Sedona AZ

[downscc 1,327]

Orbx makes a beautiful KSEZ Sedona AZ and I got my BBJ into their but that was landing North on 03... more on that in a minute.  I had so much fun with this flight in the C118 (my favorite livery) that I wanted to share it here and encourage others to try the trip.  Depart from the FBO ramp at KLAS Las Vegas, ramp parking spot 20 works well.  Winds are generally SW so departure is 19R right in front of the FBO and I fly the Hoover departure which takes my past BLD and Hoover Dam to COWBY fix overflying the Grand Canyon, my cruise is at 15000. Then from COWBY to PGS and FLG starting a descent about 30 nm before Flagstaff. Of course Flagstaff is in the shadow of 12,633 ft Humphreys Peak so it is an understatement that this is beautiful scenery.  Sedona is 18 nm South of Flagstaff but I stayed on the 172 radial because a direct flight from Flagstaff would overfly the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area.  When East of Sedona I then turn West to overfly the airport East to West and check things out.... I'm still descending and crossing the 4830 elevation airport at 8000 I'm still too high to enter downwind so I continue on West over lower terrain and do a descending circle to 6000.  Landing South on runway 21 is interesting, one has to fly a right hand pattern between higher mesas and peaks and then turn base and overfly a ridge where you then overfly the South end of the town before turning short final.  Do not try this without CAVU conditions.  One might have to simple fly a pattern around the airport once without final descent to get a lay of the land.  Hope others enjoy this trip as much as I did.

[CW46 101]

Flew into Sedona one time in real world with a Lear 35, basically did the same as you say from the east for an overhead circle to land on runway 3.Beautiful terrain in the area, no approach back then so it was a VFR only. Departed using 21, what ever you do it is no place to land long or reject a takeoff.

[downscc 1,327]

5 hours ago, CW46 said:

no approach back then so it was a VFR only.

The only approach today is a GPS 03, category A mins are 1348 AGL/1.5 vis so yeah, it has to be better than marginal VFR to get into this place.

[Brian_A_Neuman 198]

If you ever get the chance to visit Sedona in person, I highly recommend it. Between the Red Rocks and Oak Creek Canyon which includes Slide Rock State Park, it is amazing (and an easy 4 hour drive from my house).