The Grand Canyon

Admittedly, this one’s not a day trip.

The Grand Canyon, however, may well be the anchor event for a much bigger itinerary in which you cross much of the country. This is an adventure that will require extensive preparation and acute decision-making skills, but it’s well worth it once you’re there.

I confess I rented an aircraft out of Vegas because I only had an afternoon. But it left quite an impression, and one day I’ll do it again in one of my own.

There are easy procedures you have to learn to fly the corridors. GA aircraft have their own altitude range, to stay away from the tour operators and helicopters. You take north-south transits and can clear the north rim easily if, like so many other visitors, you never made it past the south rim when you visited on the ground.

The FAA publishes a dedicated chart which is obviously crucial for safe planning. If you end up in a time crunch, the folks at All In Aviation did a fine job with my rental.