More often than not, most of us only ever see airplanes at airports, airshows, and flying overhead full of people heading to destinations unknown. Occasionally, we're lucky enough to be able to join others inside those flying metal cylinders called airliners bound for sunny warm destinations, skiing holidays or lifetime dream trips to exotic destinations. However, how many of you ever think about heading out on a flying trip?

Yes, a flying trip! If you're a licensed pilot you probably don't fly much further than, say, 100 miles from your home base, your flying club, your local airstrip. Maybe you head out to another airport for breakfast or lunch. Maybe you head to another "local" airport for a yearly fly-in, BBQ or corn roast. Well, there's a world out there waiting for you to discover it from the cockpit of your own, or your rental, aircraft and, with some planning and preparation, it's not out of the realm of possibilities for most of you to take such a holiday. Even if you're not a pilot but you have friends who are pilots, a little discussion, sometimes some convincing, and checking your savings account can have you winging your way to a new type of holiday.

In 2010 four of us planned a flying trip through parts of California and Arizona using one rental aircraft, a Cessna 182, and a friend's Cessna 182RG. In May of 2013 two of us did another flying trip, again renting a Cessna 182 ("4-6 Alpha"), and flew through the state of California from Palm Springs to the south and Truckee to the North and parts in-between.

The aircraft was rented from Magnum Aviation at South County Airport (E16) in San Martin, California about 30 minutes south of San Jose (by car). The folks at Magnum Aviation are there to help you with getting checked out in their aircraft and to ensure you're safe, not only with flying, but with all aspects of operating an aircraft while on your flying trip. They'll also ensure you have experience with, and a good knowledge of, mountain flying because, chances are, you'll be flying over and/or around mountains that reach skies above 13,000' while you're on your flying trip.

Once you have your checkout, and assuming you've made arrangements to book the aircraft well in advance of your planned flying trip, you can head out on your flying holiday. Of course, you'll have purchased your maps and charts, will have planned out your trip, plotted your course and have a light bag of assorted clothes and items you'll want while on the trip. Needless to say, a camera is a must!

So, off we went with our first stop, after leaving San Martin, being Palm Springs, California. It was our second longest flight at 3.1 hours however, with the scenery around you and the need to pay attention to controllers in the various zones you'll be flying through, time, shall we say, flies by!

Many think that Palm Springs is outrageously expensive but that depends on the time of year you visit the city. Having said that, even though it's quite a bit cheaper to spend time in Palm Springs in summer, I don't recommend it, unless you either like to cook in the heat and sun, or you simply want to stay in your hotel room. Spring is a good time to go as room rates at most hotels are, shall we say, affordable, and the weather isn't stupid hot. Having said that, it was 109F on the tarmac at Palm Springs when we landed, but we did go in late spring.

While in Palm Springs we took in the Palm Springs Air Museum located right at Palm Springs International Airport (KPSP), on east side of the airport and not too far from our FBO, Atlantic Aviation. If you've never been to the Palm Springs Air Museum it is highly recommended as a place to see while on a flying trip.

This week we spent some time chatting about YOU taking a flying holiday. We started OUR trip from South County Airport in San Martin with our rental aircraft, a Cessna 182 from Magnum Aviation. Our first stop was Palm Springs and then from there we'll travel north to Nevada County Air Park in Part II of California Flying continue on our trip visiting Truckee, Visalia, Atwater, Columbia and Harris Ranch.

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