Although this question will be directed with the States in mind, anyone feel free to add your 2 cents.For the last 2 months I have been trying to decide which of my GA aircraft that I like to fly from Key West Florida up to Fairbanks Alaska. I like to fly the trip no higher then 11,000 feet and take in the scenery and document my flight sight and sounds. This trip will be VFR whenever possible, but have all my Jepp charts handy for whatever weather pops up. I'm hoping to start in July and try to get 2 - 3 flights in during the busy week.I have "demo'ed" everything from the DF Planes, to Grumman Goose, and Beech D18S, as well as all the great carenado cessna's that reside in my collection, but still haven't found the bird to make the trip in yet.So, what would you recommend for the trip? I like something that has a good VC and is comfortable on 2-3 hour hops. :)Thanks for your time and opinions for this great hobby.Jeff

Are you looking for a single or a twin? Tricycle or taildragger? Complex or simple? 11000ft suggests you're thinking 'high and fast' (in GA terms) rather than 'low and slow'. In practical considerations, if you're going to spend extended (>30mins) periods above 10000ft, you need something that's either pressurised or has supplemental oxygen.Most of my FS flying tends to be long 'tours' in GA aircraft - I've flown from Australia to England twice (once via the Middle East and once via Japan, Siberia and the USA). The first trip I flew in Milton Shupe's Aero Commander 680s, for the second I couldn't make up my mind so I flew a different aircraft on each leg, choosing something that had a 'local' repaint. More recently I flew London to Rome and back in the Premiercraft freeware TB10 (awful VC, but it's the same plane I fly RW, and it was a trip I also wanted to do RW). I flew from New Zealand to Australia in a Cessna 172, just to see if I could... (there are some conveniently placed small islands on the way!)The Dreamfleet Baron in my hangar is just itching to make a trip with long legs - California to Hawaii and then down through the South Pacific comes to mind. Then there's the trip I'm about to start: London to Marrakech (Morocco), for which I'm thinking of using the Flight1 Commander 112A. Why? Simply because I haven't flown it any great distance!That probably doesn't help you make up your mind. Any of the planes you mentioned is capable of the trip without being too challenged. It also depends how challenging you want the trip to be for yourself: A non-IFR taildragger, such as a Chipmunk could certainly spice things up...

I would propose to take the Dreamfleet Beechcraft A36 Bonanza or B58 Baron. You are going to need something that has pretty good endurance, and able to get you over the Rocky and Cascade Mountains. You might be able to fly in between the peaks that are higher than 11,000 feet. Plus if you want to fly VFR, you might need some extra power to get you VFR on top. I would lean towards the Baron, as this gives you the added performance of two engines. Plus, if you do any simulated engine failures you can fly to the nearest airport and not have to put it down in a field somewhere.Just my opinion. Good luck on the flight, and I hope you accomplish everything.Kevin

11000ft means you need pressurisation (or a lot of O2 bottles, inconvenient and uncomfortable).You also want something that can get into rather short strips probably, so as not to be limited to large airports.DF Baron would fit the bill, or the F1 Golden Eagle.Good VC, nice leather seats with lots of legroom, and enough space in the back that you could convert it to a bed (saves you from having to check into run down motels every night).

I agree, DF Beechcraft or maybe the Aeroworx B200

I'm a bit biased, but love those "open view" sliding canopies for flights across the mountain west. We fly Van's RV's which are good for about 750 mile legs, and plenty of altitude if required. The RealAir Marchetti SF260 is my "stand in" for the RV. It's actually a bit larger than an RV, but the speeds are about the same. You can cruise somewhere around 175 kias, and the sliding canopy is more than excellent for taking in the panaramic views. I use the hand-held GPS, and just adjust the two axis A/P's heading to the GPS track.As to mountain passes, as long as you're use to a bit of high altitude travel, you're just required to have supplemental oxygen every half hour when getting to the 12,500' msl level. And then additional rules at higher altitudes.RealAir SF260 departing Jackson Hole, and a Van's RV9A approaching a mountain pass in the Rocky/Unita mtn. area south of Evanston, Wyoming, just inside the Utah border. http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/150604.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/150606.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/150607.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/150608.jpgL.Adamson

Well, I always have to give a 'shout out' to the Cirrus CR22.I have taken a couple trips about that length with the Cirrus and it was great. In fact, I flew the 22 up to/from Alaska not too long ago. A great performer for that part of the world. You will be wanting an aircraft that will cruise higher than 11,000 at times to get accross some of the mountain passes, and also something that has a great climb rate. The 22 does both.

wow thats really awesome - i was thinking of the same thingwhat about the FSD C337H - pressurized, inline twin??ciao!Brian S

>Are you looking for a single or a twin? Tricycle or>taildragger? Complex or simple? 11000ft suggests you're>thinking 'high and fast' (in GA terms) rather than 'low and>slow'. In practical considerations, if you're going to spend>extended (>30mins) periods above 10000ft, you need something>that's either pressurised or has supplemental oxygen.>>Most of my FS flying tends to be long 'tours' in GA aircraft ->I've flown from Australia to England twice (once via the>Middle East and once via Japan, Siberia and the USA). The>first trip I flew in Milton Shupe's Aero Commander 680s, for>the second I couldn't make up my mind so I flew a different>aircraft on each leg, choosing something that had a 'local'>repaint. More recently I flew London to Rome and back in the>Premiercraft freeware TB10 (awful VC, but it's the same plane>I fly RW, and it was a trip I also wanted to do RW). I flew>from New Zealand to Australia in a Cessna 172, just to see if>I could... (there are some conveniently placed small islands>on the way!)Hi Tim, Lord Howe?? Norfolk?? :) When you flew from NZ to Australia, did you use dead reckoning or did you use GPS?>>The Dreamfleet Baron in my hangar is just itching to make a>trip with long legs - California to Hawaii and then down>through the South Pacific comes to mind. Then there's the trip>I'm about to start: London to Marrakech (Morocco), for which>I'm thinking of using the Flight1 Commander 112A. Why? Simply>because I haven't flown it any great distance!>That is a very nice flight--I like the mountains of NW Spain and Portugal...very scenic if you have the mesh in your scenery library.Rhett

had more time to think about this, this thread has me really inspired, ive been wanting to take a long cross country trip vfr in a GA aircraft - it would make a nice farewell to fs9 and hold me over until fsx comes outim thinking of starting in florida and going out over the islands then around the coast of south america (downloading Andy's SA mesh now) and then follow the coast up to and around back to florida again...i too have been contimplating a/c choice, thinking of the A36, 337 and then thought of trying to do it real barebones - kinda like stephen coonts book, cannibal queen?? or something like that, i thought maybe one of bill lyons planes might be chanllenging and fun, i was thinking of the Luscombe or something along that line..something a bit more adventourousciao!Brian S

This is interesting since I've just started reading a book about pilots who ferry GA planes all over the world. From the west coast, over the Pacific to Australia, Singapore, etc. From the east coast, over the North Atlantic to Europe.I've been planning a flight from Maine to Newfoundland to Greenland to Iceland and to Ireland. Right now I'm leaning toward the Flight 1 Cessna 441 Conquest.Jim

what was the name of the book?ciao!Brian S

well after some quick around the patch test flying i think ill leave the luscombe to somebody else more adventourous - wow that would be something to take that thing on a long trip it feels old!then i took the default piper cub up and that wouldnt be so bad but.. that would be very slow goingthen i took the carenado C182RG - wow felt plush compared to the others... i need to take the A36 around a bit before i start ...ciao!Brian S

>what was the name of the book?>>ciao!>Brian S"Air Vagabonds: Oceans, Airmen, and a Quest for Adventure"by Anthony Vallone.Jim

If I wanted a long GA trip to have a commercial/procedural type of feeling to it, I would probably fly it in the Aeroworx B200. (www.aeroworx.com)However, if I wanted the trip to represent more of an independent pilot out there doing my own thing, with lots of visibility on the scenery around me, and below, I would definitely fly it in the RealAir Simulations SF260. (www.realairsimulations.com)Jordan Moore