The crew of wingin'it take their Mooney from the Los Angeles area to Borrego Springs in the California desert. The reason for the trip is Rams Hill Golf Club, where the biggest YouTube golf creators recently played a tournament. The crew are curious about the course, so they go and see it by air. The pilot expects the flight to take about 40 minutes.

Climbing over the Class Bravo

After departure, the crew ask for flight following and tell the controller the plan is to cruise above the Los Angeles airspace. The pilot explains the constraint in plain terms: the Mooney has to climb high enough to clear the Class Bravo before it can turn direct to Borrego Springs. With about 900 feet still to go, the direct routing is close, and the crew keep climbing towards 11,500 feet.

Calling ahead and reading up on the airport

The pilot knows little about the destination at first, apart from its 5,000 foot runway and an elevation of roughly 522 feet. A phone call fills in one practical gap. The airport normally has a car to collect visitors, but not today, so the staff pass on the number of someone who can pick the crew up. The airport notes then add more to think about: strong updrafts and downdrafts, possible turbulence and an aerobatic box on the north side of the field. Mountains with tops of 6,000 to 8,000 feet also stand between the Mooney and the desert floor, so the descent cannot start straight away.

Working out the landing distance

Closer in, the airport weather gives a density altitude of about 2,000 feet, and the pilot works through what that means for the landing. Crossing the numbers at 70 to 75 gives a landing of roughly 2,000 feet in this aircraft. Adding about 25 percent for the conditions brings that to 2,500 feet at most, half of the runway available. The services are all at one end of the field, so the crew also weigh up where they will roll out against the taxi back. Runway 26 comes up on the frequency, and the Mooney joins the left downwind for that runway before landing.