Pack your bags
Preparing for your first overnight cross-country
There’s a first time for everything. And one of the skills that can bring the most post-checkride joy is using your airplane for adventures. But often, we aren’t taught the nuances of preparing for a night away from our home airport during flight training. This is a big step in your pilot life, and to make sure you’ll actually enjoy the experience, you’ll have to do some extra preparation first. Here’s how you can get ready to fly to your first overnight cross-country destination.
Understand rental policies.
Money first—what happens if the airplane breaks down? Do you have a mechanic you can call? Are there minimum hours you’re responsible for each day? These are all important questions you should know the answer to before you embark on an overnight journey. Sometimes, flight schools don’t mind if you take a training aircraft offline for a day or two; sometimes, they have an expected minimum hour requirement or minimum price. For example, they may request that you fly three hours a day, or if not, pay for three hours of flight time a day. Similarly, what happens if you get stranded? Are you responsible for payment of fixes up front? Find out the details before so you aren’t surprised when you see the bill.
Prepare your passengers.
It’s your first overnight trip, and maybe you want to bring a loved one along to share the experience. This will be a big trip for both of you—so do some preflight prep with your passenger to make sure they’re ready as well.
First, it is a good idea to make sure they’ve flown with you before (and enjoyed the experience). If they’re prone to motion sickness or have reservations about small airplanes, they won’t make the trip any easier. Second, it’ll be ideal to fly with someone who is flexible and understanding. Many outside the realm of general aviation do not understand just how beholden to the weather, notams, temporary flight restrictions, and other factors we really are. Yes, a flight is often faster than driving, but flying GA can still take a while. By preparing your passenger for the realities of GA travel well in advance of the trip, it’ll be easier for you to make the safest and most comfortable decision about the flight when it comes down to it. A passenger in a hurry to get somewhere could lead to their hurry transferring on to you, which could have a negative impact on your decision making. Let them know well ahead of time that the trip might get canceled at the very last minute. As they say: time to spare? Go by air.
Weigh your luggage before you get to the airport.
Overnight bags will bring a new component to weight and balance that you might not have considered before. Be sure to weigh your bags before you get to the airplane and know what’s the best place for them in terms of weight and balance. Soft-sided luggage shines when it comes to small airplanes with fabric interiors, and duffels or backpacks are great luggage solutions for airplane trips.
Stop somewhere with maintenance, just in case.
This is something I recommend whenever possible on cross-country trips, especially for those new to overnighting with their airplane: plan to stop at places with maintenance. From something as benign as a blown tire to something major like an engine problem, having maintenance on the field will bring you peace of mind in the best case and a straightforward solution should you run into mechanical issues away from home. I learned this lesson the hard way in rural South Carolina with a broken starter as a fresh CFI. My boss was not happy that we had to fly a mechanic in to help solve the problem.
Only book fully refundable or don’t book at all.
I get it, a lot of us pilots are Type A planners, but money makes it harder to make good decisions, and pre-booking an expensive hotel can contribute to sunk-cost fallacy impacts on your choices. Either book a hotel with a very friendly cancellation policy, or don’t book a hotel until you arrive. Better yet, plan your first trip to stay with friends or family.
Take caution if you plan your overnight around an event.
Do you have a concert to attend at your destination? A wedding? An important family dinner? These kinds of events put extra pressure on the go/no-go decision, and can make even experienced pilots choose poorly. Especially for those first few overnight trips, avoid planning flights around time-sensitive or emotionally significant events (holidays, birthdays, and so on).
Make good choices.
As my mother always says, make good choices. You’ll be away from the cozy embrace of your home airport for the first time, and that can feel really uncomfortable. You might find that you hate it and never want to travel by GA again. But I think what’s more likely is that you will love it, and a whole new world of flying trips will open up.
Using airplanes for adventures away from home is one of the most appealing parts of flying for many of us. That first overnight trip might feel intimidating, but starting small and growing from there will help you build the skills to one day take on life-changing cross-country adventures.
I know pilots who have never spent the night somewhere with their airplane, only doing day trips. They’re missing out. When you start to travel more, you’ll dream bigger, and maybe that first trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (OSH) or pilgrimage to First Flight (FFA) won’t seem so far-fetched. But you have to start small, and with some practice and a manageable first overnight trip, you can gain comfort in adventuring with airplanes. Who knows where you’ll go next!
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