SkyHog
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 18,431
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
- Display Name
Display name:
Everything Offends Me
Roswell International Air Center Airport
This was the most rewarding day of flying I think I've ever experienced. Beautiful weather, low winds, and very little turbulence (to start with) made this day absolutely perfect for flying. The fear of an abduction and subsequent probe from my destination fell to the back of my mind as I punched through the deep turquoise sky...the color sky that only New Mexico really offers.
As I flew along V291 from the Corona VORTAC to the Chisum VORTAC, I noticed on the cheesy, almost never useful "New Mexico Sectional" (the one put out by the state, not the real sectional) that there was a little space ship marking, just off the victor airway. A quick look at the key told me that this is the "UFO Crash Site." Yes. Its really marked on the sectional. I plugged in the coordinates into my GPS and flew direct Crash Site. There's nothing there, but a building or two. The government has obviously conspired to hide this crash site from pilots. The conspiracy continues!
Flying into Roswell is very easy. There are little to no obstructions anywhere near the airport, and its actually at a relatively low elevation. 3671 ft is, to date, the lowest elevation I've ever landed at when solo. Its just too bad it was so hot, or I would have definitely felt the difference. I was told to enter a right base for runway 21, so I got to land on the gigantic 13001 ft long runway (long enough for a space ship?? Maybe...). The runway at Albuquerque International Sunport is longer, but either one is unbelievably long.
When I landed, I was told to taxi along Delta and Alpha to the FBO. It is amazing to see just how many airliners there are parked along the ramp there. I didn't do an exact count, but there are easily over 100 of them. Some look like they haven't been touched in years, believe it or not. Among the active ones were a bunch of Federal Express jets, some Mesa Airlines jets, I believe a few America West jets, and a bunch of regional airlines also.
The FBO can be a bit difficult to spot, since there are 2 buildings that both bear the name "Great Southwest Aviation" on them. I picked one, and was correct. I was disappointed to find out that their fuel was selling for $4.29 a gallon, and they wouldn't let me borrow their courtesy car unless I filled up. At $4.29 a gallon, not only am I not filling up, I'm not getting fuel. One big redeeming quality for the FBO is free soft drinks. I've never seen that before. Either way, instead of seeing the cool stuff in Roswell (like the museum or the Ale Inn), I got to walk around the airport and see some of the stuff there.
There is a gift shop with a bunch of stuffed toy aliens, which was pretty neat. It also had a bunch of information about the UFO Crash Site (which apparantly is more interesting from the ground), and a brief history of the city. There is a passenger terminal with a few restaurants inside, but its a bit of a walk from the FBO, so be prepared to walk if you don't want to pay ungodly expensive fuel rates.
It was HOT and HUMID in Roswell. I haven't felt humidity like that in New Mexico in well over....actually....no. I've never felt humidity like that in New Mexico. It was crazy. On takeoff, my plane felt very reluctant to climb out, even though I was at such a low elevation. I knew the trip back to Albuquerque would be marred with turbulence now.
I left my video camera at home, but I got some still shots with my camera.
Pictures:
1) The UFO Crash Site. Nothing but buildings. Oh - and UFO Wreckage
2) Roswell International Air Center from the air
3) Final, Runway 21
4) Taxiing to ramp. Look at all the planes
5) The ramp at Roswell. Look at even more planes!
6) My steed. Parked on the ramp. Look at all the planes in the background!
7) *NEW* New Mexico Sectional Clipping of UFO Marker
ROSWELL INTERNATIONAL AIR CENTER QUICK FACTS:
Airport Elevation: 3671 Ft
Runways 3/21: 13001'x150ft, Center Concrete, Outside Asphalt in decent condition
Runways 17/35: 9999'x100ft, Asphalt, great condition
Runways 12/30: 7425'x200ft, Concrete Center, Asphalt Outside in poor condition
ATIS: 128.45
UNICOM: 122.95
TOWER: 118.5
Nick's NOTAMS: Little green men on and in the vicinity of the airport.
This was the most rewarding day of flying I think I've ever experienced. Beautiful weather, low winds, and very little turbulence (to start with) made this day absolutely perfect for flying. The fear of an abduction and subsequent probe from my destination fell to the back of my mind as I punched through the deep turquoise sky...the color sky that only New Mexico really offers.
As I flew along V291 from the Corona VORTAC to the Chisum VORTAC, I noticed on the cheesy, almost never useful "New Mexico Sectional" (the one put out by the state, not the real sectional) that there was a little space ship marking, just off the victor airway. A quick look at the key told me that this is the "UFO Crash Site." Yes. Its really marked on the sectional. I plugged in the coordinates into my GPS and flew direct Crash Site. There's nothing there, but a building or two. The government has obviously conspired to hide this crash site from pilots. The conspiracy continues!
Flying into Roswell is very easy. There are little to no obstructions anywhere near the airport, and its actually at a relatively low elevation. 3671 ft is, to date, the lowest elevation I've ever landed at when solo. Its just too bad it was so hot, or I would have definitely felt the difference. I was told to enter a right base for runway 21, so I got to land on the gigantic 13001 ft long runway (long enough for a space ship?? Maybe...). The runway at Albuquerque International Sunport is longer, but either one is unbelievably long.
When I landed, I was told to taxi along Delta and Alpha to the FBO. It is amazing to see just how many airliners there are parked along the ramp there. I didn't do an exact count, but there are easily over 100 of them. Some look like they haven't been touched in years, believe it or not. Among the active ones were a bunch of Federal Express jets, some Mesa Airlines jets, I believe a few America West jets, and a bunch of regional airlines also.
The FBO can be a bit difficult to spot, since there are 2 buildings that both bear the name "Great Southwest Aviation" on them. I picked one, and was correct. I was disappointed to find out that their fuel was selling for $4.29 a gallon, and they wouldn't let me borrow their courtesy car unless I filled up. At $4.29 a gallon, not only am I not filling up, I'm not getting fuel. One big redeeming quality for the FBO is free soft drinks. I've never seen that before. Either way, instead of seeing the cool stuff in Roswell (like the museum or the Ale Inn), I got to walk around the airport and see some of the stuff there.
There is a gift shop with a bunch of stuffed toy aliens, which was pretty neat. It also had a bunch of information about the UFO Crash Site (which apparantly is more interesting from the ground), and a brief history of the city. There is a passenger terminal with a few restaurants inside, but its a bit of a walk from the FBO, so be prepared to walk if you don't want to pay ungodly expensive fuel rates.
It was HOT and HUMID in Roswell. I haven't felt humidity like that in New Mexico in well over....actually....no. I've never felt humidity like that in New Mexico. It was crazy. On takeoff, my plane felt very reluctant to climb out, even though I was at such a low elevation. I knew the trip back to Albuquerque would be marred with turbulence now.
I left my video camera at home, but I got some still shots with my camera.
Pictures:
1) The UFO Crash Site. Nothing but buildings. Oh - and UFO Wreckage
2) Roswell International Air Center from the air
3) Final, Runway 21
4) Taxiing to ramp. Look at all the planes
5) The ramp at Roswell. Look at even more planes!
6) My steed. Parked on the ramp. Look at all the planes in the background!
7) *NEW* New Mexico Sectional Clipping of UFO Marker
ROSWELL INTERNATIONAL AIR CENTER QUICK FACTS:
Airport Elevation: 3671 Ft
Runways 3/21: 13001'x150ft, Center Concrete, Outside Asphalt in decent condition
Runways 17/35: 9999'x100ft, Asphalt, great condition
Runways 12/30: 7425'x200ft, Concrete Center, Asphalt Outside in poor condition
ATIS: 128.45
UNICOM: 122.95
TOWER: 118.5
Nick's NOTAMS: Little green men on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Attachments
Last edited:
I guess you didn't buy that bobblehead space alien for the glare shield.
