Conroe and New Braunfels

Challenged

Challenged

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
1,901
Location
Louisiana
Display Name
Display name:
Challenged
My family has a trip planned to New Braunfels in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on stopping in Conroe (KCXO) and eating at the restaurant on the field and then continuing on to New Braunfels (KBAZ). This would make it two one-hour flights, so it should be an easy trip if the weather cooperates.

I've flown into KCXO once, but I don't have any experience with New Braunfels. I checked them both out on AirNav and called the FBO in New Braunfels to ask about a car, but anyone have anything to share that I might need to know about the area? I see there's a military base near KBAZ on the sectional.

We're planning on tubing and going to the caverns. Anything else there that needs to be on the list?
 
I can't speak for the New Braunfels airport, but of the rivers to float, I like the Comal better. Less crowded. Schlitterbahn is alot of fun too, although I am not sure of the COVID restrictions.

In regard to Conroe, you are in for a treat. Galaxy FBO is great. No landing fee even if you don't buy fuel, and if you do, it is reasonably priced. Obviously you know about the great restaurant since you are stopping there.

Be prepared for the "Cowboy" tower controller. If he is on duty you will know what I mean. You will get a "pardner" somewhere in the clearance.
 
KBAZ is a nice place to stop. We've been there in an Arrow, a Cardinal, a Cherokee six, and believe it or not, an RV6A.

We were able to get a crew car to go to the Gristmill once or twice, but I think you might want to have Lyft or Uber on the ready.

Tubing stuff is all Lisa's domain, but she does wax nostalgic about Schlitterbahn.
 
Place is running rampant with COVID brother. Businesses are shutting down again on a voluntary rolling basis. The river(s) are still open, not sure about the tubing rental places, based on how this week is looking on the COVID front.

On a personal note, I'd much prefer KHYI, if I was visiting the area, even though KBAZ is my home drone. They've always treated me better, and the drive from San Marcos to New Braunfels attractions is a nothingburger. Rental car logistics are way better at KHYI ime. KBAZ management went on a jet centric agenda several year ago. It flopped, but the dearth of GA-centric catering is palpable. KHYI on-field/business activity looks like Oshkosh on a weekday by comparison.

Oh, and Gristmill is closed UFN. Bunch of people popped positive at the joint last week.

Cheers and stay healthy/safe.
 
Last edited:
I live in New Braunfels, though I wouldn't say it's rampant with COVID. There's 116 active cases in a town of 80,000, so rampant would be a bit extreme. Rivers are open as are most of the tube places. More room on the Guadalupe river to tube as the Comal can get crowded on the weekends. Lots of good restaurants still open including Clear Springs, which you'll pass coming into town from the airport. Muck & Fuss is good for a burger and Downtown Social is good for a late night drink and some bowling. Gruene Hall is open for shows.

The airport can get busy during the week as there are two busy flight schools that burn up the pattern a lot. FBO can get you a rental car and has cheaper fuel then HYI. Tower doesn't have radar, so you'll be reporting your position quite a bit if it's busy. Don't worry about Randolph if you're coming from LA. No factor and there is no restricted airspace.

Enjoy our German town!
 
hindsight2020 said:
On a personal note, I'd much prefer KHYI, if I was visiting the area, even though KBAZ is my home drone.
Click to expand...

Is Berry Aviation still flying those sewer pipe Metros around? I used to take students down to San Marcos way back in the day and think "Man, if I could just get a job flying something like a Metro, I'd be all set." Oh to be young and dumb!

Of course I'm still an idiot, I just have more experience at it.
 
Last edited:
kayoh190 said:
Is Berry Aviation still flying those sewer pipe Metros around? I used to take students down to San Marcos way back in the day and think "Man, if I could just get a job flying something like a Metro, I'd be all set." Oh to be young and dumb!

Of course I'm still an idiot, I just have more experience at it.
Click to expand...

LOL, I hear ya. Actually, I still would have liked to have flown the SLUF (A-7). Mostly nostalgia since it's what started it all for me.

As to your question, no. I believe they're now fully Embraer 120 fleet for their CONUS on-demand cargo operation. They fly Dash-8s and Caravans on contract for DOD OCONUS, military industrial complex grifty stuff et al.
 
kayoh190 said:
Is Berry Aviation still flying those sewer pipe Metros around?
Click to expand...

You can always tell the pilot from the copilot of a Metro by which way they lean.....

I worked for a company in Alaska that had an AMCI lease with Berry Aviation to fly from hub village to hub village with the Metros.

I never made it into the cockpit. Seems the company I was working for didn't make a lease payment for 3 months so Berry Aviation pulled out all their Metros and went home. I was lucky enough to catch the last Metro flight out of Bethel to Anchorage.

What an experience....
 
Love the restaurant (Black Walnut Cafe) at Galaxy FBO in Conroe. Best part is sitting outside on the 3rd (or 4th? I forget) floor patio and watching the airport traffic. Quite a decent variety of GA birds and rotorcraft.
 
Thanks for the input, much appreciated! Unfortunately we're having second thoughts now due to the virus. It looks like the New Braunfels mayor just issued an order requiring face-masks for both businesses and visitors, but haven't read over it yet so I'm not sure of the details.
 
Challenged said:
Unfortunately we're having second thoughts now due to the virus.
Click to expand...

Too bad. I used to go to that area in the mid 70s back when it was not a tourist area.

Another thought.... Hippie_Hollow_Park

Hippie Holler was the place to be as a young teenager back in the early and mid 70s. And the hippie chicks that were seen there were not....aahhh..... as picturesque as one would think.

Oh wait. Closed due to virus and not a family park....
 
I think that the situation regarding Covid-19, public health, and business in central Texas is changing rapidly as the numbers rise again. I live in San Antonio and it looks like we may be headed for reversals on the relaxed requirements. The number of available ICU beds and ventilators in Bexar County has decreased quickly in the past few days. Not at a crisis level yet, but at the current rate of increase, we could be in real trouble in 3-4 weeks. Last night they began talking again about the as-yet-unused temporary hospital set up in our rodeo arena. I think you are wise to rethink your trip at this time. But NB really is a great place to visit and I hope you'll try again when all this is behind us.
 
Zeldman said:
And the hippie chicks that were seen there were not....aahhh..... as picturesque as one would think.
Click to expand...

Until I went to the Jemez hot springs in the 70s, I had no idea a person could have that much, uh, bodily hair.
 
All tubing and rafting operations in Texas are closed as of noon today as well as bars.

CH
 
I agree with the KHYI choice. Sky port will have a rent car next to your plane and load your luggage for you. Great folks. New Braunfels and San Marcos are so close to each other it shouldn’t make much difference.

I dropped off and picked up my son in law at KCXO when he left his Baron for major panel and interior redo. The controller I dealt with was direct to the point of being rude. I also stood in line for take off, something this boondocks pilot is not accustomed to. Houston kept me pretty high both times and I had to ask them to turn me loose for descent. I had to use speed brakes both times to get out of the sky before getting two counties past the place.

There used to be a great German Food place in New Braunfels, but I realize that not many people care that much for German food.
 
MBDiagMan said:
There used to be a great German Food place in New Braunfels, but I realize that not many people care that much for German food.
Click to expand...
Seeing how as I started growing up in that area - good 'ole Texas German food is good stuff.
 
Yes, it is NOT true German Food, but it eats good. As a young guy I lived in Germany two years. Ever since then friends from time to time will tell me there’s a great German Food place that has REAL German food. Only one of them I’ve been to in almost fifty years lived up to that claim and it was in Chicago.
 
MBDiagMan said:
Yes, it is NOT true German Food, but it eats good. As a young guy I lived in Germany two years. Ever since then friends from time to time will tell me there’s a great German Food place that has REAL German food. Only one of them I’ve been to in almost fifty years lived up to that claim and it was in Chicago.
Click to expand...
Ah, it's real German food from real German immigrants, just like Tex Mex is real Mexican food, just evolved with the times and availability.
 
MBDiagMan said:
Yes, it is NOT true German Food, but it eats good. As a young guy I lived in Germany two years. Ever since then friends from time to time will tell me there’s a great German Food place that has REAL German food. Only one of them I’ve been to in almost fifty years lived up to that claim and it was in Chicago.
Click to expand...
Been to Walburg, TX?
 
RyanShort1 said:
Ah, it's real German food from real German immigrants, just like Tex Mex is real Mexican food, just evolved with the times and availability.
Click to expand...

As a kid my dad would take to Elgin once or twice a year for good sausage.

Nothing like eating BBQ on a butcher paper covered plywood table.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Ah, it's real German food from real German immigrants, just like Tex Mex is real Mexican food, just evolved with the times and availability.
Click to expand...

I will rephrase. Only one restaurant In the USA out of probably fifty that I’ve been to had food like I can eat in a typical restaurant in Germany.
 
Yep, it’s funny. When it comes down to it though, it’s all fuel. I try not to top off those tanks at every fuel stop.

For you Ryan, there is a pretty darn good German Food restaurant in Plano. Can’t remember the name but I can look it up if you get hungry and the restaurants open up again.

Sandy and I have only eaten out twice since the virus mess began. Now the cases are really spiking here, so it will be a while before we do it again.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Ah, it's real German food from real German immigrants, just like Tex Mex is real Mexican food, just evolved with the times and availability.
Click to expand...

Blasphemy! Tex Mex is pure crap! Just one more thing Texans managed to do wrong.

<-- that guy has lived in Texas for 20 years. He knows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top