Graduation Trip Flight Diary (Las Vegas, Grand Canyon West, Southern California Logistics Airport)

Finally found time to organize the itinerary of my undergraduate graduation trip with roommates at the end of May 2021. Since all roommates turned 21 in the first half of 2021, we chose Las Vegas as our graduation trip destination. Experience of various entertainment facilities was naturally essential, and the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon West, not far by car, were also landmark attractions we had to check off. The Southern California Logistics Airport is a relatively niche spot. While planning the trip, we found that Las Vegas is not far from the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California, which is a storage site for many retired and stored civilian aircraft. So we decided to rent a small plane at Apple Valley Airport near Victorville and fly over the Southern California Logistics Airport for aerial photography.

Day 1:

DL450 06:05-08:25 Chicago O'Hare - Seattle Tacoma

DL1187 11:30-13:58 Seattle Tacoma - Las Vegas

Took the shuttle bus to the rental car center at Las Vegas airport. Checked into Wynn Las Vegas (free parking for guests).

Day 2:

Took a helicopter aerial tour of Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas night view.

Day 3:

Visited the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign and Seven Magic Mountains in the morning, drove to Arizona in the afternoon to visit Grand Canyon West, returned to Las Vegas in the evening.

Day 4:

Drove early in the morning to Apple Valley Airport in California to meet the flight instructor we had contacted in advance. Took off for the Victorville Southern California Logistics Airport, 10 nautical miles away, for a one-hour self-piloted aerial tour. Landed and returned to Las Vegas.

Day 5:

Rode the "Manhattan Express" roller coaster at New York-New York Hotel, played go-karts at Vegas Superkarts in the afternoon. Strolled through the shopping mall in the hotel area in the evening, had dinner, then went to the airport to return to Chicago.

DL950 23:55-06:30(+1) Las Vegas - Detroit Metropolitan

DL3621 08:55-09:21 Detroit Metropolitan - Chicago O'Hare

We rented planes from an FBO called Midfield Aviation at Apple Valley Airport. FBO (Fixed Base Operator) is a general aviation service company providing integrated services such as flight training, sightseeing flights, aircraft maintenance, and refueling. We found Midfield Aviation's phone number on Google Maps about a month in advance, booked two planes and flight instructors, and informed them that we wanted to fly to the Southern California Logistics Airport for plane spotting. Since Apple Valley Airport is very close to Victorville, many aviation enthusiasts rent planes here for aerial photography, so as long as you say "photo flight" on the phone, the staff will understand. We had four people total, and the blogger has a private pilot license. Initially, we planned to rent one four-seat Cessna 172, but considering the high local altitude and temperature, as well as unfamiliarity with local terrain and aircraft equipment, we decided to rent two Cessna 172s and hire two flight instructors. It's best to arrive about half an hour before the scheduled flight time, as there will be pre-flight safety briefings and preparations. After landing, pay for the plane rental and the flight instructor's wages. The plane rental fee is charged based on engine running time; the Cessna 172 costs about $130 per hour. The flight instructor's wages are usually calculated based on flight time plus ground preparation time, about $50 per hour.

Drove two hours from the cornfields of the Midwest to Chicago O'Hare Airport early in the morning. O'Hare parking fees are very expensive, so we booked a parking spot at a hotel near the airport in advance on SpotHero, and after parking, we took the hotel's shuttle bus to the terminal.

After picking up luggage, follow the signs to the shuttle bus stop. The rental car center at Las Vegas airport is south of the airport, a distance from the terminal, so you need to take the shuttle bus, which takes about 10 minutes.

After picking up the car, we first went to China Fresh Tea to buy bubble tea, then drove directly to Wynn Las Vegas to check in. Wynn has a dedicated parking garage connected to the hotel and commercial complex. Parking is free for hotel guests.

Since we only slept a few hours before getting up and driving in the dark, I was quite tired, so we rested in the room in the afternoon. Dinner was at Galpao Gaucho, a Brazilian barbecue buffet across the street. The salad bar had a wide variety. The waitstaff came to the table with freshly grilled skewers of various meats and asked if we wanted any; if we did, they would slice off a piece. There were many types of grilled meat; I roughly counted over a dozen kinds of beef, lamb, and poultry. We went in hungry and came out stuffed. Walking back to the room served as a post-dinner stroll.

We didn't want to make the graduation trip too exhausting, and since we were tired from the previous day's travel, we stayed in the hotel and rested during the day. Brunch was at the Encore restaurant. The Wynn and Encore buildings (Phase 1 and Phase 2) are connected by a commercial complex with entertainment venues, shops, and restaurants. Many restaurants accept meal vouchers provided by the hotel. The front desk provides information about the vouchers at check-in.

Today's highlight was the helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. We booked a six-person Grand Canyon tour with Maverick Helicopter, departing from Las Vegas airport at 5 PM, flying over Hoover Dam, then deeper into the Grand Canyon, landing at a private airfield for a short rest, then returning to Las Vegas in the dark. The whole trip took about three and a half hours. The ticket was $499 per person, but considering that we could see many attractions from the air in just three hours, plus the drinks and snacks provided en route, it felt like good value, especially since the aerial views and photo angles were excellent. When placing the order, we filled in the hotel name, and a shuttle bus would pick us up.

Around 4 PM, we boarded the shuttle bus at the hotel entrance and arrived 15 minutes later at Maverick Helicopter's dedicated terminal on the west side of Las Vegas airport. At check-in, we received a number tag indicating which helicopter we were on. After a short wait, the pilot gathered everyone, gave a safety briefing, and we boarded and took off.

Maverick uses Airbus H130 helicopters, which seat seven passengers plus the pilot: three in the front row, four in the back. Everyone had noise-canceling headphones. The front row had the best view, and we could switch seats during the landing so everyone could experience the excellent front view.

Passed over Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.

Made a short stop at a private airfield. Champagne, other beverages, and snacks were provided.

On the way back to Las Vegas, we landed to refuel. There were many Joshua trees, unique to the Mojave Desert, near the airfield.

Before landing, we circled over the busiest part of Las Vegas.

After landing at Las Vegas airport, we took the shuttle bus back to the hotel. It was late, so we decided to find a place to eat nearby. After some searching, we chose SUSHISAMBA Las Vegas at The Venetian.

Today was mainly for sightseeing. After waking up, we went straight to Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen for a meal. This restaurant is one of the most famous in Las Vegas, requiring reservations three to four days in advance. Parking nearby is difficult, so we parked in the Caesars parking garage and walked about 10 minutes. However, Caesars is very large with many side paths, making it easy to get lost.

After the meal, we drove to the must-visit "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. The sign is near the airport, with ample parking. Many tourists were there, forming a line about 50 meters long. Although crowded, it was orderly, and we reached the front in about 15 minutes.

After everyone took photos, we continued south to Seven Magic Mountains, a set of colorful, artistic rocks. Unfortunately, it was under maintenance, so we took a few quick photos and moved on.

Since we still had time, we decided to drive to the Grand Canyon West park in Arizona, a two-hour drive one way. The glass skywalk at Grand Canyon West is quite famous; we had seen it in many promotional videos for the Grand Canyon, making it a landmark attraction. Eagle Point and other viewpoints in the park were also very distinctive. On the way from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West, we passed Hoover Dam. There is an exit on Interstate 11 near the dam that leads to Nevada State Route 172 (Hoover Dam Access Road), with a viewpoint and the option to drive across the dam. Since we had already photographed the dam from the air the previous day, we did not stop.

Following the GPS, we drove two hours to the ticket office of Grand Canyon West. Grand Canyon West is located within the Hualapai Indian Reservation and is part of the West Rim, different from the Grand Canyon National Park at the South Rim. Self-driving cars must park in the lot in front of the visitor center, and attractions within the park require shuttle buses. The park entrance fee plus the all-glass skywalk cost $59 per person. The park has three main stops, with the skywalk being the second.

The first shuttle stop was Eagle Point, named for its rock formation resembling a soaring eagle.

Before stepping onto the skywalk, we had to store all personal items, including phones and cameras. For photo needs, we could queue for staff to take pictures and purchase electronic versions to download to our devices.

The skywalk extends 20 meters from the cliff edge, with the canyon 1,200 meters deep and the Colorado River below.

The third shuttle stop was Guano Point. Climbing to the top of the rock and looking around, with the setting sun, we got some nice silhouette effects. There were also remnants of mining equipment from the 1930s on the cliff. The rusty steel structures against the magnificent Grand Canyon made for excellent photo compositions.

We headed back around 6 PM and arrived in Las Vegas near 8:30 PM. We decided to eat nearby. After a vote, we chose Maggiano's Little Italy, an Italian restaurant across the street.

Today's main activity was plane spotting at the Southern California Logistics Airport. After breakfast at the hotel, we drove to Apple Valley Airport in California, about a 3-hour drive. Apple Valley is also about 2-3 hours from downtown Los Angeles. Friends interested in aerial photography in Victorville could also depart from LA.

Arrived at Apple Valley Airport. Midfield Aviation's gate is inside the airport fence. We contacted the staff via intercom at the gate, said we had a reservation, and drove onto the tarmac, parking among small planes—a unique experience.

Our group of four split into two planes. The blogger and his girlfriend were in one plane, with the blogger flying and a flight instructor in the right seat providing guidance. The other two friends were in a plane flown by another instructor. The climate of the Mojave Desert in Southern California is very different from the Midwestern plains the blogger is familiar with. The high temperature and high altitude in the Mojave require pilots to manage engine RPM and fuel supply with greater precision.

Flew between two mountain peaks, and the Southern California Logistics Airport came into view.

The flight distance between Apple Valley and Victorville is very short, about 10 minutes.

The dry, rainless climate of the Mojave Desert is ideal for aircraft storage, making the Southern California Logistics Airport one of the largest aircraft storage and dismantling sites in the world. Many planes parked here are temporarily stored, waiting for their next buyer or lessee; after maintenance, they may return to the skies. Retired old aircraft are dismantled here, with reusable parts re-entering the market as spares for similar models.

Due to weak air travel demand during COVID, many airlines moved part of their fleets here for temporary storage. Additionally, the 737 MAX fleet, grounded due to flight bans, filled the airport to capacity. Besides the apron, one runway was also packed with stored civilian aircraft.

In addition to retired planes awaiting dismantling, there were also many new planes fresh from the factory, temporarily stored here because airlines delayed acceptance. Many have since left and resumed service.

We performed a few Touch & Go maneuvers (landing then immediately applying full throttle to take off again).

Returned to Apple Valley. Ahead was the plane carrying our friends.

Made a formation flight on final approach. Formation flying requires advance coordination between pilots on the radio frequency, maintaining separation.

Drove straight back to Las Vegas. Originally planned dinner at Din Tai Fung for xiaolongbao, but the queue was too long, so we changed plans. After searching, we chose a Thai restaurant called Weera Thai. The portions were much larger than expected; one salad was as big as a main dish. After finishing three salads among six people, we were already full. We ordered multiple servings of ice cream thinking each was a single scoop, but each serving turned out to be three scoops. To avoid waste, we forced ourselves to eat the extra ice cream.

Parked the car at the hotel and walked south along the Las Vegas Strip to digest. Las Vegas at night is very photogenic.

Since I had to attend an online seminar in the morning, we didn't plan any morning activities. Ordered room service for brunch and ate while listening to the experts on Zoom. The room service could be partially covered by the hotel's meal vouchers.

Checked out at noon and loaded luggage into the car. The first stop was the "Manhattan Express" roller coaster at New York-New York Hotel. The New York-New York Hotel (sorry, no photo) is an MGM property themed after the 1940s New York skyline, with buildings referencing the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, and the Statue of Liberty. The "Manhattan Express" is an attraction within the hotel, with cars modeled after New York yellow taxis, reaching a height of 203 meters and a top speed of 108 km/h. It was my first time riding a roller coaster amid the city's skyscrapers.

Then we went to Vegas Superkarts for go-kart racing. Initially, we learned that we could rent supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis on a dedicated closed track, but after seeing the high rental and insurance costs, we decided to play go-karts instead (QAQ).

With some time left, we decided to visit Fashion Show Las Vegas. It felt similar to other shopping malls in large cities, so we just wandered around to kill time before dinner.

Our last dinner in Las Vegas was at X Pot, known for wagyu hot pot. Reservations are needed a day or two in advance. We could order set meals or a la carte. Personally, for a larger group, ordering a smaller set meal and adding a few a la carte dishes is more cost-effective. I had never seen lobster broth before. The wagyu beef was incredibly tender. The per-person cost was higher than other hot pot places like Haidilao, but considering the quality of ingredients, it felt reasonable.

After a hearty meal, we headed back to the airport. We allowed some extra time to return the car, as taking the shuttle to the terminal takes a while, and the evening rush around 8-9 PM was peak for car returns, with many people queuing for the bus. We took a red-eye flight, spent the night flying, and after a layover in Detroit the next morning, arrived in Chicago at noon.

Our friends who chose a morning flight the next day booked another night at Aria. Here are some photos they took from their Aria suite.

Thanks to Han Dai, Hao Wu, Hanwen Gu, Yuqing Wu, and Yuyang Zheng for providing some of the photos.

Travel Notes Table of Contents:

1. Itinerary

2. Plane Rental Process

3. Day 1

4. Day 2

5. Day 3

6. Day 4

7. Day 5

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