COS Spring Mountain question
 

Hi all,
I'm looking to book my flights in and out of LAS, quick question on the day 2. I know class ends at 4pm, but with group photo and drive back to vegas and drop the rental, is it feasible to catch a flight at 7pm? Just looking for feedback on how soon one can drive off after the class ends at 4 and if traffic is bad to LAS. Thanks!

My experience at end of day 2 was that everyone gathers to buy the photos and or go to store to buy other stuff...the group pic is taken mid day. You can depart pretty quickly if you want...watch out for the speed trap ( 9 your fine, 10 your mine)....traffic for me was fairly slow the last 10 miles back into the middle of the strip...you might get away with a more direct route to the airport.
I stayed overnight and decompressed with a good meal and beer.

Good luck and enjoy it

ok thanks! If group pic is done earlier in the day then I think I can make it to the 7pm flight. I'll arrange something for photo pickup and can buy other memorabilia stuff the previous evening.

You should make it easy. 5 minutes of gripping and grinning and you're off. Traffic is super bad at that time of day but you should still make it easily by 1730 all in.

You've got time to make an evening flight IF nothing significant goes wrong.

For me, it was worth the $100 bucks to spend a night in Vegas and catch a morning flight out. Avoids the stress of a semi-hectic schedule after a tense day of driving.

But to answer your original question, yes, you will have time for an evening flight.

7 pm will require everything to go right, even if you leave by 4:10 pm, hit no traffic getting to the off-site rental car return and the shuttle bus and airport security, with TSE Pre run well.
Keep in mind if you leave at 4:10 pm (about as early as practical) you will be arriving at Las Vegas around 5:10-5:15, and there is afternoon rush hour congestion. You should be able to get to the airport by 6:15, but that would mean getting through security and on the plane in 30 minutes or less (boarding closes 15 minutes before departure) - without TSA Pre, it won't happen.
Having caught night flights back from LAS after going to SMMP, I won't book any flight before 8 pm, although each time I have gone I would have made a 7:30 flight.

Thank you guys! Very helpful feedback. Since my return day is on a Sunday so I'm hoping traffic to be easier to get thru. I do have TSA Pre so that should help as well.

I think your'e going to wish you'd booked a flight the next morning. Too many things to go wrong between leaving SM and arriving at your departure gate. For your own peace of mind, I'd highly recommend a flight the next day. That's what I did last year after my 2 days at COS.

I need to be back home by early morning for some other commitment otherwise I too would have preferred to spend a night in Vegas. Hope no murphy's law this time lol :nono:

Just take the warning about speed traps seriously. The instructors at Sprint Mountain will tell you that the local LEOs know when the school lets out and they set up traps on the drive back to Vegas. This goes double if you are driving your Vette to the school. Since you will be in a rental car that's a good thing. But I saw several successful catches of other cars on my drive back.

Not to beat a dead horse, but as I recall, there were at least two in my class who left early to catch that flight.

Good luck in any case!

What is the class activity between 3:30-4pm? I don't plan to miss any part of it but may consider it if it's just a wrap up discussion on last 2 days learning.

I have a redeye home leaving LAS at 11:00 pm on the second day of my school (October 2nd). Can anyone recommend a decent cheap hotel near McCarron airport that I can crash in until my flight?

We stayed 3 nights at the La Quinta Tropicana. For less than $100 per night with breakfast and close to Strip and airport we were pleased. Rooms were fine.

The day of the week can make a difference for commuter traffic, car drop off and congestion at LAS. Car drop off is at a remote facility with a bus to the airport, which is fairly efficient, but can be a challenge during peak times.
I've commuted in and out of LAS for 15 years, and If it were me, I'd consider a 7PM departure doable except on Friday or Sunday, when McCarran can be a real challenge getting thru security, worse if you're checking bags... Saturday is perfect, air traffic is reduced and car traffic is minimal. Rest of the week will have a significant commute traffic component, but at least the worst traffic is going the opposite direction on I215.

I was there in August and had a 5:45pm flight out of Vegas on the final day (saturday) . The group picture was taken before the last track session started (which ended at 3pm not 4pm). I skipped the final session and made it back to the airport and returned the rental car with plenty of time to spare (actually we had nearly an hour to catch dinner and drinks before we boarded).

Awesome experience, great people and a fun weekend on the track.