Steve Sappington had flown into New Cuyama Airport (L88) in California several times in the years leading up to his formal involvement with the facility. He said the runway during his first visit in 2008 was “in decent shape.” 

Sappington’s second trip in 2019 was a wholly different experience. The airport, active since 1952, had begun showing its age. 

“The airport and property went through a few different hands and ended up with a gentleman who wanted to put it in the hands of the community through a nonprofit organization,” Sappingotn said. “So, he donated the airport and property to a nonprofit called Blue Sky Center. They are a community development organization, whose objective is to help the people of the Cuyama Valley. They always tried to take care of the airstrip but didn’t have a lot of money to do so. As a private GA airport, they are not eligible for federal airport grants.

“I flew back to the airport in 2019, and there were weeds all over the runway, so I had to be careful about how I landed. The folks at Blue Sky explained that their mower had broken and were unable to mow the runway. That kind of gives you a feel for what kind of condition the surface was in. Caltrans [California Department of Transportation] closed the airport for that and a few other issues. So, I asked whether any pilots had offered to help reopen the airport. I was told that some had offered to help but hadn’t come through. I thought maybe I could provide a focus for pilot support and see if we could reopen the airport.”

Since that time, Sappington and his wife, Nancy, have been an integral part of the flurry of activity at the airport. He explained that in order to recertify the airport, Caltrans required three major repairs: the runway, the runway overrun safety area, and the segmented circle.

It took a lot of effort to see the improvements through, according to the couple. A sizable collection of people pitched in to help get the airport reopened, including a dedicated aviator and entrepreneur from the northern part of California.

“About the time that we realized that the runway couldn’t be patched and had to be resurfaced, Blue Sky Center received an enquiry from a fellow pilot and Cessna 182 owner by the name of William Randolph Hearst III,” Sappington said. “He is in publishing, like his grandfather was, and was in New Cuyama a few decades before doing an article about the nearby [Sisquoc] Condor Sanctuary. So, he knew about the airport and the town, and reached out to the airport manager, [Emily] Johnson, asking how he could help. It was great timing, as I had come up to speed with the airport’s issues, and he came in saying that he might like to help.

“In the fall of 2021, at a volunteer work party event, we were trying to figure out our options for reopening the airstrip when one of the pilots, Mike Kent, asked if he could call the Caltrans aeronautics office to see if they could help. We huddled on the tarmac around Mike’s cell phone and explained our dilemma to [agency safety officer Dan] Gargas, who spent 40 minutes with us discussing some possible options to reopening the airport.

“When I later conveyed our Caltrans call to Mr. Hearst, he asked for a range of bids to better understand the options. It became apparent we needed a formal group to manage the scope of the effort. We formed the ‘L88 Circle’ with [Emily], Mike, Nancy, and glider pilot Kevin Shaw. With the help of another pilot, Jim Mitchell, a civil engineer and contractor, we gathered several rounds of quotes and found an inexpensive yet robust approach for paving the runway.”

These conversations would quickly take hold and improvements made.

“Mr. Hearst graciously provided the funds for the airstrip’s repavement and reconstruction of the runway safety areas,” Sappington said. “We reached out to the pilots and aviation enthusiasts for the remaining funds needed for airport striping and necessary improvements to the parking area. Work started on July 11, 2022, with Nancy and I as the Blue Sky Center project managers. With the support of the Blue Sky Center staff, many aviation volunteers, and dedicated contractors, the construction was completed on time.”

To the excitement of general aviation pilots in the area, New Cuyama Airport reopened in October 2022. The airport now boasts a smooth asphalt runway that measures 3,380 feet long. The Sappingtons emphasized that the airport is “away from it all.” But its remoteness, yet close proximity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, is one of its biggest draws to Southern California aviators, not to mention those from nearby states.

“It’s a unique place and it is so remote,” Nancy Sappington said. “You feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, and you are. The runway is longer than the town, which is three blocks wide. There is camping right next to the airstrip. We have received one grant from the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and are in phase one of that project, putting in some shade structures, platforms to put tents on, and signage. We would also like to create an area for big tire folks to taxi off the runway to a camping area that’s a little more remote with a shower facility.” 

She also highlighted several other overnight accommodations nearby, including rentable huts and the Cuyama Buckhorn, a renovated historic roadside resort that reportedly offers pilot discounts.

Steve Sappington also spoke to the future of New Cuyama Airport.

“The [Blue Sky] board is trying to plan for recurring maintenance of the runway, as well as future improvement projects,” he said. “We would also like to make it easier for people to visit things, such as Carrizo Plain National Monument, which is next door. We just had a superbloom, which was so magnificent.”

“And one of the coolest things to do here, since it’s a daytime-use-only airport, is going and sitting out on the runway at night and stargazing or watching a launch from Vandenberg [Space Force Base]. It’s kind of magical, and the feeling of remoteness and solitude is something that’s hard to get from the metropolitan areas that are only an hour or two away for pilots. That’s one of the big draws, I think.”

Pilots can stay apprised of New Cuyama Airport’s progress, as well as contribute to its efforts, at L88 Airstrip—Cuyama (visitcuyama.com).

The post Couple Take Lead on Reopening New Cuyama Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Downtown Island Airport (KDKX) transformed into a Halloween haven on October 22, as it hosted its first “Hallowings” trunk-or-treat aircraft event. More than 1,200 enthusiastic visitors flocked to the Knoxville, Tennessee, airport to witness the impressive display and take part in the fun as 15 private aircraft owners decorated their airplanes for the event. 

Rob Voyles, the director of general aviation at KDKX, expressed satisfaction with how the event turned out

“This event was a huge success for us,” Voyles said. “We believe Knoxville is a general aviation destination, and support from the local community is a big part of what makes DKX great.”

Flight schools based at KDKX, including Fast Track Flight Training, Knoxville Flight Training Academy, and The CAVU Pilot, along with the Knox County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, actively participated in the Hallowings celebration. Pilots distributed treats to costumed kids and parents.

A wide array of aircraft graced the occasion, including the sleek Cirrus SR-22, the experimental Van’s RV-10, the rugged Super Cub, and an agile American Champion 7GBC Citabria. The Knox County Sheriff’s OH-58 helicopter also drew attention.

“It was a lot of fun getting to meet people that might not have known they had an interest in flying,” said Eric Dragonetti, the founder of The CAVU Pilot flight school. “Getting to talk to people and further their interest in aviation is an awesome part of an event like this.”

The resounding success of Hallowings has paved the way for KDKX to make it an annual community event. The heartwarming response from the Knoxville community has reinforced the belief that aviation holds a special place in its heart.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Plane & Pilot.

The post Spooky Season Is in the Air appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When my wife and I bought our Commander 114B a year ago, we made a wish list of flying destinations as well as friends and relatives we could more easily visit thanks to this time-saving machine.

Then came the little indulgences, like a recent trip to Lebanon, New Hampshire (KLEB), to meet our older son for lunch and help him with some car trouble. He is in college in nearby Hanover and while the distance is driveable, it typically takes five hours. Annie the Commander can make it in just over one.

On this particular day, I had planned to fly to an earlier work-related appointment and was able to bundle the errands neatly and, if all went well, I would enjoy the rare accomplishment of two missions in one day. The weather was gusty—one of those days when every leg of the trip has a headwind component and all landings are crosswind. But it was still a nice, sunny flying day, just warm enough with a few scattered clouds.

The best part of a trip like this is knowing that I will not be held up by highway traffic jams over which I have no control. It is a rare road trip that is not prolonged at least somewhat by traffic that often congeals for no apparent reason. How many times, after setting off before dawn so we can finish a 500-mile trip in time for lunch, I struggled to reach our destination before dinner?

Flying, despite the pressures of planning, loading, briefing, and actually piloting the aircraft, is a far more relaxing endeavor because I am not worried about encountering road construction, accidents, or holiday volume around every bend. There are far more serious problems one might face aloft. And pilots might have to wait for days before the weather is appropriate for traveling by air. Still, I look back on dozens of long family vacation trips by car during which I looked up, saw an airplane overhead, and dreamed of flying the same route in my own aircraft someday.

While heading to New Hampshire on my recent jaunt, I looked down from 4,500 feet on traffic creeping through Massachusetts on Interstate 495, a road I have traveled often and rarely enjoyed. Every highway looked clogged as I cruised easily overhead. I wondered if any of the drivers happened to look up and see my airplane making good time and fading into the distance as their tempers flared.

My arrival in Lebanon was largely friction-free. I borrowed the FBO’s crew car for the drive to Hanover, where we installed a new battery in my son’s car, grabbed lunch, caught up on current events, and said our farewells as I dropped him off at his rowing team’s practice. Squeezing this visit into the day was surprisingly easy with Annie but would not have been possible in the car.

Less than 30 minutes later, I was calling ground, ready to taxi for departure to the south. The controller instructed me to hold briefly while a Hawker Beechcraft 900 cleared the taxiway. That wait of less than a minute was my only delay of the day.

You might think the trip home would have benefitted from a tailwind, but the breeze had shifted against us yet again. Despite this, I got back in time to pick up my younger son from his high school sports practice. It was not the first time the airplane has played a role in the elusive work-life balance.      

The post Your Ideal Aircraft Lets You Fit More Errands into One Day appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Jack Phillips and Karen DeBord shared an interesting idea to transition to retirement from the full-time workforce. Their thought was that, if they opened an on-airport bed-and-breakfast, they would not only be able to retire but also enjoy their passions at an elevated level while simultaneously sharing them with others. Phillips, a flight instructor and experimental aircraft builder, and DeBord, a lover of the arts and literature, decided to earnestly jump into this endeavor after building a timber-framed home that would become a B&B more than 10 years ago. 

The married couple’s new roles as proprietors of Bedford Landings in Moneta, Virginia, have hardly left them the time to focus on their former professions. Nor would they want to, as they are more than content mingling with their guests and ensuring their stays are memorable. 

“We first bought the property on Smith Mountain Lake Airport [W91] while living in Raleigh, North Carolina,” said Phillips. “We had been dating for about three years, working these professional jobs, and were ready to do something entirely different. I was a mechanical engineer, working in a medical device company, and Karen was a university professor. Both of us were ready to move on to something new.

“We bought this property because it was on an airport, where I wanted to be, and she wanted to return to Virginia, as she grew up about 75 miles west of Smith Mountain Lake in Blacksburg. A friend of mine, who knew I always wanted to live on an airport, called me one morning in January of 2006 indicating that he had some lots for sale on the airport at Smith Mountain Lake. As we were free that weekend, we hopped in the airplane and flew up here.”

DeBord picked up the remaining portion of the story, pointing out that their initial goal with the property wasn’t to operate a B&B.

“We didn’t have any idea that was what we wanted to do with it,” she said. “Somewhere along the line of when we first saw the lot, made an offer, and closed on it, we had the idea that we could retire early and run a fly-in bed-and-breakfast. The idea came from the fact that pilots are always looking for a place to go for the weekend.”

From the beginning, Bedford Landings was designed to be a bed-and-breakfast. The pair’s work didn’t only include attending workshops and reading books on the subject of running an inn. They also were heavily involved throughout the overnight accommodation’s construction process. 

After living in a travel trailer within their hangar for a year and a half, the B&B opened on the 110th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight. In 2023, it celebrated 10 years of operation. 

“It’s been a really good business,” Phillips said. “We estimate between 1,000 to 1,500 people a year come through our doors. So, in 10 years in business, we have had at least 10,000 people stay at Bedford Landings. And we estimate that about 20 to 25 percent of that number have been fly-in guests. That number is increasing each year, but it is hard to advertise to potential fly-in guests because they can come from anywhere.

“What has worked well for us, though, is word-of-mouth [advertising] from those who have stayed here. Also, social media has brought us guests. Actually, we find a lot of our pilot guests that have found us lately on ForeFlight, as well as a couple of different aviation social media sites. These folks are delighted when they can find a place where they can fly, tie down, and be able to see their airplane out the window.”

The husband-and-wife duo added that while the close proximity to the runway—a short taxi from Runway 5’s approach end—is a major plus, it’s not the only reason that pilots choose to spend time at Bedford Landings. They said that Smith Mountain Lake is a major tourist area, so recreational opportunities aplenty are close to the property.

“The big draw is the lake itself,” DeBord says. “The airport is on a peninsula within two coves on Smith Mountain Lake, which is a good-size lake. It’s 22,000 acres, and there are 500 miles of shoreline. It’s a truly beautiful sight when you fly over it in your airplane. It’s just gorgeous because there is both water and mountains.” 

Phillips jumped in to finish the summary of local attractions.

“There is a rental [business] at the airport ($20 per day), so people that fly in here can rent a boat to enjoy the lake, for example,” he said. “As far as other things to do in the area, the National D-Day Memorial is in Bedford, Virginia, which is only 20 miles from here, and that’s worth seeing. The Booker T. Washington National Monument is right on the other side of the lake, [and it] has an educational and enjoyable tour. There is also horseback riding, alpaca farms, and a lot of other things to do around here.”

The lake is a tourist attraction year-round, but summertime remains Bedford Landings’ busy season. 

“Typically, we have somebody here every night,” he said. “It’s a seasonal lake and, of course, the height of our popularity is from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For example, this past July, we had 74 room nights. So, on average, we have at least two rooms occupied every night. We will usually have one or two rooms with guests each night of the week and then all four booked on the weekend.

“It’s a deep lake. It’s 285-feet deep at the dam, and it’s still 120-feet deep at the bridge that’s 8 miles away from the dam. Because of the depth, the water doesn’t cool off very quickly, so you can still swim in October. And there are less tourists here then. I’m one of the seaplane instructors at the airport, and I will similarly tell people the best time to come get their seaplane rating is October. During the summer months, the lake is often too busy for float operations—as there are too many gawkers. Seaplanes are boat magnets.” 

The post Bedford Landings Offers B&B Accommodations to Fly-In Guests appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A yearslong project to test and evaluate a remote ATC tower at Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland has been cut short, for now, the Colorado Department of Transportation said.

Since 2015, CDOT’s Division of Aeronautics has been working with the airport and FAA to bring remote towers to the state’s airports and has used KFNL as a test case. Under the system, controllers use arrays of video cameras and other sensing equipment to conduct ATC operations at a lower cost compared with traditional control towers.

• READ MORE: Remote ATC Testing to Begin at Northern Colorado Regional Airport

In 2020, Canadian company Searidge Technologies provided a mobile air traffic control tower at the airport as a step toward testing and eventually certified a permanent remote tower. Recently, though, following a number of difficulties ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to changing FAA certification standards, Searidge notified the FAA that it would halt work on the tower program.

State transportation officials said the airport, which was nontowered prior to the start of the remote program, will continue to operate with its current mobile  remote tower while the state, airport, and FAA decide on how to proceed. Options include continued development of the remote tower system or a traditional air traffic control tower.

“While we are disappointed to see Searidge leave the remote tower program, we remain optimistic that the cost-effective benefits of remote tower technology will have tremendous value to Colorado’s future aviation system, and we intend to vigorously support future development of the technology,” said David Ulane, the CDOT’s aeronautics director.

Airport officials said there is “significant interest” among other potential suppliers of remote tower technology to continue development of KFNL’s planned remote systems. They said they plan to work with the FAA to possibly reach an agreement with such a supplier.

“The remote tower has already provided an exceptional, innovative pathway to meet the operational demands of our growing airport in a safe, cost-effective, and timely way,” said David Ruppel, Northern Colorado Regional Airport’s interim director. “While this news is unfortunate, we are confident that with the FAA’s ongoing support, CDOT’s commitment to this project and our airport, as well as interest from other highly qualified vendors, we will be able to carry this effort forward.”

Searidge did not respond to a request for comment. 

The post Remote ATC Tower Project on Hold in Colorado After Supplier Bows Out appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Spending time as a janitor in his early 20s was one of the most formative roles in Michael Peters’ life. Not only for the doors that it opened for him in the aviation industry, but also for introducing him to the community he would move to decades later—Leeward Air Ranch (FD04). 

“I grew up in Ocala [Florida] and always wanted to be a pilot, from the time that I was a little boy,” Peters said. “I went into the Army at 17 to be a warrant officer, a helicopter pilot—as I had learned to fly in high school. But I couldn’t because my vision went bad, so I became a crew chief and door gunner on Hueys [helicopters]. After four years, I came home and my first job in aviation was as a janitor at the Ocala [International] Airport [KOCF]. There was an ad in the newspaper, and I knew that was my chance.” 

Peters and his wife, Angie, had been living downtown for roughly a decade and decided they were ready for a change of scenery in 2015. There were only two places the Floridian and aviator would consider living: on the water or at an airpark. 

“A gentleman that was the manager at the time I was working at Ocala airport actually lived at Leeward [Air Ranch],” Peters said. “So, I always had this place in the back of my mind because it had the coolest airplanes, including a variety of warbirds. The community held a fly-in once a year during Sun ’n Fun [Aerospace Expo in Lakeland], and the FBO linemen went over there once to help park planes. It was fascinating for me as someone who loved aviation and was finishing my ratings.” 

The central feature of Leeward Air Ranch (FD04), Peters explained, is its 6,247-foot-long, lighted, grass runway. This well-manicured turf runway is among the longest in existence and welcomes some of the area’s finest aircraft. 

“It’s a great neighborhood and is one of the bigger fly-in communities, with 200 homes,” he said. “We have a lot of get-togethers and a community center, where various events are often held. On any given week, somebody is usually hosting a happy hour at their house. It’s a good time, you know? Because you have to be a pilot to purchase a house here, there is a real heavy focus on general aviation, whether it’s warbirds, sport aircraft, or homebuilts. Whatever your flavor is in aviation, it’s here. Some guys are in more modern airplanes with fancy avionics, and others are in antiques. Others have RVs only. So, it’s a really diverse place in terms of interests, but they all share the common interest of flying.”

This focus on aviation of all kinds is not by accident, according to Leeward Air Ranch’s website. The community was designed as a place “for pilots by pilots” and was spearheaded by a multigeneration family with roots in aviation, the Leewards. Their attention to cultivating a neighborhood with like minds continues to this day, as several family members are actively involved in the airpark’s operations. 

It wasn’t long after Peters moved to Leeward Air Ranch when his neighbors left an indelible mark on him. Their strong interest in Chinese-built warbirds swayed him to join the ranks of their aerial reenactment organization. 

“I bought a Nanchang about a year after moving in and started flying formation with others in the neighborhood who own them,” Peters said. “There were about four or five others here, and they were all in the Red Star Pilots Association (RPA), and I’ve now become the Southeast regional director for that group. We have our own little squadron here in the neighborhood, that we call the Humble Squadron—named after Richard Langer, who passed away last September. We jokingly called him our commander. And Kevin Campbell, the guy who hired me at the FBO 30 years ago, ironically, also still lived here and was a Red Star instructor. So, I was flying with him too.” 

Peters said there are presently 10 or so members in the group, which performs around a dozen flyovers, including NFL games, NASCAR races, Veterans Day parades, Sun ’n Fun, and others. 

“We practice mostly out of Leeward,” he said. “So, on any given weekend, you will see four, five, or six Nanchangs come in there doing passes for our hometown crowd there in the neighborhood. Everybody seems to appreciate that.” 

Not only can those who sit outside their hangars be entertained by the array of airplanes whizzing by, they may catch the sights of the same aircraft performing in the distance as well. Peters said Leeward boasts a full-time aerobatic box at the south end of the runway, extending from the surface to 3,000 feet. This practice area will come in handy for an event planned for next month. 

“One of the neighbors, Tim Savage, and myself have partnered up,” Peters said. “We are going to bring back an annual warbird fly-in here [on Saturday]. It’s going to be a warbird only fly-in, and we are expecting a really good turnout for that. We should have a fair turnout of both American and communist airplanes, multiple fighters, plus formation flight demonstrations by NATA [North American Trainer Association] and the RPA.”

The post Leeward Air Ranch Puts on a Variety Show appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Phragmites Australis, also known as ditch weed, is an invasive species in Wisconsin. When it threatens to take over your land, you could spend thousands of dollars to hire a small army to rip the plants out by hand or spray herbicide that could create its own problems–or you could do what the folks at Appleton International Airport (KATW) and rent a herd of sheep for organic removal of the invasive plant which is growing in the Casaloma Conservancy area northeast of the airport.

According to airport officials, when an airport does any kind of development or expansion, it is required to replace developments with wetlands and conservancy areas where staffers manage invasive species. The airport purchased the property in 2011. It is a popular open space for hiking and getting back to nature as it has a short hiking trail.

It is a balancing act, notes Luke Bettis, landside operations supervisor for KATW, as they add plants to the conservancy then have to protect them from hostile weeds such as phragmites and buckthorn. “We spent about $2,500 on trees for the conservancy back in spring. If we use chemicals such as herbicides for the invasive species of plants, we could have killed or heavily damaged the trees.” Bettis also needed to find a cost effective way to manage onsite vegetation.

Bettis considered the idea of renting goats as gardeners. However, in addition to eating grass and non-native species the goats would also chow down on the newly planted trees, as goats are known for being non-discriminatory when it comes to feeding. They are also a high-spirited animal with no regard to fences or property lines, which could potentially create a new set of problems.

Bettis continued to look for options, and a social media post led him to Wooly Green Grazers, a sheep-based organic brush removal service located a few miles away. The sheep have a more discriminating palate, says Roxie Emunson, who owns Wooly Green Grazers with her husband Daniel. It is a new business for them—he recently retired from the U.S. Marine Corps. She grew up in Oklahoma and raised sheep in 4-H.

“Finally in 2020, with it being his last duty station, we bought our first two ewes and started. By the time we were ready to move to Wisconsin, we had four ewes and three rams.”

Before the sheep could be deployed, the Emunsons make sure there is no milkweed in the area as that is toxic for sheep. Once that threat was mitigated, the sheep were deployed. For the better part of a month, the flock, consisting of Old English Southdown and a few crossbreeds, bivouacked and chowed down on the approved conservancy vegetation. They selflessly consumed hostile phragmites, buckthorn, and blades of grass, 24/7 . They were kept contained—and people and predators kept out—by electric fences.

“These are smaller sheep breed, not those big ones. They are sometimes called babydolls and no larger than 26 inches tall. They are petite sheep,” Emunson  explained. The portable sheep pen was moved weekly, and there were signs up to warn people not to disturb the sheep because they were working.

Remote surveillance in the form of a trail camera was also set up. “There was one particular sheep that kept coming in for a close-up. We named her Farrah. She liked to be on camera,” Emunson says.

Wisconsin has been experiencing a drought of late, and that proved beneficial since the land in question is considered wetland, but it was dry enough that the sheep did not have any traction issues as they accomplished their munching mission.

According to Bettis, the cost for sheep transport and setting up the fence was approximately $1,500, about $1,000 less than traditional methods—and best of all the newly-planted trees were kept safe.

There is talk about bringing the sheep back for future missions.

“It’s good for the environment, and it’s good for our souls because it’s almost therapeutic to watch them,” Emunson said. “My husband likes to say that we like raising and grazing!”

You can find Wooly Green Grazers on Facebook.

The post Sheep Thrills at Appleton Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Tom Martin, a private pilot and Cessna owner, is a resident of Lynden Municipal/Jansen Field (38W) in Washington. Having flown there many times after first moving to the area, he knew that one day he would call the fly-in community home. 

“Most recently in 2014 (after living many places inside of and outside the U.S.), my wife and I were living just outside of London,” Martin said. “But we had both fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and we decided that Bellingham, Washington, would be a great place to settle. It is just this beautiful city and we moved here in 2015. I came for my profession. I’ve been a registered respiratory therapist for more than 30 years, with both clinical and medical device industry experience.

“We became aware of the airport probably six months after we started living here. I was a part of a flying club at another airport and, while it wasn’t discouraged to fly to Lynden Airport, the airport is kind of unique with a short, narrow runway with houses on either side. So, my first introduction coming here was flying VFR with my instructor to get a sign-off for the flying club. I have to say that I’ve probably landed here more times than I can remember because I knew that I wanted to live here someday and wanted to be ready for that. I had fallen in love with the airport and the community of pilots here. I wanted to be a part of it.”

Martin made his vision a reality a little over a year ago, he explains in a video on his YouTube channel, “Ginger The Plane.” The video, which has tallied more than 100,000 views, highlights the aviator’s passion for flying, as well as what led him to becoming an airpark resident.  

“Aviation has been a passion in my life from my earliest memories to the present day,” he said. “I grew up near an active U.S. Air Force base during the height of the Vietnam War and saw all types of aircraft in the skies above every day. I had hoped to pursue a career in aviation as a pilot in the military, but nearsightedness found me first. I decided to pursue a private pilot’s [certificate] and have been a general aviation pilot since 1990. 

“My wife, Kerstin, and I purchased our Cessna 172M Skyhawk in 2020 and bought a hangar at Bellingham International Airport (KBLI) soon thereafter. After buying an airplane and a hangar, we thought we had ‘made it’ until we found our airport home in Lynden in August 2022. Living close to a runway and your airplane is truly ‘next-level’ special.”

The economics of hangar homes in the area made the idea of living at the airport more of a dream than a reality, Martin explained. Luck was in his favor, though, as a home within the couple’s price range unexpectedly became available. But they had to act fast. 

“We were not looking to buy a house; our little condo was a great place to live,” Martin said. “A good friend let me know a house was for sale at Lynden Airport. I mentioned my friend’s text to my wife the following morning, and she responded pretty positively that we should at least look at it. We viewed the house later that day, and we had an accepted offer within 24 hours of my friend’s text. Wow, now we have to sell the condo and move!”

The change was an agreeable one, and the couple quickly felt at home in their new neighborhood, surrounded by aircraft and other aviation enthusiasts. The airport was immediately welcoming to them and their desire to give back. 

“Lynden Municipal/Jansen Field is a rare and precious jewel in our community’s crown,” Martin said. “It’s the only hard surface runway in Whatcom County besides BLI. In a natural disaster, such as the recent Nooksack River flooding, or much-anticipated Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, Lynden Airport will provide a vital staging point for air evacuation, delivery of medical supplies, and serve all northern Whatcom County area communities. This airport also attracts pilots from across western Washington who buy fuel and visit local businesses (for meals and gift shopping). My interest in serving the city as an airport advisory board member stems from a sincere desire to give back to my community. In addition, the airport community is friendly, warm, and welcoming. It’s the closest thing to pilot heaven that I’ve ever found/ We’re very happy here!”

As evidenced through Martin’s YouTube channel, he’s been putting in work in the air. He routinely explores parts of the Pacific Northwest within striking distance of his new home.

“Northern Washington is amazing,” he said. “And Washington as a whole has incredible things for pilots to see. I’m particularly partial to the northwest corner of the state, where we have the San Juan Island chain that we can fly to. There are all kinds of airports on most of the islands, and there are good restaurants out there. You can get from Lynden to any of the islands in 15 or 20 minutes. Also, we have Mount Baker, our local volcano. It has a 10,000-foot peak and is still an active volcano, actually. If you fly around the summit, you can sometimes see the caldera and get a whiff of sulfur, so you know it’s still alive in there.

“Something to keep in mind when you come here is that Canada is also nearby, so you can cross the border and easily get to Vancouver [British Columbia]. Seattle is also not too far away. In two hours, you can be down to the middle of Oregon, and in three hours you can be to the border of California. It’s really not that difficult to find things to do around here.”

Martin also mentioned that his one of his favorite things to do with his 1973 Skyhawk.

“I’ll tell you what blows my mind the most about living here is something as simple as a sunset flight.” he said. “You take off an hour before sunset, get to the western edge of the San Juan Islands, and the only thing left between you and the Pacific Ocean is Vancouver Island. You then watch the sunset. It’s just incredible and it humbles you. And when you turn back to the east to head home, you see the sun setting on the summit of Mount Baker. It is indescribable.”

The post ‘Ginger The Plane’ YouTube Channel Allows Pilot to Share Airpark Experience appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In response to community concerns over lead exposure from piston aircraft, the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) in Broomfield, Colorado, has announced ambitious plans to transition to unleaded fuel three years ahead of the FAA’s deadline.  

In unveiling its intent, KBJC said it is already in the process of transitioning to UL94 unleaded aviation gasoline with a completion goal of fall2024. Additionally, as 100UL becomes more widely available, KBJC said it will “proactively and fully” transition to 100UL in the next two to three years—well ahead of the FAA’s 2030 deadline. 

“Our team’s commitment to innovative solutions and community collaboration is why the airport’s full transition will be well in advance of the FAA deadline,” said KBJC director Paul Anslow. “The aviation industry is working to scale production of 100UL for the larger market, and we feel confident that availability will rapidly increase while the price decreases. Our goal is to be the first airport in the state [of Colorado] that fully transitions to unleaded fuel.”

• READ MORE: G100UL Avgas Replacement Set to Soon Hit Pumps

Like several airports across the country, KBJC has faced harsh criticism from nearby residents raising health concerns when it comes to lead poisoning from piston aircraft. Residents have also complained of the uptick in air traffic at KBJC. According to AirNav, as the third-busiest airport in Colorado, KBJC sees an average of 718 operations per day with 476 aircraft based on the field including single- and multiengine piston, jets, and helicopters. It has also been reported that the additional activity has locals fearing the lead situation is worsening.  

According to a local news source, the town of Superior sent a letter to the FAA and Jefferson County Commissioners asking to make unleaded fuel available at KBJC.

• READ MORE: Federal Funding Could Speed Development of Unleaded Aviation Fuel

“The Superior Town Board [of Trustees] is concerned about the continuing and irreversible damage that lead air pollution from avgas inflicts on our community—particularly to the health and development of exposed children,” the letter stated.

Other Colorado airports have also taken advantage of UL94. In May, Centennial Airport (KAPA), located southeast of Denver in Englewood, became the first in the state to offer unleaded aviation gas. 

According to Anslow, KBJC’s purchase of a new fuel truck and storage tank for the unleaded fuel has charted the course for the transition to be complete by 2024. 

“This transition is about balance and innovation,” said Jefferson County commissioner Tracy Kraft-Tharp. “Responsible airport development brings jobs and opportunity to the county’s residents and businesses while protecting the quality of life of our citizens.”

The post Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport Announces Ambitious Plans for a Lead-Free Future appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The next time you go to the airport, keep your eyes open for a hangar that is different from the others. Perhaps it’s larger than those that surround it. Or sports a different shade of beige, tan, or gray. Maybe the hangar door is half open, with your dream airplane peeking out—impatiently waiting to take to the skies.

One difference that you typically will not spot at your local municipal airport is a timber frame hangar. That is something the team at Homestead Timber Frames is looking to change.

Andrew Bourret, the company’s CEO and a retired Navy SEAL commander, said the detail-oriented process of timber frame construction is perfect for hangars. Bourret contends that introducing this type of structure to the homogenous mix of metal hangars at airports will prove not only to be more aesthetically pleasing but functional as well.

“If aviation is your religion, why not build a church around it?” Bourret said. “Large, exposed, heavy timber beams put the natural grain patterns, texture, and color variations on display, adding an organic warmth wherever they are used. Each timber beam reflects the passion and care with which the timber frame was constructed, adding that beautiful ‘wow factor.’ Natural checking and proud wooden pegs lend themselves to the euphoric feeling associated with the enduring style and artistry of timber framing.”

The “form-versus-function” debate is often brought up with this type of structure, since people have grown so accustomed to steel buildings.

“We all need a roof over our head, and buildings to protect our things,” Bourret said. “What form will those buildings take? If you care about how the spaces that you occupy make you feel, then we can create a space to create those feelings. Wood is warm and inviting. Wood invokes feelings other building material cannot.”

Bourret also briefly highlighted some of the purported tangible benefits that timber structures have compared to conventional structures. His explanation included longevity, an efficient build process, eco-friendly aspects, energy efficiency, and a favorable fire rating.

Aside from a timber frame structure’s outward appearance, one of its most striking elements is the build process. Bourret said a 50-foot-by-60-foot hangar project that the company recently completed was assembled on the ground in one day. It was then raised into place by crane in 18 hours.

“Timber frame structures are quicker to install than most conventional buildings,” he said. “Because the timber frame is cut, trial fit, and stacked before being shipped to the job site, time on site is cut down tremendously. When structural insulated panels are used with timber framing, it can take days as opposed to weeks to ‘dry in’ a structure.”

This video provides an overview of the pre-construction process, including the trial fit of the hangar – prior to it being transported to the job site. 

While the company has been creating structures for nearly 20 years, hangars are a new introduction to its portfolio. Although structurally and construction-wise, they are very similar to other types of timber frame structures. 

“My friend David Auxier built a strip in front of his home,” Bourret said. “One day while visiting, I suggested he build a beautiful timber frame hangar and ditch the metal box. He agreed. He could see the ultimate toy garage for his hot rod and airplane. [Timber structures] are unlike anything else because it’s flat out stunning.”

The second timber frame hangar that the company built wasn’t for a client but rather for thousands of potential clients. Homestead Timber Frames brought a quarter-scale model of the same hangar that it recently erected in Idaho to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in July. The hangar mock-up was reportedly a hit with attendees and proved to be a conversation starter between them and the company, leading to a deposit and several dozen serious leads.

A pilot himself, Bourret hopes that a third of the timber framer’s business will soon be dedicated to aviation structures. Right now, the company employs seven craftsmen, and the majority of its business is custom homes and outdoor pavilions.

“We are really interested in working with clients that are interested in doing something different,” he said. “That’s the culture of our company. Our guys pride themselves in manufacturing large structures the way they were done before the industrial revolution.

“We named the first hangars after members of our team [The ‘Kirkwood,’ the ‘New Dawn,’ the ‘Dennis,’ and the ‘Javan’), who were the inspirations for the designs. Homestead Timber Frames is a family first and foremost of like-minded people. Like a [Navy] SEAL platoon, each member is highly educated, skilled, and dedicated to the art of heavy timber structures built using pre-industrial revolution technology.”

With the company based in Crossville, Tennessee, Bourret didn’t have to look far for skilled hands specialized in the art of timber work.

“We recently increased our production capability and staff by two,” he said. “Most of the guys here have a bachelor’s [degree] in furniture manufacturing and did an apprenticeship at the Appalachian Center for Craft at Tennessee Tech University. After that, it takes about a year for them to get up to speed on how to do timber frame. And it takes years to ingrain the skills required to learn how to design and create. Therefore, we support institutions committed to keeping the art alive. For instance, we’ve had interns from the American College of the Building Arts come to Homestead Timber Frames two years running.”

This new saga in his professional life is as designed, since Bourret has always sought to be remarkable to others. He aims to bring this mindset to other pilots through custom-designed timber structures for their aircraft.

“Early in life, I determined that I wanted to live a life that was far from ordinary,” he said. “I wanted to do meaningful work and have meaningful relationships with like-minded, exceptional people. I found that in the SEAL teams, and Homestead Timber Frames is the civilian version. Our clients want exceptional homes, hangars, castles, and pavilions. They want to have a meaningful relationship with like-minded, exceptional people that care about the spaces they intend to occupy. That’s our team. That’s Homestead Timber Frames.”

The post Timber Frame Hangars Offer Classy Cover appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

San Carlos Airport (KSQL) is special. The airport not only sits in a picturesque location in the San Francisco Bay Area but also boasts a number of strategic infrastructure investments that have created a high-end general aviation experience. 

The investments include nearly 50,000 square feet of new hangar space and another 22,000 square feet of common area, office space, and meeting rooms. 

All of this work was completed in spite of KSQL’s natural limitations, which some would say could have made the ambitious project a nonstarter. Because of the surrounding geography, the airport’s 2,621-foot-long asphalt runway cannot be extended. Even with the relatively short operating confines, the publicly owned airport is bustling with activity and boasts a growing tenant list of owner-flown airplanes. FAA records indicate that there are presently several hundred aircraft based at San Carlos Airport. 

Skyway Center

From the initial due diligence stages, Douglas Wilson, president and senior partner of FBO Partners, was confident that the Skyway Center would be a one-of-a-kind, timeless development. Wilson immediately expected that this undertaking would be the perfect solution to meet the needs of discerning pilots looking to base their aircraft between San Francisco and San Jose, California. 

• READ MORE: Runway 2 RV Seeks to Put More Recreation in Aviation

“Skyway Center is really unique in aviation real estate for one reason. It [sits] on fee simple property,” Wilson said. “This means that it is not on leased airport land like almost every other parcel adjacent to an airport in the United States. Fee simple land with a through-the-fence agreement means that the ground is owned privately. [That makes a difference, because] typically at the end of a lease term, all of the improvements—$20-plus million dollars of them—[would] revert back to the airport.

“In this case, residual is always there. Fee simple land allowed for the construction of such a general aviation facility that otherwise may not have made sense had it been on a short-term, twenty-year lease.”

Luxury Hangars

This luxury general aviation hangar project was decades in the making, said Martin Eisenberg, an attorney who had long been involved with the property. Eisenberg provided a brief overview of the entrepreneur who bought the speculative land investment that would ultimately become Skyway Center.

“Sydney Levin was born in 1923 here in San Mateo County,” said Eisenberg. “Alongside his wife, Zelda, he operated a bar nearby for many years and really became entrenched in the San Carlos business community. He was also involved in the [auto]wrecking business and for many, many years he ran San Carlos Auto Wreckers, which was situated on property just to the east of U.S. 101 near the airport. He then decided to buy some additional property out there, which adjoined the airport. His friends would ask him why he bought that land, because it wasn’t good for anything really but growing corn and having some wrecked cars.”

For many years, the Levins’ land adjoining San Carlos Airport served those purposes, before being leased to a third-party on a 40-year term. A small office building and several T-hangars were built by the family who had leased the property. Over time, the hangars and offices built by the third-party began to fall into disrepair. Like an airport with leased land, once the term expired in 2005, those improvements, in poor shape, reverted to the Levins. Unlike the 1960s when he first bought the land, however, the potential for something unique sparkled.

• READ MORE: Colorado Listing Offers View into Reality of Airport Ownership

“The waiting list for hangars that were situated at San Carlos Airport was years long,” Eisenberg said. “We came to realize that this was a very unusual piece of property, and it could be developed into a world class aviation facility. But in order to do that, we needed a long-term right of entry agreement to enable aircraft to pass from this property on to the airfield. 

“When Sydney Levin got the property back, there were still five or so years left on the right of entry agreement that existed with the ground lessee. We needed a long-term agreement because you can’t spend millions of dollars building an aviation facility if you are only allowed to have aircraft enter the airfield for a short period of time. I started working on this in 2011 and it took until about 2018 before I was able to pen an agreement with the county for what is essentially a 50-year, right-of-entry agreement [a 30-year agreement with four five-year options].”

With the entry agreement in hand, Eisenberg began formally outlining the vision for the property’s future. Through discussion with several parties in the aviation construction industry, it became apparent that the development’s final state would be a refined general aviation offering that was unlike others in the region.

Not for Everybody

Customer segmentation is a concept that the business ecosystem in Silicon Valley understands well. It was a focus that Wilson has found served them well in this project. 

“Part of the headline is that Skyway Center is not for everybody but for those that have a very special desire for a high-end aviation experience,” he said. “General aviation, by and large when we think of it, is small airplanes, rural airports, and T-hangars. But the advent of Cirrus, in particular, brought in an entirely new and novel generation into the skies. They were appealing to an all-new demographic to join aviation.

“What that means is that people in the Bay Area, for example, are buying a brand new SR22T and learning to fly in that aircraft. And if you have a million-dollar airplane, it makes sense to store it at a high-end facility that provides a high-level, high-touch service. Many of our clients are high-net-worth individuals. They often work in technology and likely have a multimillion-dollar home. They don’t necessarily want to go to the airport, move the rusty doors on the T-hangar, and pull their back out, moving their plane out onto the ramp.”

So how does this new product at San Carlos vary from competing options? 

“To an aviation tenant, Skyway Center not only rivals but, in most cases, is superior from a fit, finish, and experience level, to even a name brand, high-end FBO,” Wilson said. “We offer community hangars, as well as private and semi-private hangars. All tenants have access to the Aviators’ Club, as we call it. The club is encompassed within a glassed-in area, where you can look at the entire central aviation ramp outside the building. That area is exclusive to aviation tenants. In addition to gigabyte high-speed Wi-Fi, there are workspaces, a true lounge with leather furniture and large-screen television, a full kitchen sans range, and golf club type wooden lockers—perfect for storing your headset or wine for a post-flight celebratory drink. This offering has been very well received by pilots.”

Aviators have also been pleased by the care that went into the design of the hangars at the Skyway Center. Wilson explained that the major value proposition for these spaces is that they are “pristine…squeaky clean, bone dry, bright, modern, secure, comfortable, and convenient.”

• READ MORE: New Fly-In Rentals Offer Open Door to Canada’s Napa Valley

“To summarize the space, there is community hangar storage,” he said. “This rents for about $2,000 per month for single-engine airplanes, roughly. There is also semi-private storage, which is a 5,000 square foot hangar—about $14,000 per month. And then you have the small private hangars that each have one airplane per hangar, which are about $7,000 per month.”

A noteworthy aspect of the development is that each hangar is atypically named after a famous aviatrix, rather than letters. So instead of “A, B, C, D,” and so on, the hangars are named Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman and Christa McAuliffe, among others. The homage to female pilots is evident not only in this naming convention but also the Skyway Center’s commitment to the Women in Aviation International organization. Wilson said his group  helps to endow an annual $5,000 scholarship, the Skyway Center Aviatrix Scholarship that is administered through this group.

The post Luxury General Aviation Airport Project Overcomes Limits appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A problem confronted by a Nashville, Tennessee, aircraft maintenance shop has led to a new business venture that connects aviators with Class A recreational vehicles.

Mike Harris and Matt Wilkins launched Runway 2 RV earlier this year and say this new business venture not only provides aviators a way to easily travel to and stay overnight at airshows but also helps fellow pilots get more enjoyment out of their aircraft. 

“Matt and I are working for Forge Flightworks, an avionics and aircraft interior company in Smyrna, Tennessee, and we had an opportunity to purchase this RV,” Harris said. “Basically, we decided that we would use it during Sun ’n’ Fun and Oshkosh but that it would be a really good idea to make it available to other pilots the rest of the year.” 

Ground logistics are often a challenge for pilots flying in for an event.

“You have to catch an Uber or get a rental car to get to the hotel or wherever you are staying,” Harris said. “Both of us liked camping and had camper trailers before, so this made sense for us to do. So, we got the RV and made it available as a concierge service where you can fly into our base of operations at Smyrna Airport (KMQY), and the RV will be sitting right there on the ramp.

“How cool is it that all you have to do is taxi right up next to it and we toss you the keys? You just grab your bags and go. It’s kind of a fun thing [for us] to do, to have the red carpet rolled out for you and have a weekend adventure. Everyone we have talked to has loved the idea and think that it’s great.” 

The duo advised that the convenience of their service isn’t only because the RV is located at the airport but also what that means for pilots after they leave. They explained that pilots would avoid tie-down fees by keeping their plane on the Forge Flightworks, where there is also hangar space available. Additionally, they believe the long weekend pilots spend away from their aircraft would be an opportune time for small avionics maintenance tasks, such as software updates and IFR certifications. 

“We can handle a lot of details for pilots who rent the RV,” Wilkins said. “If they want the whole thing stocked with drinks and food, we can handle it for them. The sky is kind of the limit on how personal they make this thing, because it’s Mike and me. That makes it a real personal touch. And one of the great things about our RV is that it’s really easy to set up. But we also offer delivery service, if someone doesn’t want to drive it or set it up themselves.”

There are two airports near Music City, as well as plenty to do in close proximity to Smyrna, Harris said. 

“Nashville is such a great place to visit,” he said. “People are always talking about how much fun they had here or that they want to come and visit. There is a lake that’s about 15 minutes away from our hangar, which has three or four campgrounds. If you are coming into Nashville, John C. Tune Airport (KJWN) is slightly closer to downtown but not much closer. It’s only 25 or 30 minutes away from Smyrna. There are several campgrounds close to downtown, as well as to the Grand Ole Opry. But if you are wanting to do a lake weekend, Smyrna Airport is the best option. The airport sits right on Percy Priest Lake. There is a marina where you can rent boats, [and it] also has a restaurant. You can literally land, be in the RV, and cracking [open] a cold beer at the lake in 15 minutes.” 

Wilkins added that the pair’s mission with the new platform is simple—to connect other pilots with opportunities in aviation that may not otherwise exist. 

“The goal behind Runway 2 RV is how do we make pilots that are flying a PA-28 or a Cessna 172, for example, have a really cool experience?” he said. “One where they pull their plane up at the airport and jump into the next vehicle. Prior to being in aviation, Mike had a long career in the [car] rental side, and I have a friend who works for another RV rental company in Nashville. And hearing him talk about the frustrations and complaints around the logistics of having to solve, after landing and getting to the RV, it was clear this was an opportunity to engage people in the aviation community.”

Wilkins also pointed out a baseline principle behind Runway2RV. 

“Mike has influenced me a lot on the topic of pilot engagement, but how do we get engaged in aviation?” he said. “It’s more than just ‘here is an avionics shop fly-in,’ or ‘here is a maintenance shop with a breakfast fly-in.’ We have started some things at our shop to engage pilots more during the weekdays, like bringing in a food truck. This is instead of just having the standard Saturday morning fly-in breakfast. We are also thinking about things like this as a way to engage pilots more in general aviation. It’s been fun to see this project come to life with that mentality of getting more people involved in flying.”

The pair advised that the overall goal with this service is to connect pilots to a new way of using their certificates for recreational purposes. 

“The way that I look at this overall is that we are pilots providing something to other pilots to live the pilot lifestyle,” Harris said. “This is not our main business. It’s a side, fun thing that we are doing with our RV—so that pilots have something else to do.” 

The post Runway 2 RV Seeks to Put More Recreation in Aviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

All things considered, airports are sold relatively infrequently. When they are listed for sale, the news moves quickly throughout aviation circles. 

Those that have had the “For Sale” sign staked into the ground each have their own unique histories. Not to mention they all have the prospect of a new—potentially better—future. Platte Valley Airpark (18V) in Fort Lupton, Colorado, is one of these airports; a nearly six-decade-old aerodrome with a rich history, which is presently for sale. 

Just like thinking about the prospects of winning the lottery, seeing an airport listing evokes thoughts of “What if?” and “If only!” But unlike the slim odds of striking riches in a state-sponsored raffle game, being involved in the purchase of an airport could be a reality for a good number of aviators. 

After lofty visions of what you would do with your airport purchase have subsided, a subsequent thought may be questions regarding why the property is for sale. That is a natural question to think of whenever an interesting land prospect becomes available—why is the hopeful former owner trying to get rid of it?

Platte Valley Airpark

A statement prepared by LIV Sotheby’s International Realty (the co-listing agency) prefaces the hopeful transition of ownership of Platte Valley Airpark.

“The 13 shareholders are aviators who recognize that change is happening, and the area is growing. What used to be considered far from Denver is now actually part of the growing suburbs. They want to go along with that change and move into retirement, as they consider themselves ‘old timers’ and not developers. While they hope the property stays an airport and is purchased by someone who loves aviation as much as they do, ultimately, they want the property to be a successful venture for the new owners.”

Kevin Kennelly, one of these shareholders, highlighted the airport’s early history and one of the ownership group’s more challenging periods. 

“Some of the original partners have passed away, their heirs have received that inheritance and are not interested in the airport. There was a certain amount of effort, assumed by the partners originally, that we would all share in the management and operation of the airport. So, we have a diverse number of shareholders now and the best thing to do is move forward,” he said. 

“In the 1960s, this was farmland. The owner was an aviator who built a hangar and a dirt strip to land a small plane. The property was foreclosed on in the late 1970s and purchased by a family who sold it to us, a small group of aviators, in 1992. The original deal was to have a simple little airport that was economical. We kept trying to get away from that and consequently got ourselves into a bad financial situation for a while, but resolved that, fortunately, with oil and gas royalties [from the property].”

Platte Valley Airpark, at an elevation of nearly 5,000 feet msl, sits on 226-plus acres and boasts two runways. The asphalt runway (15/33) is 4,100 feet long by 40 feet wide and the turf/gravel runway (9/27) is 2,500 feet by 90 feet long. The airport is presently home to almost 80 aircraft. Also, the property has a six-unit open T-hangar and a large dedicated FBO building with a three-story observation tower, which is a part of the offering.

The property also included a single-family home, as well as mineral rights. Even with revenue streams from this and hangar leases, operating an airport is a wholly unique kind of investment, according to Kennelly.

Potential Uses

“It’s not a classic real estate investment in terms of return on investment or potential growth. Growth is often a disadvantage to an airport because it’s conflicting usage. So, you have to be careful about the growth issue and non-conforming or different types of growth. The aviation market is growing dramatically, so related businesses—flight schools, maintenance [shops], small manufacturing, aerial banner flying, and related or compatible businesses are potential. Maybe some residential opportunities as well. We’ve had a variety of interests [so far].”

The airport has been eyed for several possible uses, Josh Jackson, a real estate associate with LIV Sotheby’s, said.

“We probably have had two dozen real leads, real conversations at this point—at a minimum. It is amazing how diverse the plans and visions are for something of this size with this existing usage and its proximity to a high-growth metro area. I could go on and on. There are a lot of different use cases.”

Jackson hinted that not all of the visions for the property were directly related to aviation, including storage space for 300 automobiles. But the group contends that the airport has nearly limitless potential to keep serving pilots, as the property has the potential to accommodate additional, larger aircraft than it presently does.  

“There is some interest in taking this property and turning it into another logistics supply opportunity, to some degree, whether it’s trying to move goods or personnel for oil companies,” he said. “Or have it as another private firefighting [airport]. There are so many different ideas, it’s crazy.”

“There are a lot of folks that, as they are seeking to understand what is at Platte Valley Airpark and what could be, there is a lot of interest in expanding the length of the primary runway. As Kevin has shared with all of these buyers, is doable—because the ground is pretty flat,” Jackson said.

The post Colorado Listing Offers View into Reality of Airport Ownership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A new fly-in accommodation in southern British Columbia, Canada, promises to use the local airport as a gateway to some of the region’s many local attractions. 

Teresa Simpson, a representative for Freedom 17 Investments Ltd.’s Airway Flats, said the development’s two short-term rentals are a draw for aviators who want a convenient reason to explore ‘Canada’s Napa Valley.’ 

“As a pilot, you’ve likely explored the skies and seen some incredible destinations from above. But have you ever considered the thrill of exploring a new location from the ground? If you’re looking for your next adventure, we have just the thing for you,” she said.

“Nestled in the heart of Osoyoos, we’ve just built a state-of-the-art, seven-bay building with residential units that boast breathtaking views of the surrounding vineyards and sparkling lake,” Simpson added. “And that’s just the beginning of the endless possibilities for excitement and relaxation that await you here.”

One of the area’s most prominent features is its world-renowned racing facility, which inspired the development and is based at Osoyoos Airport (CBB9). 

“As home to the world-renowned Jacques Villeneuve racetrack called Area 27, we offer a limitless playground for motorsports enthusiasts looking for premium luxury experiences,” she said. “Our clientele includes pilots who love to fly in on their planes or helicopters and indulge in new and exciting adventures.”

The airport is at an elevation of approximately 1,100 feet MSL and sports a 2,477-foot-long paved runway, and it presently does not offer fuel. Simpson added that the aircraft parking area is roughly one-eighth of a mile from the two rentable units, which share their living quarters with a large garage. Each rental includes an SUV for transportation in the area.

Rob McKibbon, a Rockwell Commander 114 owner and pilot from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, was one of the first to stay at the short-term accommodation. As a real estate agent, developer, and aviation enthusiast, McKibbon was bullish on the concept of fly-in Airbnbs. 

“Staying there was an absolute pleasure because, you know, you can land the plane right there, literally parking it just steps away from the front door of the rental. It’s a pretty popular concept in the States, but it’s really rare in Canada. So that was pretty nice, not to mention that the place was brand new. It is built with a loft above the garage and was staged, set up very well with high-end finishes. There are big, vaulted ceilings, a patio, as well as a deck that opens up and looks out over one of the many vineyards in the area. It was a pretty awesome place to stay.”

The airport is a convenient stop for McKibbon as he flies south in his many GA travels. His home base is several hours north, so staying in Osoyoos is a nice way to break up a flying vacation. 

“I actually fly into Osoyoos quite a bit from Salmon Arm, which is about a three-hour drive north. Kelowna is kind of our big hub [in British Columbia], which is about an hour and a half from Osoyoos. Then, Salmon Arm is about an hour and a half north from there. When I fly down there, I fly over Vernon, then Kelowna and the international airport, then Penticton, Oliver, and land in Osoyoos. It’s a pretty good flying hub and there is a lot of GA activity in the region. And it’s all free airspace, other than right around Kelowna—otherwise, you can buzz around and do what you like because you are not in any controlled airspace environment.”

“I go to Osoyoos for recreational purposes. I am a member of the Area 27 racetrack, which is located in the nearby town of Oliver. I kind of got connected to that group through aviation and do a little bit of mild racing. I entered their under 250 horsepower race category and there are five races a year. In addition to racing, there are exceptional restaurants in the area, wine tours, and a beautiful lake with a beach. It’s a nice little destination where you can take your plane. You certainly won’t be disappointed by any of the amenities that you can go off and do. I’m planning another trip for the near future with my wife, and we are going to stay in the same place. It’s a lot of fun,” he said. 

For years, McKibbon has flown all over North America—with his favorite trips including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and other locations on the west coast and in Mexico. He encourages his compatriots to the south of his border to consider flying into Canada and experiencing this unique accommodation for themselves.

“Being in Osoyoos, this airport is literally just a puddle jump from landing in the United States, in Oroville, Washington. Amongst all of the pilots in the pilot chats and everything, Oroville (Dorothy Scott International Airport, 0S7) is one the highly recommended customs-clearing airports for general aviation. So, we all land there and clear customs there. They are super familiar with Canadians flying in, are easy to get along with, and you are literally only there for about 15 minutes doing paperwork and inspections. Then off you go!”

The post New Fly-In Rentals Offer Open Door to Canada’s Napa Valley appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Kenny and Jack Hinkes are the driving force behind High Flying Hangars at the Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This multiyear project has been a labor of love for the father and son, who are both pilots and real estate professionals.

“There are hangars, and then there are hangars,” Kenny Hinkes said. “We are building the hangars that we would build for ourselves. They are an all-steel building with a concave, concrete floor that goes to a floor drain. Then they are coated with hard deck fuel and hot tire-proof epoxy finish. That floor is the centerpiece of the hangar because now you have a place where you can wash, not only your airplane, but you can keep the whole hangar clean. There is also a three-quarter bathroom with hot water. Right now, there is only one bathroom at the airport. And it’s far away, depending on where you [have your hangar].”

The anticipated addition of 87,000 square feet of hangar space (spread between four rows) at the airport solves a problem experienced by the developers and dozens of other pilots. 

• READ MORE: The Second Life of Yoder Airpark

“I got my private pilot license in 1970 and have been an active aviator for 53 years,” Kenny  said. “Fast forward, [and] I have five adult children. When the kids were little, we had family airplanes. They were mostly Bonanzas, but we also had a Cessna 205 and a 414. Even though we would fly and take trips to lots of places, none of the kids showed any interest in learning to fly. I always felt like that’s something that’s an internal process that you don’t put on anybody else.”

Although it didn’t happen right away, strong aviation influences during childhood eventually left their mark on Jack Hinkes. 

“We started going to Oshkosh in 2006, and it was always a lot of fun,” Jack said. “But it wasn’t until maybe 2017 that I started to think, ‘Wow. Maybe I messed up and should have learned to fly when I was younger!’ So, I kept saying that I wanted to do it, buy a plane, and have my dad teach me how to fly, since he’s a CFI. But he would say, no, you have to really want it, and if you still want to do it later on, we will.”

Jack added that 2019 was the year when he finally had the time and resources to make his dream of flying a reality. He and his father set out to buy a trainer, settling on a red Skyhawk that they flew to Albuquerque from Northern California. 

“Once we got it home, I called the local FBO at Double Eagle Airport,” Jack said. “I told them that I just bought a plane and was looking for hangar space, a T-hangar. The front desk person who answered kind of laughed at me and told me that they would put me down on the list. She said that there were about 57 people in front of me on the list.

• READ MORE: This Runway Is a Keeper, New Airport Owner Says

“With how long the waiting list was, it was possible we never would have gotten in. Because the way it works out there is that people have friends and, whenever someone leaves a hangar, their buddy ends up in their old space, and the list never gets served. So, we ended up putting the plane in a community hangar [at Albuquerque International Sunport (KABQ), 11 nm away]. This was nice, because it’s full service, and they will pull the plane out, fuel it, and whatever. But you can’t do any maintenance on your plane or wash it. It’s a very controlled environment.”

The Hinkeses’ airplane was at this facility for six months before they decided there should be the option to keep their aircraft at their preferred home base. “Let’s go build some hangars, Jack!” is how the elder Hinkes remembers beginning a course-setting conversation in May 2020. 

“My background is real estate development, and I build office buildings, condominiums, and shopping centers,” Kenny said. “I get that process, and it’s something that’s very familiar to me. So, we went over to the city of Albuquerque’s office and met with the aviation department. They were very excited for us to build hangars.”

The High Flying Hangars project now stands as a testament to the father-son duo’s tenacity. From that initial meeting, it would take three years of active discussions to negotiate and approve lease terms mutually beneficial to the developing team and the city. 

• READ MORE: Tavernaero Airport Park Special Due to Its ‘Proximity to Paradise’

“Without going into all that detail, the federal funds that the government gives the sponsor are generally funneled almost exclusively to the large, international airports that are served by the airlines,” Kenny Hinkes said. “And the general aviation airports are definitely [secondary in] that system. So, we learned quickly that this was going to be an interesting process to navigate a lease and find a lender that understood how to finance construction and long-term, permanent financing for hangar buyers on leased land. I’m knowledgeable about how bankers think, since I’ve dealt with them for years, so we structured a deal that’s very compatible with community banks and credit unions. Our buyers all have 20-year, fixed-rate financing, if they need it.

“The other issue is title insurance. If you go to most GA airports, the people that are buying and selling hangars, quote, unquote, are just exchanging money in a handshake. They typically don’t have a real, constructive, equitable title to that improvement. It’s just a gentleman’s agreement, and that’s why it’s hard to get financing in most of those scenarios. We were able to get a recorded lease, a recorded sublease, [and] a recorded survey that gives title companies and lenders the kind of security that they need. With this, they feel comfortable advancing permanent funds to our buyers.

“We are excited about the project and have 46 hangars that we will develop over the next few years. We’ve sold out the first row and are taking reservations on the second row. Every month, we send out a newsletter to our buyers letting them know where we are at in the process. A recent response to our newsletter from a husband-and-wife team is priceless. They are both pilots and wrote to me that they are already so excited that they are decorating their hangar.”

As evidenced by the lengthy list the two encountered for their 172, Kenny said there is a voracious appetite for hangars in New Mexico’s most populous city. 

• READ MORE: Silver Lake Airport Aims to Go the Extra Mile

“People are hungry for shelter,” he said. “I tell people this all the time, and it’s true for our development. There are people on the sidelines wanting to either upgrade from their older airplane or get into aircraft ownership. But they are not going to buy anything unless they have a great place to keep it. They are not going to leave a new plane outside…We just got a call from a local business owner who bought a new plane, saying that he needed somewhere to keep it right away. We are bringing in new permanent residents to Double Eagle Airport who do not presently exist because there is no shelter.” 

The duo also pointed out the development is beneficial to the airport community in many ways, in addition to the obvious advantage of capturing some of the local demand for aircraft storage space. 

“This is such a good thing for this airport because there are old, existing T-hangars that people are going to come out of and move into our development,” Kenny said. “That is going to free up some space for people that aren’t ready to buy a hangar that would like a space to lease. Since there’s nothing available right now, it will open up opportunities for people at different price points to have shelter for their planes. It is going to bring more maintenance and fuel sales to the local FBO. So, we have seen this as a really symbiotic relationship and a good thing for Double Eagle Airport.”

The post Hungry for Shelter in New Mexico appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Last week two alderpersons on the Common Council in Portage, Wisconsin, proposed a resolution to facilitate the permanent closure of the city’s airport. 

On Thursday night, the council will vote on a resolution, but that doesn’t mean the Portage Municipal Airport (C47) will close, stressed city administrator Michael Bablick.

According to Bablick, the resolution as written directs city staff to contact the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics and the FAA to determine what steps would need to be taken to shut down the 106-acre, city-owned facility and potentially sell the property to a developer. 

Bablick, who has served in his role with the city for just a few months, said  the airport has been a topic of discussion for decades.

Leif Gregerson, president of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 371 based at the airport,  pointed out that what makes the airport property so valuable is its field elevation of 824 feet, which puts the land above the floodplain for the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. 

“There have been grumblings about closure of the airport for years,” Gregorson said. “It is in the city limits, one of the few spots considered prime building location because most of the city is located on wetlands.”

According to Airnav.com, there are 21 single-engine aircraft based at the airport. Most of the traffic is transient, as the airport is a popular destination for cross-country flights.

Gregerson said that during EAA AirVenture, the aviation convention that attracts pilots from all over the world, the airport gets very busy as a popular fuel stop or a divert airport when Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh is closed because of the air show or field capacity—or when the weather turns sour.

“We’re just 50 miles away from Oshkosh,” Gregorson said, “which makes the airport very convenient for pilots. Our EAA chapter sells food during that time, so the pilots don’t have to walk down the street to the convenience store.”

Other EAA activities held year-round include Young Eagles rallies and pancake breakfasts, which Gregerson said are usually well attended.

Airport History

Portage Municipal Airport was privately constructed by the Mael family in the early 1940s. The airport has two runways: 18/36, measuring 3,770 by 60 feet, and 4/22 ( 2,688 by 40). At the time, the property was a flat spot outside of town.

“In 1961 the Mael family donated the airport to the city,” said Bablick, adding that it costs the city approximately $100,000 a year to operate the facility, representing about 1.25 percent of its annual budget.

Over the decades, the city grew to a population of approximately 10,500, and the airport is surrounded by light industry and housing developments. In addition, it is hemmed in by infrastructure.

“Interstate 39 is extraordinarily close to the airport on the north, and on the south end are high tension wires, cutting off the ability to expand the north-south runway,” Bablick said.

“The high tension wires shouldn’t have been put there,” Gregerson said. “The city didn’t have the foresight to create ordinances and setbacks to protect the airport. The city did not establish any ordinances that would have protected the airport against encroachment by businesses and residential development or height restrictions.”

As an example, Gregerson, a 20-year pilot, mentioned that at one point the city was using land off the extended centerline of the runway as a dumping ground for brush and weeds cleaned up from different parts of the city. The pile grew so tall that it became a hazard for air traffic, forcing the airport manager to take the issue to public works to get it relocated so it was not situated off the end of the runway.

“The city is not anti-airport,” said Bablick, noting the idea of building a new airport in a different location has been discussed since 1965. “When there was a development plan for the airport, [it] noted deficiencies of the current property, which included the inability to extend the runway. People have been saying ‘we’re 20 years away from a new airport’ for 30 years. Twenty years ago, the city purchased farmland to the north to build a new airport, but it didn’t work out, and that resulted in bad blood with the FAA.”

Bablick said the city has never accepted funds from either the state bureau of aeronautics or the FAA for airport improvements, although the airport could benefit from infrastructure enhancements like new pavement. When an airport sponsor accepts state or federal grant funds, it often comes with the caveat that the facility must stay open and  for a specific amount of time, perhaps as long as 20 years, depending on the size of the grant.

The airport is part of the FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021-2025 as a general aviation facility, even though the city has never accepted funds from the FAA or the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics.

The state bureau referred questions from FLYING to the city of Portage, and the FAA did not respond to queries by press time.

The Pilots React

When the aviation community learned of the resolution to explore the closure process, it was quick to sound the alarm. Portage city hall has been flooded with emails and phone calls urging the council to vote against the resolution to keep the airport open.

The resolution is expected to be heard at the August 24 meeting at the municipal building council chambers, located at 115 West Pleasant Street in Portage. The meeting, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CDT, will also be broadcast on YouTube at the following link:

The post Future Looks Questionable for Portage Airport in Wisconsin appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Amid numerous reports of runway incursions and other problems with aircraft separation at airports, the FAA has announced it will hold runway safety meetings at roughly 90 airports across the U.S. The list of airports includes many Class C and  D fields with extensive GA operations.

Known as Runway Safety Action Team (RSAT) meetings, the events are designed to bring together representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, Part 121 and 135 operators, pilots, airport vehicle drivers, and others at each airport to identify safety risks and develop mitigation strategies. The meetings are to take place through the end of September.

• READ MORE: FAA Investing $100M in Bid to Curb Runway Incursions

The meetings, to be conducted annually at airports with control towers, serve as forums for addressing airport-specific safety issues in the surface environment. Participants at each airport are expected to produce a Runway Safety Action Plan under which they agree to make specific efforts to improve surface safety, the FAA said.

“Sharing information is critical to improving safety,” said Tim Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “These meetings, along with other efforts, will help us achieve our goal of zero close calls.”

• READ MORE: FAA Issues New Airport Safety Rule

Major airports with runway safety meetings coming up soon include Ronald Reagan Washington National (KDCA), La Guardia (KLGA) in New York, Dallas-Fort Worth International (KDFW), Cleveland Hopkins International (KCLE), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (KBWI), Reno-Tahoe International (KRNO) in Nevada, and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (KBHM) in Alabama.

The planned meetings are the latest of several FAA actions this year aimed at improving safety on and around runways, including the mitigation of potential runway incursions. In February the agency issued a Safety Call to Action after a number of reported airport incidents, and it held a Safety Summit in March. The FAA said the summit “resulted in a commitment from the FAA and aviation community to pursue a goal of zero serious close calls.”

The FAA also published a runway safety fact sheet as part of its overall runway safety program.

The post FAA Plans to Hold Runway Safety Meetings at Airports Across the U.S. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Yoder Airpark (SN61) in Garden Plain, Kansas, is the magnum opus of its namesake founders, Don and Janet Yoder. The Yoder’s vision for a first-class fly-in community was achieved during the two decades under their tutelage. In this time period, more than a dozen fellow aviation enthusiasts formally bought into the couple’s dream of a place where everyone loves flying. 

To date, 19 homes have been constructed, with the first being built in 1997. Gordon Doherty was the community’s second resident. 

“An important consideration for me was Yoder Airpark’s connection to major highways and paved roads,” Doherty said. “It is a 15- to 30-minute drive to the amenities of a big city (restaurants, sports, and arts). Another consideration was the quality of the local schools. I wanted an airpark that had [a] good, old grassroots flying atmosphere.”

Largely, it is identical to the airpark of yesteryear. Its central feature, the 4,200-foot-long grass airstrip, has withstood the test of time.

“We have talked about paving the runway over the years,” Doherty said. “If you have a thunderstorm, you have to wait for it to dry out, which is usually four hours for less than an inch of rain. A paved strip is expensive to build and maintain for a private airport. Pretty much everyone has decided that ‘You know what? We like it just the way it is,’” 

In 2021, Don Yoder “flew west” at age 87. As a result of his death, the 135 acres to the south of the airport was held by his estate. Just like any other airport property in transition, there was uncertainty. 

Of highest concern was who would pick up the land and what would they do with it? As a point of reference, the population of the Wichita metro area has in recent years begun a brisk march westward, leaving much of the nearby land in the sights of developers.  

Zack Steffen and Aaron Young, both pilots and lifelong residents of the area, explained that a primary desiret of theirs was that the land be used for aviation purposes. So, the two former collegiate track teammates decided to run together with the grand airpark vision laid out before them.  

“The dream and the vision started on the north section of the airport,” said Steffen, a resident since 2017. “Then in 2001, Don purchased some land on the south side. At that time, he put the tunnel in under the runway, where the [Pawnee Prairie Park] Trail goes through. It’s a part of the Rails-to-Trails program, where they pulled up the railroad tracks and put gravel in. Now, it’s a nice running and biking path that goes all the way from Garden Plain into Wichita—just over 15 miles.” 

Both Steffen and Young’s goal is to bring more pilots into the fold at Yoder Airpark. In support of that, they subdivided the large property they purchased from Yoder’s estate. After working with the local jurisdiction, they settled on forming 14 lots, which average about 5 acres each. The first lots from this parcel were offered at the beginning of this year. 

“We purchased the property from Don’s estate and worked with his family to make the airpark dream a reality,” Young said. “We gave them our word that we would maintain his vision, so every single one of our lots has runway access. A part of our future work is actually extending the runway, so each has taxiway access to the runway. The south 1,800 feet of the runway has pilot-controlled lighting, so we have night operations, which is pretty unique for a grass strip. Once the runway is extended to 5,000 feet, nearly a mile long, that will be closer to 2,600 feet of lighted area.”

The duo said they had already sold half of the lots before officially unveiling the development to the public. 

“People so far have learned about us through word of mouth, basically, to date,” Young said. “People have bought lots then have told their friends about the airport. But we have pushed out some Facebook posts in some aviation groups, a few local and grass-flying oriented ones. Even though anyone can buy a lot here, we would love for there to be more pilots, people flying, and aviation activities. It’s always exciting when you see a neighbor taking off, even if it’s not you. It’s nice to have planes flying here.”

There is a diverse background of both aviators and aircraft at the airpark.

“I think the breadth of aviation enthusiasts we have at the airpark is amazing,” Steffen said, “going from the power paragliding enthusiasm to a neighbor that performs in air shows to private pilots like Aaron and myself to professional aviators. You have people here that range from tens of hours of flight time to tens of thousands of hours. To be able to talk to each other is great, and the community is really good about giving advice.” 

Yoder is one of roughly half a dozen airparks within a 20 nm radius of one another. And a key selling feature for the community is its proximity to the region’s largest public-use airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT).

Like many other fly-in communities, an open hangar door is an invitation to stop by and chat. Yoder Airpark is no different, with residents taking great care to routinely check up on neighbors. The comingling includes these informal pop-in visits, as well as planned events, mixers, and fly-outs.

“We have hangar dinners here all the time, where somebody will volunteer to host at their house,” Steffen said. “There is also a social committee that plans different events and get-togethers for people in the HOA. One of the fun things we are planning is a progressive dinner, where each house has a different appetizer, drink, main course, or dessert. A couple of households will go together for that, which will be a lot of fun.”

This year, the group is planning to host several fly-ins, including the community’s largest annual celebration.

“We have the Fourth of July fly-in that happens each year, which has always been a tradition,” he said. “It is always the same day as the Garden Plain parade, so we have a pancake feed with a couple hundred people attending. We’ve had up to 40 planes come to that, and we do a flyover during the parade right as the national anthem plays. This event gets bigger every year, and we all look forward to it around here.”

The post The Second Life of Yoder Airpark appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Owning a grass strip has been a longtime goal for Jonathan and Liz Amundsen. 

Before purchasing Tailwinds Airport (06NC) in St. Pauls, North Carolina, the couple had dreamed the lifestyle change into existence, writing the airport’s address as their own, even before closing on the property. 

“We were specifically looking for a runway home and were living up in Michigan at the time,” Jonathan said. “I’m not a big fan of Michigan, because it’s cold and wet for too many months of the year for my preference. We were looking for some place further south that wasn’t quite as cold and wound up finding this place.”

Not long after seeing a link for the airport listing, the Admudsens were on a jet headed to look at the property and make an offer.

“It was kind of funny because one of the first questions that the realtor had was, ‘Well, what are your intentions with the property?’” Jonathan said. “I kind of laughed and said, ‘Well, what do you mean? It’s an airport! We plan on keeping the runway!’” 

The couple, both A&P/IAs and pilots, have owned the airport for less than a year and say, so far, the experience has aligned with their expectations for owning an airport. 

“My wife and I recently bought the airport in September of last year,” Jonathan said. “So, it’s still fairly new to us, and we are in the process of getting it all set up the way that we want it. Tailwinds Airport was originally constructed in 1993. The guy who was originally there was named Bob Rogers, and I wish that I could have met the guy. He was a staple in the area, and everybody knows who he is. Anytime we give our address out, everyone says, ‘That’s Bob Rogers’ old place!’ But his granddaughter actually still lives there on the property, our next-door neighbors, and they were excited to hear that we were going to keep the runway.” 

According to Jonathan, the airport was largely turnkey, allowing the couple to move in and fill the hangars with planes of varying types. 

“The runway was in pretty good condition when we bought the airport, but it hadn’t been used much recently because Bob was getting older and hadn’t been flying as much,” he said. “Once we got it, we, of course, had to mow the grass and get it all cleaned back up again. It has runway lights, so we got those all back in working condition again. Right now, we are in the process of cleaning up some trees around there and getting everything the way we want it. 

“Our plan for the future is that we want to build another bigger hangar there as well. There are presently three shade hangars on the field, and there is a workshop hangar, which is all air-conditioned. That makes it really nice for working on planes in the summertime.”

The couple keeps several of their own aircraft at the airport, in addition to temporarily hangaring aircraft that they work on for others. 

“We have several airplanes,” Jonathan said. “My wife and I just finished putting a [Piper] J-3 [Cub] back together and have a [Aeronca] Champ there that’s flyable. Then we have her little Cessna 150, and I have a Cessna 172 that I use to commute back and forth to Charlotte [North Carolina] for work [as an airline pilot]. I do it every week, and it’s an hour and a half from my house to walking into the airport terminal.

“We have been having a lot of fun running the airport so far and are still trying to get the word out that we are there. We are hoping that we get some more people that come over, stop by, and say hi from time to time. But we are starting to get known a little bit in the area and people are coming by. I think that a lot of people are nervous, though, since we are a private airport, and they need prior permission. So everybody is worried whether they are going to get permission or not. I always tell them that we have trees on both ends of the runway, so as long as you pay attention to your performance numbers, then, yeah, absolutely, come on in!”

The North Carolina transplants have been just as excited to explore other airports in the state and beyond. Jonathan highlighted some of the places that they’ve either visited or hope to soon. 

“I haven’t explored the area as much as I want to yet, but there are a lot of amazing places nearby,” he said. “There are a couple of really good on-airport restaurants. One of them is neat but had burned down last year and just got it back up and running. It’s called the Pik-n-Pig, a little barbecue joint up north in Carthage [at Gilliam-McConnell Airfield, BQ1]. There are several other restaurants around that we are slowly getting around to.

“We are also not far from First Flight Airport (KFFA) in Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers first flew. That’s a little over an hour away. Then, of course, there’s Wilmington, Myrtle Beach [South Carolina], and many other things are close by as well. One of the other places I’d like to take the kids to is Ocracoke Island Airport (W95).”

Overall, owning an airport of their own has been worth the sacrifice, Jonathan Amundsen said.  

“As far as recommendations to anyone else wanting to have a place of their own, it is an absolutely amazing experience and I have zero regrets,” he said. “But it does require a lot of time, sweat, tears, and help from the right people. It takes a lot of cooperation and communication to get the results we have here. I’d never been able to do it without the help from friends, neighbors, and family that have supported us.”

The post This Runway Is a Keeper, New Airport Owner Says appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After years of considering a springtime flight to Washington, D.C., I think I am finally ready to go. And let’s make it soon, because more so than usual, time is of the essence.

One of many attractions the nation’s capital is famous for is its spring cherry blossoms and a range  of other beautiful blooms. And this year, reports from the Washington Post and Guardian newspapers—and even the groundhog Potomac Phil—indicate spring has arrived early this year.

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I would like to catch the seasonal palette at its peak, but even if I miss the color splash, there is still so much to see in Washington that planning a GA flight and perhaps an overnight stay is easily worth the effort. The emphasis is on planning. The D.C. air space has its particular complexities, with several rules and procedures pilots must observe—and the consequences for violations range from warnings to certificate suspension. But there’s no reason to fear the area.

As long as you communicate properly with ATC and get the necessary permissions before entering controlled areas, you should be fine. The system is designed to keep you in the right place, so relax, talk to the controllers, and follow their instructions. They are trying to make your trip as safe as possible. Besides, I like to think there would not be more than a dozen GA airports within the Special Flight Rules Area—the DCSFRA—if we were not meant to fly there.

Not Like Old Times

Flying around D.C. this spring will mark nearly 35 years since the last time I flew there, while taking my first round of flight training after graduating from college in 1988. A longtime family friend, CFI, and FAA employee offered to give me a week’s worth of lessons as a graduation gift—one that seems more generous with every passing year. He intended to send me home with the hours and proficiency I needed to solo.

His flying club was based at Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO), and we spent most of our time flying between Leesburg and Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK) with regular stops at a few smaller fields, including Sky Bryce (VG18). One day, we were departing Leesburg, climbing at 80 knots or so, when I looked up through the Cessna 152’s scratch-worn windshield to see Concorde perhaps 2,000 feet above us. They operated from nearby Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD) back then. It was climbing, too, at an impressive rate. Indeed, Concorde’s ascent was so steep that it eventually disappeared not into the distance ahead, but into a high overcast instead.

Leesburg and Frederick were not busy then, nor were they towered at the time as they are today. This was also decades before the SFRA and the Flight Restricted Zone, so other than staying clear of the Dulles section of the Class B airspace, navigating was clear.

Since September 11, 2001, the D.C. airspace has grown more complicated and even daunting to many GA pilots. Some simply avoid flying anywhere near the District, fearing missteps that could result in reprimands from ATC, interception, or worse. However, there are procedures for flying into skies around the Capital, and while they require additional planning and attention, they are not difficult to understand. Indeed, getting accustomed to its operations is worthwhile for pilots who would like to visit D.C.

Getting There

Flying into the Capital region can be much like your typical GA trip or something more challenging, depending on how close you wish to get to the center, which for pilots is the VOR/DME at Reagan Washington International Airport (KDCA). Around the center are roughly circular rings with radii of 60 and 30 nautical miles, and a more irregular boundary stretching about 15 nautical miles from the VOR. Think of theseas denoting increasing levels of difficulty. Pilots must complete an online course to fly VFR within the 60-mile radius.

The area between the 60- and 30-mile rings is easy. All pilots have to worry about is a speed limit of 230 knots indicated. The 30-mile ring marks the SFRA boundary. You need a SFRA flight plan on file, then radar contact and two-way communications to enter. The SFRA is also divided like a pizza, with the crust of each slice denoting a gate—each with a name from a local intersection—and you must include your planned entry and exit gates in the flight plan. When you file the plan, you will also receive a transponder code for the flight within the SFRA.

This may sound like a lot to remember, but once you are underway and talking with ATC, you mainly just need to fly and listen. For many pilots, entering the SFRA is worth the extra effort because there are several airports within it that offer easier access to Capital attractions through proximity to public transit. One note: often, you will be cleared into the SFRA but advised to stay clear of the Class B. This may put you below 1,500 feet msl in some sections.

The degree of difficulty rises if you want to enter the FRZ. There is paperwork for pilots, including background checks. Getting permission used to be difficult for pilots who have not been based at one of the three GA airports within the FRZ, known as the DC-3. These are College Park Airport (KCGS), Potomac Airfield (KVKX), and, up until recently, Washington Executive/Hyde Field (W32)—which closed permanently as of November 2022. However, that policy changed about 15 years ago, and now the process for getting what’s known as a PIN is straightforward and can typically be processed within a few weeks.

Once you’ve decided to go through the process, College Park probably is the most tempting, because it has a Metro station that makes getting to the city a breeze. 

How you get into the D.C. area might ultimately depend on how ambitious you feel that particular day. There are certainly enough airports outside the SFRA that have rental car desks if you’re not feeling intrepid. But flying is a wonderful thing, and the closer you get toD.C., the more you’re going to be glad you are not driving.

Things To Do

The National Mall will always be my starting point for exploring the Capital. As a six-year-old, I played soccer and flew kites there while visiting cousins who lived in the city. Years later, during a memorable eighth-grade field trip, my classmates and I played ultimate frisbee and flew model airplanes across the street from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where we had purchased them in the gift shop.

The Air and Space Museum, a perennial magnet for pilots, reopened last October after a months long renovation. For those who have not visited lately, a visual experience that was largely unchanged since the museum opened in 1976 will be completely new, and even more of a must-see on the lists of aviation fans. Private pilots should feel particularly welcome in a new section devoted to general aviation.

The classic Washington points of interest still beckon, including the United States Capitol, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to name just a few.

Visitors have the option of numerous bus, van, and walking tours, including many that bundle attractions based on certain themes. These often make it possible to see more in a day than most people could orchestrate on their own. I find that distilling the itinerary to a short list is the best strategy, and walking is often the best way to get around. To speed things up and covermore ground, consider the Capital Bikes share program. 

For me, the list is down to one destination: the Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, located near Dulles airport. I have somehow failed to visit the “new” museum for the last 20 years since it opened, and there are numerous aircraft there that I want to see up close. 

Another aside: During the 1980s, my radio-controlled model airplane club organized a series of field trips to the Paul E. Garber Facility, the former center of restoration and preservation activity for the Air and Space Museum. You could book group tours of the workshops and storage buildings there, which were stuffed with all manner of aviation treasures. There were rare airplanes, of course, but also fabulous esoterica, like the enormous single wheel and tire from the original main landing gear of a B-36 bomber. Convair soon switched to a multi-wheel setup to better distribute the aircraft’s weight and avoid destroying runway pavement.

Today many of the aircraft I saw stashed in dusty corners or in pieces, like the German Arado Ar 234 twin-engine jet bomber from World War II, are restored and in the museum. The prospect of finally seeing this part of the collection had me considering what would be my first landing at a Class B airport: Dulles, mainly because one of the FBOs there runs a free shuttle to the museum, which is just outside the airport property.

Then a friend suggested Manassas Regional (KHEF),which is also close to the museum, has easy access to rental cars and a regional train station, with lower airport fees and less congestion.

I think I need to amend my flight plan.

This article was originally published in the April 2023, Issue 936 of  FLYING.

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