Sorry about the spelling, which I know looks wrong.If I was to fly down the S.V. in say- a 172- what airports would I start and end at? Any scenery pointers from anyone with some local knowledge?Thanks,Bruce.

Just so happens my girlfriend goes to school out there. I'm from the east coast of VA, so I'll reach up to my chart cubby and pull out the secitonal...standby one for clearance. Start at say Winchester Regnl. Fly SW with the mountains, and you'll cross over Front Royal, Luray Caverns, New Market, Bridgewater, Shenandoah Valley Regnl. Farthest south you'd want to go and still enjoy a little bit of mountain is Lynchburg Regnl.Flying a westerly course from Orange Co. (OMH, not SNA), Culpeper, Gordonsville, Louisa Co, Shannon, or Charlottesville will give you a nice perpendicular crossing of the mountains. If my memory serves me correctly, I planned a flight (didn't get to fly it because of ice crossing the mountains) from Orange to Shenandoah Valley and flight time was around 45 min.I'm not so sure about scenery. Get FSGenesis free terrain updates, and a couple of the airports out there have some so-so upgrates right here in the library, I believe.

Thanks- appreciate the helpful information.Does your handle refer to where you did your flight training? I'm currently into the IR, and have about 200TT.Bruce.

Yes, I'm a sophomore here (at ERAU). Working on my commercial rating, about to go up for my DE ride as a matter of fact. Have about 170 TT

Good luck on your ride! Let us know how you do. How was the training for the Commercial compared to the Private?Bruce.

Bruce,I live in the Shenandoah Valley and have flown about a bit in a friend's 172 in real life. Winchester, VA (my home) is a nice launching spot for a variety of GA up to biz jets as is Martinsburg, WV about 17 miles to the NE. I have a favorite mountain spot (very near the Linden VOR) I like to haunt where I've placed a man kneeling in front of a woman proposing marriage. My wife's not wild about planes or FS2002, but that won some points with her as it's the exact spot I proposed to her RL.The routes Travis suggested are good ones indeed. There's a fair bit of RW air traffic on my commute from Winchester to outlying DC with the GA out cruising and the Dulles Int'l jets making their rounds. As with most mountainous areas, VFR becomes quite rewarding and has its own challenges. Its not the Andes, Rockies, or Alps, but you'll find a number of little airports to/from which you can take a short hop in the GA of your choice. Sometimes I'll take the sectional in IMC and try to shave off the top of a mountain in a Cessna or Piper. You don't want to be on the wrong radial then...Happy flying,KevinP.S. 6 miles outbound on the 130 radial from VOR MRB (Martinsburg) is Harpers Ferry, WV, a historic little town nestled in a break in the mountains where the Shenandoah River converges with the Potomac River. Much, much more beautiful in real life, if you get the chance.

Hi Kevin,A nice story regarding your marriage proposal.Thanks for the additional information.Bruce.