SkyHog
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 18,431
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
- Display Name
Display name:
Everything Offends Me
Jicarilla Apache Nation Airport (24N)
The Jicarilla Apache Nation Airport is located in the middle of the mountains. It is unlikely that you will spot this airport from very far out unless you are really high. We approached at about 9500ft, and the airport didn't come into view until we were about 6nm away. Thats part of the fun of landing at the Northern New Mexico airports though.
We had some real fun on the radio coming up, since no one was here. I believe we called this place "Gicarilley", "Hickapache", and many other names during our traffic calls. It was early, and we needed something to spice up the morning dullness.
The runway here is really nice, and in really good condition. There is no taxiway, per se, but there is something that looks like a dirt taxiway going back to the ramp. I didn't feel like leaving pavement for something that may or may not be a taxiway, so I backtaxied to the ramp instead.
On the ramp, we noticed a bunch of SEAT equipment and a SEAT plane sitting there, ready to go fight fires should one start. As we got out of the plane, Cleo, the pilot of the SEAT plane came to talk to us. He drove us up to the trailer near the gate to the ramp and gave us some water while he talked about what SEAT is all about, and how fun and crazy it is sometimes to fight fires. Cleo is a real class act, and has the strong southern accent that is not apparant so much in New Mexico anymore.
I should point out, here, that there is no FBO, there is no official rest area or anything. The trailer we went to is marked as private property and no trespassing. If you are coming here for a break to walk around, or to visit the city of Dulce or the Apache Nation's area, this is a good place to go, but for any sort of supplies, including water, I would not suggest this place.
There were two gentlement with some very cool remote control airplanes on the ramp, getting ready to go. We watched them use the real runway for some landings, and they were pretty skilled RC plane pilots. I tried to tell them that they had nice planes, but they didn't want to hear it, "Not as nice or as big as your'n there!" Heh.
This is the greenest part of New Mexico I have ever seen. Rolling green hills fall away from the airport environment, and trees are all over the place. I was unaware that New Mexico could offer up such life, and I am much happier now that I know it exists here.
We were just starting to have fun, but the day was still young. Lots more airports to go to today...
Videos
1) Landing, Runway 35
Pictures:
1) Juliet on ramp
2) Juliet with mountains in the background
3) The cool little RC Airplanes
4) Rolling Hills of Green, surely this isn't New Mexico?
5) Juliet, dwarfed by the SEAT plane, from the "terminal"
6) Hangars
JICARILLA APACHE NATION QUICK FACTS:
Airport Elevation: 7618 Ft
Runways 17/35: 7500'x75ft, Ashpalt, new, in excellent condition
CTAF: 122.9
Nick's NOTAMS: No fuel or services available. The trailer that looks like a terminal building is not open to the public. Dirt taxiway may or may not be available. Please give way to SEAT aircraft, as they're leaving to fight a fire if they're leaving.
The Jicarilla Apache Nation Airport is located in the middle of the mountains. It is unlikely that you will spot this airport from very far out unless you are really high. We approached at about 9500ft, and the airport didn't come into view until we were about 6nm away. Thats part of the fun of landing at the Northern New Mexico airports though.
We had some real fun on the radio coming up, since no one was here. I believe we called this place "Gicarilley", "Hickapache", and many other names during our traffic calls. It was early, and we needed something to spice up the morning dullness.
The runway here is really nice, and in really good condition. There is no taxiway, per se, but there is something that looks like a dirt taxiway going back to the ramp. I didn't feel like leaving pavement for something that may or may not be a taxiway, so I backtaxied to the ramp instead.
On the ramp, we noticed a bunch of SEAT equipment and a SEAT plane sitting there, ready to go fight fires should one start. As we got out of the plane, Cleo, the pilot of the SEAT plane came to talk to us. He drove us up to the trailer near the gate to the ramp and gave us some water while he talked about what SEAT is all about, and how fun and crazy it is sometimes to fight fires. Cleo is a real class act, and has the strong southern accent that is not apparant so much in New Mexico anymore.
I should point out, here, that there is no FBO, there is no official rest area or anything. The trailer we went to is marked as private property and no trespassing. If you are coming here for a break to walk around, or to visit the city of Dulce or the Apache Nation's area, this is a good place to go, but for any sort of supplies, including water, I would not suggest this place.
There were two gentlement with some very cool remote control airplanes on the ramp, getting ready to go. We watched them use the real runway for some landings, and they were pretty skilled RC plane pilots. I tried to tell them that they had nice planes, but they didn't want to hear it, "Not as nice or as big as your'n there!" Heh.
This is the greenest part of New Mexico I have ever seen. Rolling green hills fall away from the airport environment, and trees are all over the place. I was unaware that New Mexico could offer up such life, and I am much happier now that I know it exists here.
We were just starting to have fun, but the day was still young. Lots more airports to go to today...
Videos
1) Landing, Runway 35
Pictures:
1) Juliet on ramp
2) Juliet with mountains in the background
3) The cool little RC Airplanes
4) Rolling Hills of Green, surely this isn't New Mexico?
5) Juliet, dwarfed by the SEAT plane, from the "terminal"
6) Hangars
JICARILLA APACHE NATION QUICK FACTS:
Airport Elevation: 7618 Ft
Runways 17/35: 7500'x75ft, Ashpalt, new, in excellent condition
CTAF: 122.9
Nick's NOTAMS: No fuel or services available. The trailer that looks like a terminal building is not open to the public. Dirt taxiway may or may not be available. Please give way to SEAT aircraft, as they're leaving to fight a fire if they're leaving.
