5 Route around big cities whenever possible. Traffic is usually lighter, smog isn’t as much of a problem, fuel, ramp and parking prices generally
are lower in the boonies, and you’re less likely to receive vectors away from your course line or altitude restrictions to deal with.
6 Be smart about descents, and don’t automatically start down at 500 fpm (as I did for years). In winter, you may want to stay high as long
as possible to maximize the effects of tailwinds. Similarly, hot surface temps in summer may dictate the same technique to avoid the heat and
convective turbulence down low. If there are gathering clouds ahead, you may want to descend early to make certain you don’t get trapped on
top.
7 Temper your judgment about flying in high-mountain terrain at all, if you can avoid it. Yes, it’s beautiful, especially with popcorn cumulus
floating by, but there may be little margin for error if you accidently enter a cloud. A while back, two good friends, both excellent IFR-rated
pilots, flew a new Caravan straight into the side of a hill near Palm Springs, apparently another CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) accident.
A 180-degree turn won’t necessarily solve your problem—it may make it worse if clouds have closed in behind you—but it’s a far safer bet than
continuing without a clearance or any idea where the tall rocks live.
8 Avoid flying at any limit speed. Vne is the obvious worst one, but there are a dozen others. Vle, max landing gear extension speed, is often
specified to save the gear doors. Violate it consistently, and those doors may eventually fail. It’s the same with flap extension speed, Vfe. If you
use gear and flaps to decelerate, do so only well within the specified limit speeds.
10 Tips
VFR Flying
1 Despite the near-universal adoption of GPS for enroute navigation, resist the temptation to simply dial up the identifier of your
destination and fly direct. Consider instead putting together a flight plan that includes slight deviations to stay near highways,
airports or flat terrain. You’d be amazed how far you can deviate from a Great Circle route without adding significantly to total
distance.
2 Think twice about cruise altitude. On short trips, the tendency is often to level at 4,000 to 7,000 AGL. Higher is nearly always
better, for several reasons. Fuel burn is less, the airplane may actually be faster up high, and range will be extended. Most general
aviation airplanes can reach 8,000 to 10,000 feet in only five to seven minutes more, and they’ll be above much of the other traffic,
benefit from longer radio range, usually operate above the convection layer in smoother air and have a larger pad of sky beneath
them in the event of a problem.
3 While it’s true you don’t always have to fill the tanks, and tankering six hours of fuel for a one-hour flight is excessive—you have
to burn fuel to carry fuel—remember the catch phrase of many fighter pilots: The only time you can have too much fuel is when
you’re on fire. You may never know what circumstances will dictate the need for more fuel, but if you don’t have any extra, it won’t
matter. It’s nearly always a good idea to carry as much fuel as possible, cabin payload and CG permitting, of course.
4 It’s only good sense to use flight following whenever you can, especially around heavily congested airspace. The FF controller
has some very sophisticated radar at his disposal, very likely more exotic than the TIS/TCAS you have on your panel (if you’re that
lucky). Flight following can be especially valuable if your trip is a long one, over water or remote terrain. If you have a problem,
you won’t need to scramble to find the proper frequency. (Out in the boonies, I keep one radio set on 122.8 mHz anyway, in case I
or someone else needs help.) A flight-following controller can also keep you clear of restricted or prohibited zones and advise when
they’re “hot.” Also, each subsequent controller will automatically update the altimeter setting with every handoff.
9 Even if you’re not IFR rated, consider carrying a set of low-altitude en route charts for the trips you make most often. A low-altitude chart
can provide you with IFR MEAs, an instant measure of safe altitude along established routes. You’ll also have an easy reference to leg distances
between VORs and airports (sometimes). IFR charts also provide sector frequencies in case you need help and there’s no one awake on 122.8
mHz.
10 Everyone knows you should scan the airspace around you for other traffic, but the most neglected quadrant of see-and-be-seen is directly
behind you. Studies of mid-air collisions have shown that the most likely risk is from the rear. That’s especially true during descents when a
following aircraft overruns preceding traffic. If you’re descending, try throwing in some slight turns occasionally and check six for what might
be gaining on you.