Gastons 2012 - Don't miss it

What's your name? Look forward to meeting you!

John Roebuck

I'm a little more active on the Purple Board but as you can see, I've been mostly lurking around for awhile. Met up with Grant and his wife a year or two ago in Chicago, along with a couple other folks. Looking forward to meeting more of you guys :) I've read the Gaston's threads the last few years with envy!
 
Wheel pants are not a problem there. Most of the years everything is quite dry. They do a good job of cutting the grass. More airplanes have wheel pants there then don't

Some of us get there early (like me) and we post field conditions. If it weren't OK you could always land at mountain home. The field dries up pretty quickly.

Yeah, everybody with a grass strip tells me that, but my airplane's damage tells a different story. I'll still land turf strips if it's worth it (like 6Y9) but I won't believe anyone who tells me it won't damage the spats.
 
Yeah, everybody with a grass strip tells me that, but my airplane's damage tells a different story. I'll still land turf strips if it's worth it (like 6Y9) but I won't believe anyone who tells me it won't damage the spats.

I live on grass.

I visit other's grass as often as I can.

I have wheel pants.

I rebuild them (strip, sand, fix cracks, re-gelcoat & repaint) about every two or three years.

Okay, I don't, my body man does.

I love grass but, yes, grass is hard on pants,
 
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Reading all of this chatter has really got me sad that I can't come back for the Gaston get together this year. I enjoyed myself so much last year giving those rides into thunder ridge. That was a blast for me and I wanted to show some of the folks what a real grass strip could look like.

Roebuck 85. I have a video of landing on runway 24 even if I did call it 34. It is here: http://youtu.be/JVyRFvg7A28
 
OK, we have been lurking here a while. I just got back into aviation a while back and we are just starting to do some of the burger burn fly-ins and we are talking about trying to make Gaston's our first "overnighter".

Can someone give us details of the set up? I presume tent camping is OK. Food available? Rest rooms? Adult beverages? Trash cans, and all the stuff like that you can think of that a couple of newbies should think about and be aware of to keep out of trouble and be invited back. We are only 140 miles away so it should be an easy fun flight. We are anxious to meet some of the characters we have been reading about here, ------- I think. Ha Ha

Thanks for your help. Ken & Coralee
 
OK, we have been lurking here a while. I just got back into aviation a while back and we are just starting to do some of the burger burn fly-ins and we are talking about trying to make Gaston's our first "overnighter".

Can someone give us details of the set up? I presume tent camping is OK. Food available? Rest rooms? Adult beverages? Trash cans, and all the stuff like that you can think of that a couple of newbies should think about and be aware of to keep out of trouble and be invited back. We are only 140 miles away so it should be an easy fun flight. We are anxious to meet some of the characters we have been reading about here, ------- I think. Ha Ha

Thanks for your help. Ken & Coralee
Tent camping is not permitted as Gastons is a restort with a runway and has cabins available for rent. That is where much of their income comes from. The cabins line the runway and are pretty nicely setup.

Food is available on field (restaurant). Grills are also made available to us and vans are provided to run into town to pick up things from the grocery store.

There is also a bar at the restaurant but most of the drinking takes place after the sun goes down in various cabins :)

Quite a bit of information available on the fly-in website located at:
www.gastonsflyin.com

Gaston's official website is:
www.gastons.com
 
If you haven't seen it I have a video here. It is an older video but the runway hasn't changed. I said 34 but the runway I landed on is 24 and 06. It is a great place. some of the rooms have two seperate bedrooms and some members share.
Some also have a share meal or two. It is a great time, and If I only liver 140 miles away instead of 1200 miles away I would be there every year. I have flown there twice as it is.
 
Tent camping is not permitted as Gastons is a resort with a runway and has cabins available for rent. That is where much of their income comes from. The cabins line the runway and are pretty nicely setup.

Food is available on field (restaurant). Grills are also made available to us and vans are provided to run into town to pick up things from the grocery store.

There is also a bar at the restaurant but most of the drinking takes place after the sun goes down in various cabins :)

OK, Thanks, and that's why as newbies we need to ask the questions.
I saw the cabins on the map (I thought they were residences). That would be a lot more comfortable. Late last night, Wifey informed me that we had committed to help with our Firehouse fish fry fund raiser that Saturday. It will be hard to miss it since I am on the BOD. We might have to drop by Gastons Friday just to have lunch and say HI to those that are there. It will be disappointing to miss most of the fun stuff on Saturday though. We will see what we can work out.
Thanks for your information. Ken

Also, neat video posted of approach and landing at Gastons, it will be a great help getting into a new place like this, especially with other traffic. Thanks for posting. Ken
 
Reading all of this chatter has really got me sad that I can't come back for the Gaston get together this year. I enjoyed myself so much last year giving those rides into thunder ridge. That was a blast for me and I wanted to show some of the folks what a real grass strip could look like.

Roebuck 85. I have a video of landing on runway 24 even if I did call it 34. It is here: http://youtu.be/JVyRFvg7A28

I will not be able to make it either (and not just because Bob isn't going). The neat thing about waiting until next year, for me, is I will have more time to plan and save up. POA fly-in 6Y9 in 2011, POA fly-in Wings FlyBQ in 2012, and hopefully POA Gastons in 2013.

Kimberly
 
Check out this dual-pitcher margarita machine, powered by twin trimmer mowers and controlled by an old twin's throttle quadrant. (more pics at the link)

http://www.supercub.org/forum/showt...her-neat-stuff&p=473315&viewfull=1#post473315

P1110085.JPG


We need to bring that to Gaston's and OSH, and let Grant work his magic.
 
It's looking like me and Mrs. will be coming... just double checking on a few logistics things...
 
Hey, Grant: Bring Leslie's mom along. I like the cut of her jib!
 
I've just run into a family conflict. Seeing what I can do to get it worked out, but not looking great---sigh.

Dave
 
Yes, y'all are family too, that's what makes it so tough. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if I can move things on the other end. Really sorry. Dave
 
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You can say that again!
 
I can't figure out how to unregister there. Dave
That's because once you register you've committed and there simply is no way to undo it. The contractual penalties for not coming are extremely expensive Sorry - it was in the fine text. If you have any questions feel free to contact the Gastons Fly-In Counsel, Spike.
 
Chompin' at the bit...
 
Looks like something the wife and I would want to do. I'd never heard about it until coming across it on this forum. We live in Lenexa, KS, so not to far of a trip either, especially since we're currently flying a C150, low and slow! Won't make it this year, but we'll go ahead and put it on our schedule for 2013.
 
Looks like something the wife and I would want to do. I'd never heard about it until coming across it on this forum. We live in Lenexa, KS, so not to far of a trip either, especially since we're currently flying a C150, low and slow! Won't make it this year, but we'll go ahead and put it on our schedule for 2013.

You'll love it! And you'll make some great lifelong friends, who also happen to love airplanes and flying.
 
Looks like something the wife and I would want to do. I'd never heard about it until coming across it on this forum. We live in Lenexa, KS, so not to far of a trip either, especially since we're currently flying a C150, low and slow! Won't make it this year, but we'll go ahead and put it on our schedule for 2013.
From someone who has been there in a C150, a few things to remember, leave early morning when it is cool, and don't let the wife go crazy buying souvenirs! be as light as possible. Have enough fuel to get you over to Mountain Home, but don't top off before you leave Gaston's. Climb slow and once you have cleared the trees at the end of the runway, move over and fly the river valley as you gain altitude.
 
Thanks, Dean. Yeah, with full fuel and the wife and I, usually don't have much left for baggage, around 25#. Won't be much in the way of souvenoir shopping! After 40+ years of marriage, we've got enough "stuff." :wink2:

We haven't flown in that area before, but just looking at the sectional I don't see a lot of high altitude issues around Gaston -- of course with a town named Mountain Home I might be missing something. Are there density altitude issues to contend with in the Gaston area? Sounds like when you flew there in your 150 you took off with partial fuel and filled up at Mountain Home, which appears to be about 4 nm away?
 
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