My next trip will be a real doozy!

*Update: The deal of getting the SW-51 (from the previous blog post) fell through. There were just to many negatives in getting that plane. Cost, logistics (Poland & Texas), PPL required, could not build it myself; so the cost went through the roof, etc. Just to many reason not to get it. So...

I'm just spit-balling an idea that has been brewing for a little while for me. I'm retired and why do I need a fast plane? Why do I need a PPL (Private Pilots License), when instead I can just get a much simpler SPL (Sport Pilots License). Less time to get my license, easier test, no medical required, just a valid driver license, etc. Quit being in such a God-damn hurry! With that in mind, I have started looking at the Tecnam P2002 Sierra MkII airplane. Only an SPL is required, it has a range farther than I can hold having to go to the bathroom (4.5 gallons per hour, with a tank capacity of 26 gallons or 900 miles (5.7 hours max flight time)) and it goes all the way up to 14,000 feet. Higher than any mountain here in the U.S. Here is a picture of the Tecnam p2002 Sierra MKII. It's a cute little thing! But, it has all the latest safety features and avionics to make it ultra-safe (including a parachute for the plane!).

Here is an itinerary of one leg stops from state to state with included points of interest at each stop. AI and I are thinking the trip would cost me a max of 28K. That includes everything (lodging, Uber, food, museums). The trip would take a maximum of 10 weeks, based upon bad weather. I would leave middle of next September, 2026.

Leg	City, State to City, State	ICAO	Distance (nm)	Estimated Flying Time	Museum/Point of Interest
1	Williamsburg, VA to College Park, MD	KJGG to KCGS	150	1 hr 14 min	College Park Aviation Museum
2	College Park, MD to Dover, DE	KCGS to KDOV	60	29 min	Air Mobility Command Museum
3	Dover, DE to Millville, NJ	KDOV to KMIV	40	19 min	Millville Army Air Field Museum
4	Millville, NJ to Westerly, RI	KMIV to KSFZ	170	1 hr 23 min	The Flying Horse Carousel
5	Westerly, RI to Hartford, CT	KSFZ to KHFD	60	29 min	New England Air Museum
6	Hartford, CT to Lawrence, MA	KHFD to KLWM	70	34 min	New England Civil War Museum
7	Lawrence, MA to Concord, NH	KLWM to KCON	50	24 min	McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
8	Concord, NH to Machias, ME	KCON to KMCH	160	1 hr 19 min	Burnham Tavern Museum
9	Machias, ME to Rutland, VT	KMCH to KRUT	140	1 hr 09 min	Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont
10	Rutland, VT to Saratoga Springs, NY	KRUT to KSQP	70	34 min	Saratoga Automobile Museum
11	Saratoga Springs, NY to Williamsport, PA	KSQP to KIPT	160	1 hr 19 min	World of Little League Museum
12	Williamsport, PA to Dayton, OH	KIPT to KDAY	350	2 hr 52 min	National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
13	Dayton, OH to Muncie, IN	KDAY to KMIE	100	49 min	Grissom Air Museum
14	Muncie, IN to Lansing, MI	KMIE to KLAN	200	1 hr 38 min	Michigan History Museum
15	Lansing, MI to Madison, WI	KLAN to KMSN	250	2 hr 03 min	Wisconsin Historical Museum
16	Madison, WI to Minneapolis, MN	KMSN to KMSP	250	2 hr 03 min	Minnesota History Center
17	Minneapolis, MN to Bismarck, ND	KMSP to KBIS	350	2 hr 52 min	North Dakota Heritage Center Museum
18	Bismarck, ND to Pierre, SD	KBIS to KPIR	100	49 min	South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center
19	Pierre, SD to Omaha, NE	KPIR to KOMA	200	1 hr 38 min	Durham Museum
20	Omaha, NE to Des Moines, IA	KOMA to KDSM	120	59 min	Iowa Aviation Museum
21	Des Moines, IA to Springfield, IL	KDSM to KSPI	190	1 hr 34 min	Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
22	Springfield, IL to St. Louis, MO	KSPI to KSTL	100	49 min	Museum of Westward Expansion
23	St. Louis, MO to Kansas City, MO	KSTL to KMCI	200	1 hr 38 min	National Airline History Museum
24	Kansas City, MO to Oklahoma City, OK	KMCI to KOKC	250	2 hr 03 min	45th Infantry Division Museum
25	Oklahoma City, OK to Austin, TX	KOKC to KEDC	350	2 hr 52 min	Austin History Center
26	Austin, TX to Albuquerque, NM	KEDC to KABQ	450	3 hr 41 min	National Museum of Nuclear Science
27	Albuquerque, NM to Phoenix, AZ	KABQ to KPHX	300	2 hr 28 min	Pima Air & Space Museum
28	Phoenix, AZ to Las Vegas, NV	KPHX to KLAS	250	2 hr 03 min	The Mob Museum
29	Las Vegas, NV to Reno, NV	KLAS to KRNO	350	2 hr 52 min	National Automobile Museum
30	Reno, NV to Sacramento, CA	KRNO to KSMF	100	49 min	California State Railroad Museum
31	Sacramento, CA to Portland, OR	KSMF to KPDX	450	3 hr 41 min	Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
32	Portland, OR to Spokane, WA	KPDX to KGEG	280	2 hr 18 min	Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
33	Spokane, WA to Boise, ID	KGEG to KBOI	250	2 hr 03 min	Warhawk Air Museum
34	Boise, ID to Helena, MT	KBOI to KHLN	400	3 hr 17 min	Montana Historical Society Museum
35	Helena, MT to Cheyenne, WY	KHLN to KCYS	400	3 hr 17 min	Wyoming State Museum
36	Cheyenne, WY to Salt Lake City, UT	KCYS to KSLC	350	2 hr 52 min	Hill Aerospace Museum
37	Salt Lake City, UT to Grand Junction, CO	KSLC to KGJT	170	1 hr 23 min	Museum of Western Colorado
38	Grand Junction, CO to Liberal, KS	KGJT to KLBL	350	2 hr 52 min	Mid-America Air Museum
39	Liberal, KS to Little Rock, AR	KLBL to KLIT	350	2 hr 52 min	Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
40	Little Rock, AR to Jackson, MS	KLIT to KJAN	180	1 hr 28 min	Mississippi Museum of Art
41	Jackson, MS to New Orleans, LA	KJAN to KNEW	160	1 hr 19 min	The National WWII Museum
42	New Orleans, LA to Montgomery, AL	KNEW to KMGM	160	1 hr 19 min	Alabama Historical Museum
43	Montgomery, AL to Atlanta, GA	KMGM to KFTY	140	1 hr 09 min	Delta Flight Museum
44	Atlanta, GA to Tallahassee, FL	KFTY to KTLH	180	1 hr 28 min	Tallahassee Museum
45	Tallahassee, FL to Charleston, SC	KTLH to KCHS	300	2 hr 28 min	Patriots Point Naval Museum
46	Charleston, SC to Kinston, NC	KCHS to KISO	220	1 hr 48 min	CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center
47	Kinston, NC to Nashville, TN	KISO to BNA	450	3 hr 41 min	Tennessee State Museum
48	Nashville, TN to Louisville, KY	BNA to KSDF	150	1 hr 14 min	Kentucky Derby Museum
49	Louisville, KY to Charleston, WV	KSDF to KCRW	200	1 hr 38 min	West Virginia State Museum
50	Charleston, WV to Roanoke, VA	KCRW to KROA	90	44 min	Virginia Museum of Transportation

What do you think? I may go on the trip all by myself. Just because I can! Unless someone fantastic comes into my life, this is a way that I can prove to myself that I can do anything! But, if you qualify as being the best thing that has ever happened to me, then yes, please join me! I would love to have you come along with me to see the states in style!