Evan Flys

In July 2016, I went on a mountain flying trip with the San Carlos Flight Center! We took two Cessna 182s and flew all over the west, covering six states in five days!

From San Carlos, we flew across California and Nevada to Utah, up the mighty Sierras and crossing the vast salt flats. We stopped at Wendover field, on the Nevada-Utah border, where the crews of the Enola Gay and Bockscar trained for their special mission. We spent the night in Salt Lake City, touring the Mormon temple, and then continued on into Colorado, stopping at cool little airfields all along the way.

For two days we flew around the Rockies from Salida. Thunderstorms and weather were a constant threat, though our G1000 glass cockpits and good planning helped greatly. We flew among the clouds and spent time in Leadville, the highest airport in North America!

We decided to head back to San Carlos along a southern route, which took us through New Mexico and Arizona on our way to Las Vegas. The natural beauty of the Southwest is amazing, and seeing it from the air was quite a privilege. Formation flying over the Grand Canyon was definitely a highlight! After sleeping in Las Vegas, we headed home up the Central and San Joaquin valleys, bringing an end to an incredible 5-day trip.

Special thanks to Dan Dyer, Joel Slater, and Adam Kelly of San Carlos Flight Center, without whom this trip would never have happened (or been as fun). Also thanks to Greg, Andy, and Mario for flying and learning with me on this amazing trip.