Sedona, Arizona
Carrier landing on a Mesa
Fly into nontowered Sedona Airport and walk over to the Mesa Grill for lunch while you watch everything from jets and helicopters to single engine airplanes overhead. If you have more time, wander the streets of the quaint, Western-style downtown and try cactus fries, rattlesnake, and prickly pear margaritas. Or step into one of Sedona’s many crystal shops to find a rock to cure what ails you (or just one that looks good).
Those looking to stay the night might enjoy the Sky Ranch Lodge, which offers rooms with patios and views and a free shuttle service around town, and is easy walking distance from the FBO. Don’t miss the sunset—the viewpoint near the airport is a perfect spot to watch.
At 4,831 feet with a 1.8 percent sloping runway (meaning a difference of about 100 feet between each end of the runway surface), rising terrain, and few nearby airports, plan and prepare for your visit carefully. This is a mountainous airport, and mountain flying factors such as density altitude and quickly changing weather will affect your flight even on a cooler day. Another consideration is hypoxia. Cruising at 9,500 feet—a reasonable VFR en route altitude for Sedona—can mean a cruise density altitude well more than 10,000 feet. While oxygen is not required, be on the lookout for signs of hypoxia in yourself, consider flying with an oxygen monitor, and develop a plan of what you’ll do in case you become hypoxic en route.
