Yosemite National Park (The Granite Cathedral)

The Flight Experience

Yosemite offers a flight profile defined by sheer walls and water power. This is the most vertical national park in the world. You are not flying over a mountain range so much as flying inside a colossal room carved by glaciers. The scale here is deceptive; objects that look like small rocks are actually 3,000-foot monoliths.

For virtual pilots, the visual signature is The Valley Floor. While the high country (Tuolumne Meadows) is beautiful, the "Yosemite Valley" is the simulator showcase. It is a deep, narrow slot canyon with a flat green floor, surrounded by vertical grey cliffs on all sides. Flying through the valley—below the rim—is one of the most iconic, albeit restricted, experiences in aviation.

Visual Highlights

• El Capitan: The monolith. It is a 3,000-foot vertical wall of granite on the north side of the valley. From the air, it looks like the prow of a massive stone ship. The face is so sheer that it barely holds snow. Flying past the "Nose" of El Cap, you realize it is taller than the Burj Khalifa.

• Half Dome: The icon. Located at the east end of the valley, it looks like a perfect granite dome that was sliced in half by a giant knife.

  • The Visor: Look for the overhanging lip near the summit.

  • The Cables: In high-resolution scenery, you might spot the faint line of the cable route on the curved spine where hikers ascend.

• Yosemite Falls: One of the tallest waterfalls in North America (2,425 ft). From the cockpit, you can see all three sections: the Upper Fall (a massive plunge), the Middle Cascades, and the Lower Fall. It looks like a white ribbon painted onto the grey rock.

• Glacier Point: The ultimate observation deck. It sits directly across from Half Dome, 3,200 feet above the valley floor. It provides a perfect visual reference for your altitude—if you are level with Glacier Point, you are still thousands of feet above the valley floor.

Pilot’s Note

The "Box" Hazard. Yosemite Valley is a classic box canyon.

• The Trap: The valley floor rises as you head East, and the walls close in. If you fly deep into Tenaya Canyon (behind Half Dome) without enough altitude, you may find yourself trapped with no room to turn around and climb performance that cannot match the terrain gradient.

• The Law: Real-world NPS regulations request pilots maintain 2,000ft AGL above the canyon rims. However, in the simulator, the "Valley Run" (flying below the rim level but safely down the center) is the definitive thrill.

VFR Flight Plan: The Valley Loop

Departure: Mariposa-Yosemite (KMPI) Arrival: Pine Mountain Lake (E45) or Lee Vining (O24) for a trans-Sierra crossing.

Aircraft Recommendation: P-51 Mustang (for speed and history) or a CubCrafters XCub (for low and slow sightseeing). High-wing visibility is preferred to look up at the walls.

Cruise Altitude: 6,500ft MSL (Valley Entry) / 9,500ft MSL (High Country)

Total Distance: ~55 NM

Estimated Time: 30–40 minutes

Route Waypoints & Navigation

1. Departure: The Merced River Approach

• Takeoff KMPI: Depart North/Northeast.

• Navigation: Follow the deep gorge of the Merced River upstream (East).

• The View: The foothills (gold and brown) slowly turn into pine forests and grey granite. The V-shape of the river valley begins to look like a U-shape (glacial).

2. Waypoint 1: The Gates of the Valley

• Visual Cue: The valley opens up. To your left is El Capitan; to your right are the Cathedral Rocks and Bridalveil Fall.

• The Moment: This is the "Tunnel View" perspective from the air. The classic postcard shot.

• Action: Stay center-line. Do not hug the walls; the turbulence coming off the cliffs can be severe.

3. Waypoint 2: The Valley Floor Run

• Navigation: Fly East down the center of the valley.

• Visual Cue: Yosemite Falls appears on your left (North wall).

• The Scale: Look at the cars on the roads below. They look like ants. Look at El Capitan above you. It towers over your altitude.

4. Waypoint 3: The Half Dome Orbit

• Navigation: As the valley splits, Half Dome is directly ahead.

• The Maneuver: Initiate a climbing left turn into Tenaya Canyon (North of Half Dome) or a right turn towards Glacier Point.

• The View: Circle the dome. Look at the sheer vertical face on the Northwest side. The drop is terrifyingly straight.

5. Waypoint 4: Tuolumne Meadows (The High Country)

• Navigation: Climb hard (to 10,000ft) and head Northeast, following Tioga Road.

• The View: The landscape changes completely. The vertical cliffs are gone, replaced by huge, smooth granite domes and green alpine meadows.

• Visual Cue: Tenaya Lake—a stunningly clear, blue alpine lake visible from high altitude.

6. Arrival: The Gateway to the East

• Navigation: Cross Tioga Pass (the highest pass in California) and descend sharply towards Mono Lake.

• Landing: Lee Vining (O24).

• The Challenge:

  • The Descent: You are dropping from 10,000ft to 6,800ft very quickly.

  • The Visual: You are landing next to Mono Lake, an alien-looking ancient saltwater lake with tufa towers.

Simulator Setup Recommendations

Setting

Recommendation

Reason

Time of Day

Late Spring (4:00 PM)

In late afternoon, the sun hits the face of Half Dome and El Capitan directly, bringing out the texture in the granite. Early morning leaves the deep valley floor in dark shadow.

Weather

Scattered Clouds (High)

Clouds casting moving shadows on the valley floor add an immense sense of scale and depth to the cliffs.

Season

Late Spring (May/June)

This is mandatory for the waterfalls. In late summer/autumn, Yosemite Falls often dries up completely to a trickle. In Spring, it is roaring.