Shorly after taking off out of FCM, I climbed above an overcast layer and
caught a glimpse of the last of the sunset.
This being the first real cross-country flight in my new 201, I wanted to be fairly conservative about the length of the legs, especially while getting a precise handle on performance and fuel burn. My first stop was LAA in Lamar, CO. As Murphy's Law would have it, on my first night landing in 1DD, and on its first flight after the annual, the landing light was inoperative. As it turned out, it was the one detail that slipped by the shop. I can relate, since I've made that mistake myself after an oil change...you simply forget to reconnect the leads at their quick-connects. Anyway, it was interesting landing without the landing light, but nothing I hadn't done before. Taxiing at a completely unfamiliar, unattended field was the tough part. Many of the taxiways are unlit!
I tied 1DD down on the ramp, and I spent the night at the Best Western in Lamar.
The next morning, I flew southwest, and my route of flight took me over some interesting terrain. This particular lump looks kind of like a volcano.
Fortunately I flew right by Sedona. Beautiful red rock and canyons.
Here you can see Flagstaff off in the distance.
Another view of both Sedona and Flagstaff.
From there, I stopped at PRC in Prescott, AZ for fuel. Again, I probably didn't need to stop so soon, but I didn't want to take any chances. From there, it was a straight shot all the way over to SNA in Orange County, where I call home.
