower between Norfolk and Philly.

I'm doing the good-weather dance for Thanksgiving because I really want to be up there flying as well. :)

One tip: you may want to go east of the Chesapeake Bay (V1 or V139) rather than west then over (V16 etc.). When crossing the Bay from the west on V16, Patuxent NAS (KNHK) is sort of a choke point given the DC airspace and the Patuxent Romeos. Annoyingly, that spot often seems to have its own weather system. Something about the interaction of that peninsula and the water can generate clouds even when it's CAVU elsewhere. So if you do go that way, pay particular attention to the TAF and METAR there.

I have less familiarity with the airspace north of Philly, although I've flown it on occasion. Last time I was up there (IFR from W96 to KPVC), I got queried when I was near Atlantic City about how many engines I had. I think they were trying to figure out whether they could send me out over the deep blue or not. I told them one engine and they sent me right over JFK. I've been sent over JFK on several occasions, and it's really cool. Something about flying "Victor One" gives me an Ernest Gann feel. :)

Have a chart/Foreflight/etc. ready when you're up there, because the controllers are not averse to giving you a major and rapid-fire clearance amendment "on the fly."

Good luck!

I usually have luck going V1 right over JFK at 7K headed north. 6K headed south.
Departing JFK Northbound, they usually have you go V16-V229. V16 should get you close to KGON.
 
The other thing is... you could be at 11,000' and in the clear, they will drop you down to 5,000' and put you in clouds if they are there. Just hope they aren't too moist this time of year.

:( CJ
 
I've flown the NE "corridor" (my term) several times now. Once when I brought the plane to Massachusetts from Texas and twice when I visited a sick friend in South Carolina.

For all of these I flew over Norfolk KORF, crossed over to Cape Charles Delaware and flew up the center of the Delaware Peninsula. I found this to be extremely scenic. Lots of airports in case of trouble.

Threaded my way in between the MOA's near the Delware/Maryland border.

Overflew Dover.

This allows you to avoid the D.C. mess.

Overflew Philly.

Skirted to the Northeast of the NYC mess.

Landed at Bradley International in Connecticut for a sip of gas.

Then pressed on to Beverly Ma.

As you are going to Groton you may choose to land at an airport a little South of Bradley as that would be more on your route.

If you are looking for a special experience, you could pick up the Hudson SFRA and fly next to Manhattan - lower than some of the buildings. After that you hang a right after leaving the SFRA and maybe land at Duxbury if you need gas.

I found this route extremely scenic and fun. I liked looking down on Norfolk Naval Base and seeing carriers there. The Delaware peninsula was beautiful at the Southern end.

Given the legs I was flying, I stopped at Salisbury KSBY for gas. Nice place but they will not set you up for Flight Following. When you ask they will tell you to contact Patuxent when you are in the air. This happened every time I flew there. Maybe it's changed but don't be surprised if it's not.

Anyway that's how I do it and I like it very much.
 
Good point

This can be a real problem going to Teterboro, for example. They tend to put the pistons down low and drag them all over suburban NJ while the bizjets flash overhead. if there are nasty icy clouds down there, it's not pretty, because you can't just plunge through it.

The other thing is... you could be at 11,000' and in the clear, they will drop you down to 5,000' and put you in clouds if they are there. Just hope they aren't too moist this time of year.

:( CJ
 
Gotta quibble with your geography there....

Cape Charles and the "Delaware Peninsula at the Southern end" are better known as....

Virginia. :)

The peninsula is generally known as the "Delmarva" peninsula because it includes portions of three states. The (vastly superior) southern portion is the "Eastern Shore" of Virginia.

An easy mistake to make. It is not widely recognized that Virginia, like Michigan, is sort of..... discontinuous that way.

And of course I agree that it's gorgeous in that part of the world (I'm from Virginia Beach). Flying over Norfolk and the carriers is a hugely underrated VFR activity. :)

I've flown the NE "corridor" (my term) several times now. Once when I brought the plane to Massachusetts from Texas and twice when I visited a sick friend in South Carolina.

For all of these I flew over Norfolk KORF, crossed over to Cape Charles Delaware and flew up the center of the Delaware Peninsula. I found this to be extremely scenic. Lots of airports in case of trouble.

Threaded my way in between the MOA's near the Delware/Maryland border.

Overflew Dover.

This allows you to avoid the D.C. mess.

Overflew Philly.

Skirted to the Northeast of the NYC mess.

Landed at Bradley International in Connecticut for a sip of gas.

Then pressed on to Beverly Ma.

As you are going to Groton you may choose to land at an airport a little South of Bradley as that would be more on your route.

If you are looking for a special experience, you could pick up the Hudson SFRA and fly next to Manhattan - lower than some of the buildings. After that you hang a right after leaving the SFRA and maybe land at Duxbury if you need gas.

I found this route extremely scenic and fun. I liked looking down on Norfolk Naval Base and seeing carriers there. The Delaware peninsula was beautiful at the Southern end.

Given the legs I was flying, I stopped at Salisbury KSBY for gas. Nice place but they will not set you up for Flight Following. When you ask they will tell you to contact Patuxent when you are in the air. This happened every time I flew there. Maybe it's changed but don't be surprised if it's not.

Anyway that's how I do it and I like it very much.
 
Thanks for the info. I realized I can pick up V1 East of Charlotte to JFK. It adds only about 60 miles compared to staying West of everything and it gives me the lower MEAs. Weather is looking reasonable, so looking forward to that 5 hour flight vs the 15 hours behind the wheel.
 
Back
Top