Air-to-air frequency for private field?

SoCal RV Flyer

SoCal RV Flyer

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Sunday's plans are to go visit Chuckwalla Raceway and visit some friends doing a track day there, and conveniently, Chuckwalla purchased the old military airstrip right next to the track (Desert Center on the sectional, east of Palm Springs). There's no CTAF...would you try to hail other pilots with an air-to-air frequency and broadcast intentions, or just take a good long look around and then land? I already called the track and got permission to land & supplied a tail number, etc.

The strip only has about 150 operations a year.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Sunday's plans are to go visit Chuckwalla Raceway and visit some friends doing a track day there, and conveniently, Chuckwalla purchased the old military airstrip right next to the track (Desert Center on the sectional, east of Palm Springs). There's no CTAF...would you try to hail other pilots with an air-to-air frequency and broadcast intentions, or just take a good long look around and then land? I already called the track and got permission to land & supplied a tail number, etc.

The strip only has about 150 operations a year.
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The air-to-air 122.75 is also designated for private airports but why not call back and ask?
 
Ya could say a few words on 122.9 or .75. You have a radio and it might as well be on something. Those two are the only ones I can think of that you might find someone on.

EDIT: Looks like .75 is the place to be. I'd always thought that was just a general air to air to freq.
 
Looks like the closest public airport uses 122.9. If all else fails, I would use that. I've only heard one private airport use 122.75 and it seemed strange when everyone is having a conversation and one guy is making radio calls for landing!
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Thanks, guys. I appreciate the input.
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Yer welcome. Whats going on there anyway? Dirt racing? Track racing? And did they just say "cool go ahead and fly in." Or did they want a bunch of whats your call sign sign and send us a hold harmless agreement and stuff?
 
The multicom frequencies are designed to be used as CTAF at airports that do not have a UNICOM license. The basic multicom is 122.9 but certain others are also available on a limited basis (122.85). I've never had a problem using 122.9 at a field lacking a published CTAF. Note that some private strips do indeed have UNICOM licenses. Got bit by this over at Carolina Beach. Just assumed they were on 122.9 without thinking (tiny little residential airpark). They do have a UNICOM license for 122.8.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Sunday's plans are to go visit Chuckwalla Raceway and visit some friends doing a track day there, and conveniently, Chuckwalla purchased the old military airstrip right next to the track (Desert Center on the sectional, east of Palm Springs). There's no CTAF...would you try to hail other pilots with an air-to-air frequency and broadcast intentions, or just take a good long look around and then land? I already called the track and got permission to land & supplied a tail number, etc.

The strip only has about 150 operations a year.
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Too funny, right on the web page it says com is 122.8

http://www.chuckwallavalleyraceway.com/track-info-rental/
 
luvflyin said:
Yer welcome. Whats going on there anyway? Dirt racing? Track racing? And did they just say "cool go ahead and fly in." Or did they want a bunch of whats your call sign sign and send us a hold harmless agreement and stuff?
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It's a road racing track. Neat circuit, and I'm glad they put in a snack bar...for a while there were next to no facilities.

They were very cool about it; just asked for my tail number, a phone number, and approximate time of arrival. My big concern was overflying the track if a run session is going on...don't want to distract the drivers too much. That's only if winds favor runway 23. If it's calm enough I'll land on 5 and not overfly the track. If it's 23, then I'll do a high, steep approach and land about mid field.....it's 4200 ft., so plenty of length.

There's a $10 fee to get in as a spectator (pretty standard at most tracks) and there's about a 1-mile walk from airplane parking to the track. We're hoping to get a friend to shuttle us back and forth, 'cause it's gonna be hot! If not, we'll pack extra Gatorade and sweat off five pounds. :):)
 
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Here's a pic. I may have to get back into track days...used to do it a lot with my MR2 Spyder, Porsche 944, etc.

chuckwalla.jpg
 
Clark1961 said:
Too funny, right on the web page it says com is 122.8

http://www.chuckwallavalleyraceway.com/track-info-rental/
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It's CN64. Used to be L64. A search of L64 in Foreflite gets not found. In Airnav a search of L64 takes you to CN64. It does not list any "Airport Communications." Foreflite has no frequencies for CN64 other than Flight Service. It looks like Riverside County sold it to Chuckwalla a few years ago. My guess is that's when the Identifier changed. Looks like .8 is the freq to use. Permission is required from the owner to use the airport and that's the frequency they are advertising. I don't think they are supposed to be doing that though
 
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SoCal RV Flyer said:
My big concern was overflying the track if a run session is going on...don't want to distract the drivers too much. . :):)
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I raced for years when I was younger. A plane landing was nowhere near a distraction, and if these guys are racers they will not even notice you, unless you land on the track by accident.....:)

Wow.... looks like a really nice facility.
 
Zeldman said:
I raced for years when I was younger. A plane landing was nowhere near a distraction, and if these guys are racers they will not even notice you, unless you land on the track by accident.....:)

Wow.... looks like a really nice facility.
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Yeah, +1 on that. You won't even see it...you're way too focused on the task at hand. The only opportunity you'd have to even see the aircraft would be approaching turn 14. In that short straight, you'd first be reading traffic while exiting turn 13, then you'd be looking for your brake marker. As you start to brake, your eyes would transition to the apex point (or traffic, if you're passing). None of that involves looking up. That displaced threshold should also keep aircraft well out of the racer's concentration.
 
Also, it's definitely 122.8

Desert Center Airport
Please contact the office to schedule arrivals with the following information ETA, Tail # and Pilot name and contact. Radio Frequency for DCA is 122.8
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Zeldman said:
I raced for years when I was younger. A plane landing was nowhere near a distraction, and if these guys are racers they will not even notice you, unless you land on the track by accident.....:)

Wow.... looks like a really nice facility.
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Yeah. If they even noticed you it would mean they're already in trouble.
 
And, if you thought avgas was expensive...

Fuel Station
Octanes available (for track use only):

91 ($5.759/gal.) or 95.5 ($8.999/gal)

101 ($9.999/gal.)

110 - Leaded ($9.999/gal.)
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Yes, some racers mistakenly think Avgas is race gas. It isn't.

Avgas is not made for high performance race engines. Avgas is made for low RPM engines. My engines ran a lot more than 2300 RPM and had a whole lot more compression than aviation engines.

But, mixing Avgas with regular unleaded will bring raise the octane level of the Avgas. And Avgas is rated on the performance scale, not the R+M Divided by 2 that race gas is rated. So if 100LL Avgas rated the same way race gas is rated, then that Avgas comes out to 85-89 octane. (as of 1995)

I was in the race gas business for years. It always gives me a good laugh when people think Avgas is "real race gas."

And I will say that a good engine builder can build an engine to achieve maximum power on any type fuel. Think Stanley Steamer.

"A Stanley car set a land speed record of 127 MPH in 1906 and the following year one was clocked at nearly 150 MPH before it crashed near Daytona Beach."
 
Never heard gasoline rated for an RPM. It's compression and to an extent temperature range that drives gasoline formulation.

I think you'll find the AKI of 100LL to be a little higher, 91 and a fraction, but still a lot less than 100 (or premium car gas)
The 100 and 108 AKI race fuels are still a whole lot better than using 100LL. Still you go out to a airport in the sticks on Friday or Saturday and guys are filling up their jugs for use in racers and off roaders and things. Every race track I've been affiliated with makes you buy the fuel from them anyhow (100LL would be detected in a heart beat).
 
Thanks for the info, guys. It helps to know from people who've actually raced there that landing on 23 is not a distraction. I will go high and steep on final though, just to make sure.
 
Zeldman said:
...and if these guys are racers they will not even notice you, unless you land on the track by accident.....:)
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Even then, a racer will keep his foot in it and go around you, probably cutting it close enough to pick off the guy he's trying to pass.

(Raced sports cars myself for several years.)
 
Half Fast said:
Even then, a racer will keep his foot in it and go around you, probably cutting it close enough to pick off the guy he's trying to pass.

(Raced sports cars myself for several years.)
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Yeah, I loved hounding a guy ahead of me and pressuring him into a spin, picking up a position in the process. The best!! :D I gotta get back out there...I really miss it.
 
arnoha said:
Yeah, +1 on that. You won't even see it...you're way too focused on the task at hand. The only opportunity you'd have to even see the aircraft would be approaching turn 14. In that short straight, you'd first be reading traffic while exiting turn 13, then you'd be looking for your brake marker. As you start to brake, your eyes would transition to the apex point (or traffic, if you're passing). None of that involves looking up. That displaced threshold should also keep aircraft well out of the racer's concentration.
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Reminds me about the joke where the driver comes in after an intense battle on the track and says, "Going into Turn 2, I saw Jesus so many times I starting using him as a braking marker!" :D
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Reminds me about the joke where the driver comes in after an intense battle on the track and says, "Going into Turn 2, I saw Jesus so many times I starting using him as a braking marker!" :D
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LOL!

Method for the Sebring hairpin: stay on the gas until you hear harp music, brake until you no longer smell brimstone, turn in and gas it. :)
 
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