9A0 - Dahlonega, Georgia

Challenged

Challenged

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
1,901
Location
Louisiana
Display Name
Display name:
Challenged
I'm anticipating flying to Dahlonega (or somewhere nearby?) with my wife and toddler next week. Does anyone have any information on this field? Not all that much info on AirNav.
 
Ha, I've flown in there once. It was just to test out some fields nearby.

Don't expect much. I was in and out without getting out of the airplane. Nail your approach. Don't expect many options if you go missed landing north. It's right at the base of where the mountains start.

If you're landing south, you will have to maneuver around some hills and will have a 20-30 degree approach off the centerline until short final.

I know nothing about the services or people. Parking didn't seem to be an issue.
 
Challenged said:
I'm anticipating flying to Dahlonega (or somewhere nearby?) with my wife and toddler next week. Does anyone have any information on this field? Not all that much info on AirNav.
Click to expand...

The best alternative if you want a full-service airport would be KGVL and then a ~35 minute drive to Dahlonega. The only comment I see on AirNav about 9A0 indicates the pilot arrived to find the self-serve tanks had run dry, so you may want to take that into consideration.
 
I've been in there twice, once in my 414A:eek: and again last year in the 182. It's MUCH better in a single! :D
The first trip we went to eat with my mother in law and family. She got lost taking us back to the airport and it was almost dark when we got there, probably a good thing we couldn't see the trees as well at night!! :eek:
I taxied to the north end and got as close to the end as I possibly could without getting out and pushing the plane backwards. ;) Hold brakes, FULL power before brake release, rumble down the runway, begin praying, continue down runway, continue praying, lift off and clear trees by at least 100 feet vertically, with trees above us on both sides. Exhale and continue to FTY. We didn't take any fuel and there was no real parking area open that day for a twin, so we kinda shoved it into a spot.
It is a pretty area, but I would avoid it on a windy day if I could. ;)
 
I've been in and out of there countless times. In fact, went there yesterday. Capt. Kirk was right - winds permitting, land to the north, take off to the south. You can come in and land on 15, but as was said, you have to wind around some small mountains. There is no straight in approach from the north. It's not difficult if you're comfortable with low-level maneuvering. Runway is 3000 feet so that's plenty for most airplanes.

Fuel is self-serve only and relatively cheap. Next closest airport with real facilities is Canton (Cherokee County). It's about 15 miles west and has a nice FBO and a 5,000 foot runway.
 
Couldn't work out the rental car situation in Dahlonega, so we flew into Gainesville instead. Not that bad of a drive up here though. The controllers wouldn't let me into Class B airspace, so I had to go around, but it didn't add all that much time to our flight. The baby had two naps and my wife didn't complain so I'd say it was a successful trip.

gehunu7u.jpg
 
Last edited:
When I'm at work at KATL, the only GA traffic I see is going directly north or south across the field.

Glad to see you enjoyed the trip. The weather here wasn't all that great.
 
JZP (Jasper) is also not a bad option. And there's a couple PBrs hang out there as well. But I guess GVL would have about the best shortest route to Dalonega.
 
Wimpy's (Dahlonega) is a fun airport to land at. Narrow, short-ish runway with a steep slope. Here's me landing there in the CT. The camera has a wide angle lens, I'm not as close to the trees as it appears, but I'm not far from them either. I have changed my approach since this video to use more flaps and a steeper approach.

http://youtu.be/5YxoDNvXkmw
 
Last edited:
Cpt_Kirk said:
When I'm at work at KATL, the only GA traffic I see is going directly north or south across the field.
Click to expand...

I've heard fables of people getting direct ATL north/south, but I've never personally have gotten it. I think I have a better chance of hunting some snipes tonight.
 
Bill Jennings said:
I've heard fables of people getting direct ATL north/south, but I've never personally have gotten it. I think I have a better chance of hunting some snipes tonight.
Click to expand...

Hehe... It really does happen sometimes. You're most likely to get it if you call in VFR about 30 miles out (or first contact with the Class B controller) and request 5500 right over the VOR, basically north/south course line. Be short and to the point on the radio, and prepared to get some vectors.
 
Challenged said:
Couldn't work out the rental car situation in Dahlonega, so we flew into Gainesville instead. Not that bad of a drive up here though. The controllers wouldn't let me into Class B airspace, so I had to go around, but it didn't add all that much time to our flight. The baby had two naps and my wife didn't complain so I'd say it was a successful trip.

gehunu7u.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice area up there. FastEddie lives up just a bit further north. I'm heading up there today.

rich-mtn-600.jpg
 
Bill Jennings said:
I've heard fables of people getting direct ATL north/south, but I've never personally have gotten it. I think I have a better chance of hunting some snipes tonight.
Click to expand...

I've gotten the N/S VFR corridor every time I've asked. Maybe 10 times. Call in from an appropriate location and altitude with a logical destination in mind. Sound like you know what you're doing, and they will work with you.

So, you need to be at 5,000' +/-, and you need to be flying from (say) Macon to RYY, which points you right through the center of ATL's airspace.
 
kyleb said:
So, you need to be at 5,000' +/-, and you need to be flying from (say) Macon to RYY, which points you right through the center of ATL's airspace.
Click to expand...

OK, will try it. Maybe my problem is I'm usually 9000 on an IFR plan, and they tell me to go away. Maybe I need to be at a lower altitude.
 
Bill Jennings said:
OK, will try it. Maybe my problem is I'm usually 9000 on an IFR plan, and they tell me to go away. Maybe I need to be at a lower altitude.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... My experience with IFR is that they almost always clear you through. Odd...
 
Bill Jennings said:
OK, will try it. Maybe my problem is I'm usually 9000 on an IFR plan, and they tell me to go away. Maybe I need to be at a lower altitude.
Click to expand...

Between 5,000 and 6,000' seems to be the sweet spot for them.
 
I've gone into Blairsville (KDZJ) a few times. Longer but not instrument approach if you're looking for an alternate with one..

A pair of corp jets came in when I was there last year (one delivering a birthday cake of all things).. Not too much terrain directly around it..

In mid-summer 85f temps, full fuel and nearly gross weight (camping trips) I was comfortable getting out and above the mountains in a 182.

Real nice folks. And there is a local rental car company (avoid enterprise, takes a while to do the paperwork) that'll have the car and keys there for pretty cheap.
 
Been in there many times, in all sorts of planes. Right over one set of hills from my home base in Copperhill, TN. Used to go there for cheap self-serve Avgas for my Cirrus and before that my Tiger before I got my Sky Arrow and started using Mogas. A friendly fellow let me keep my Sky Arrow in his hangar for a few days when I simply could not make it home due to wx in the mountains.

I would be careful taking off northbound in any plane with limited performance. Terrain does rise quite rapidly.

Anyway, here's a link to a darn nice landing to the south a student made in an SR22 there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR4OBrYTRrA

Oh, and Blairsville is home to my EAA Chapter 1211: http://www.eaa1211.org
 
Last edited:
Eddie, why did your student land downhill? It seems the wind would have to strongly favor landing that way on such a sloped runway, especially in something fast like a Cirrus.
 
bullwinkle said:
Eddie, why did your student land downhill? It seems the wind would have to strongly favor landing that way on such a sloped runway, especially in something fast like a Cirrus.
Click to expand...

I honestly never noticed a slope.

Checked on WingXPro7 A/FD and it says, "Gradient - None".

Am I missing something?
 
FastEddieB said:
I honestly never noticed a slope.

Checked on WingXPro7 A/FD and it says, "Gradient - None".

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Nope. I've been there several times and unless the tectonic plates in N. GA have moved again, there is no noticeable slope.
 
bullwinkle said:
Wimpy's (Dahlonega) is a fun airport to land at. Narrow, short-ish runway with a steep slope. Here's me landing there in the CT. The camera has a wide angle lens, I'm not as close to the trees as it appears, but I'm not far from them either. I have changed my approach since this video to use more flaps and a steeper approach.

http://youtu.be/5YxoDNvXkmw
Click to expand...

Did you touch down before the threshold or was it my impression? (I always have a hard time judging touch down on videos when the landing is smooth, so it's just out of curiosity).
 
Johann said:
Did you touch down before the threshold or was it my impression? (I always have a hard time judging touch down on videos when the landing is smooth, so it's just out of curiosity).
Click to expand...

And this is why I never post my videos.

I don't need a bunch of eyes picking my flying apart.
 
On the one hand, touching down before the displaced threshold is technically a no-no.

Then again, there's nothing wrong with the runway surface there*, and by the time you touch down clearly the obstacles which necessitate the displaced threshold are no longer an issue.

So I'd say, "No harm, no foul". With the caveat that it's not strictly kosher.


*If there was, it would be marked by chevrons, not arrows.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
And this is why I never post my videos.

I don't need a bunch of eyes picking my flying apart.
Click to expand...

And I do not mind if I can learn from others analyzing my videos.

If they pick up on something I missed and I can learn from it, it's all good!

And it's extremely hard for CFI's NOT to be critical - it's their stock in trade.

But That's Just Me! (tm)
 
The displaced threshold there is just for clearance of houses and trees. Once you're past them, it becomes a moot, albeit legal, point. Chevrons are the ones you really want to avoid making contact with.
 
At Dahlonega the only reason for the displaced threshold is for clearance of the high trees on approach. They only added it after several airplane close encounters with that tall treeline. I'm not too worried about the FAA coming after me on this one. I'd rather touch down in the displaced threshold that float long at that airport.
 
FastEddieB said:
I honestly never noticed a slope.

Checked on WingXPro7 A/FD and it says, "Gradient - None".

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Really? Just by looking at it it looks pretty steep. Maybe it's an optical illusion because of the surrounding sloping terrain...?
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
And this is why I never post my videos.

I don't need a bunch of eyes picking my flying apart.
Click to expand...

My experience is similar, I almost didn't post those videos for just that reason. I have had innocuous videos become five page debate threads, and it's annoying.
 
Andy,

We have pilots and instructors of all experience levels here, from zero to 10,000+ hours.

One thing they all have in common is the ability to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes.

And many are here to learn, and this learning often comes from the mistakes of others.

I would never post a video or account of any knowingly illegal action on my part. I attempt to fly such that violations are avoided, and so far in my career I have never been cited for one. But you know from this site and others that I'm more than willing to admit my mistakes, from leaving a canopy unlatched to spinning in in a Cirrus simulator to hooking up a battery backwards.

I don't think anyone meant to criticize your abilities. But if even one pilot or potential pilot learned a little something about displaced thresholds, then it's all good.

I've never intentionally touched down short of a displaced threshold. Unintentionally is a whole 'nother matter. Yes, even at Dahlonega!
 
Last edited:
I was not feeling overly criticized. Just mentioning that I hesitate to post any video these days for that reason.
 
bullwinkle said:
I was not feeling overly criticized. Just mentioning that I hesitate to post any video these days for that reason.
Click to expand...

I really wasn't being critical, it was a passing question.
If you saw my landings the other day you would be convinced of that. Good thing I don't have a GoPro :D
 
All...sorry I'm late to the thread.

I live in Dahlonega and am a CFI, II and MEI. There is very little flying going on and no flight instruction opportunities. If anyone is ever in town and needs some dual, just let me know. I'd be glad to do it.
 
Flew over Dahlonega a couple days ago. Not much flying going on but it's a pretty area.
 
All of the departures out of KATL are given 10,000 as the initial altitude. The arrivals are 7-8000 abeam the airport.

Bill Jennings said:
OK, will try it. Maybe my problem is I'm usually 9000 on an IFR plan, and they tell me to go away. Maybe I need to be at a lower altitude.
Click to expand...
 
Shoot, there must be 1000-1500' between the trees and the asphalt, then 500 paved feet to the threshold! My home field, KHTW, has less than 100 yards from the trees to the numbers painted on the asphalt, and there are exactly 3001' of pavement. Dahlonega is a cool town, I'll have to check out the airport. My grandparents retired to Blairsville ,any moons ago . . . Love north Georgia!
 
Sorry for Necro post, but figured it would be better than rehashing the discussion.

Landed at 9A0 for first time today. I'm embarrassed to say I did not research other than length, so was a bit surprised when I saw the rising terrain on 3 sides. I did a straight in approach to 33. Had not planned on short field technique, but I revised my plan when I got a look at the field. Sometimes I tend to float, but today I used no more than 1000' to land and stop

Headed out on Sunday. I plan to depart on 15 unless winds are really unfavorable. I'm in a Decathlon so not worried about climb rate at all.

Dahlonega is a really cool town both from the air and on the ground. About a 3 mile drive. No idea on ground trans, as I had a ride. It's a college town so I would guess Uber and Lyft drivers are available. Cell phone reception is spotty. One of the locals stood on the runway to get a better signal.

If you come here, bring stakes and rope. No tie down anchors that I could find.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top