CPL Cross Country

Overflying the "plane graveyard" at Pinal airport.









The ultimate objective of our flight training in Phoenix is to attain the commercial pilots license (CPL) and I checked off one of the boxes yesterday with the completion of my solo cross country flight (300 mile trip with landings at 3 airports). With flight plan and maps in hand I flew 100 miles south to Tuscon for breakfast (how cool is that) which was fairly easy with plenty of landmarks to follow. Next, I headed west towards a large airport called Yuma close to the Mexican border. I had to be careful here as the route took me through a 10 mile corridor, either side of which was restricted military airspace. I thought it best not to rely on "visual flight rules" and used some of the navigation aids (VOR's - If you want to know what these are email me). It can get lonely on a long trip but F-16's for company are not a good idea. As I approached Yuma I saw lots of runways; All of them except the one I needed to land on. I finally saw it about a split second before ATC asked me to confirm visual on it; A bit embarrasing if you have to ask and they then say "It's underneath you" or something else suitably embarrasing. Anyway, a quick stop for fuel and back to Phoenix. The whole trip took about 7 hours but it certainly didn't feel like it as there is always something you have to be checking or monitoring. Nothing particularly eventful happened which in aviation is always a good thing !!