Alternatives to Gaston's

If we organized a fly-in at K15 (which seems like a really great option), let's go for early October or else early April.

If we do it, I'm in for sure. If it's organized, people will come.
 
2I3 is close and I don't mind doing a run to check things out for a PIREP.

More importantly I'll see about tick eradication. :p
 
Hey, Missa

"Lodge rooms are complete with hair dryers, irons & ironing boards, coffee-maker, television, reading chair, all purpose table, dresser and night stand. Amenities include: soap, shampoo & Bluegrass Blend Coffee."

LOL:D
 
Ted DuPuis said:
If we organized a fly-in at K15 (which seems like a really great option), let's go for early October or else early April.
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K15 also has Tan-Tar-A resort about 2 miles down the road. Not within walking distance but it's a really nice place with a couple of great restaurants and they'll gladly shuttle folks back and forth to the airport. I've flown to K15 a few times to have dinner at Tan-Tar-A, called them when I landed and they're at the airport within 10 minutes to pick us up.
 
I liked going to Gaston's before there was a fly-in. It was one of the first x-c's we made in the Cardinal after getting our ticket. We even spent the night in the plane on the ramp at Flippin because we left after work and couldn't get in after dark on the grass runway. We had a great time and returned on several occasions, often bring relatives and friends with us.

But Gaston's has not sustained a consistent level of quality in accomodations in the intervening years despite consistently increasing the cost. We've requested a different cabin for 2010 after staying in the same one for the past 4 years. It's not something that's easy to ignore. And the food is mediocre at best.

I thought the reason for fly-ins was to have a good reason to fly somewhere. I don't see the value in staying at one location if there are other places that could be just as attractive or more so which meet the needs of the majority of the group that would attend.

I'm not saying don't go back to Gaston's, I just want people to know if they want something different there are other alternatives. I'm even willing to help address the food issue at Gaston's, but that involves a greater degree of formalization of the activity than I perceive this group is interested in attaining. I could be (and probably am) wrong in that perception.

Dave Siciliano said:
While you may get more participants, you are missing one small point; many of the folks that started this event like going to Gaston's. As had been said, maybe another event, elsewhere would benefit some new folks. Part of the cashe of this event, is how it all came together on an impromptu basis, how it continues to be attractive to most who attend and how much work many folks that now attend put in to make it fun. If you wish to begin a new one, you'll need lots of worker bees and will have to build stories over the years that have come surround the current site.

Will there be eligible brides maids willing to take evening flights with single pilots at the new place? A dam to meet and have a few drinks at? Fires behind Barons one evening?

Lots to consider <g>

Best,

Dave
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I think one of the big draws for pilots at Gaston's is the runway is across the street from your cabin, basically.

I do know that K15 is used by a lot of aviation related groups, though. Do they allow cookouts next to the runway?

timwinters said:
K15 also has Tan-Tar-A resort about 2 miles down the road. Not within walking distance but it's a really nice place with a couple of great restaurants and they'll gladly shuttle folks back and forth to the airport. I've flown to K15 a few times to have dinner at Tan-Tar-A, called them when I landed and they're at the airport within 10 minutes to pick us up.
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Surely a country girl like you knows about ticks before going into the woods....:nono:

The layout of the park at 2I3 gives me the impression the runway is within walking distance of the lodge and cabins. But I could be (and probably am) wrong .


Diana said:
I flew in there with a group several years ago. Seems like the resort drove to pick us up at the airport. When we went walking in the woods we managed to get into some seed ticks and walked out with 10,000 seed ticks on our shoes scurrying up to the rest of our body parts.

I enjoyed staying there overnight, but don't need to go back. But, that's just me. :)


:)




.
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Steve said:
I think one of the big draws for pilots at Gaston's is the runway is across the street from your cabin, basically.

I do know that K15 is used by a lot of aviation related groups, though. Do they allow cookouts next to the runway?
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If the manager follows through with what Dean said he was told on the phone, it sounds like we could probably have whatever the heck we wanted if 30 planes dropped in there for a weekend.
 
I was hoping you would ask for more information about what all the body parts were that she said the ticks were scurrying up to. The mental picture is priceless.

Steve said:
Surely a country girl like you knows about ticks before going into the woods....:nono:

The layout of the park at 2I3 gives me the impression the runway is within walking distance of the lodge and cabins. But I could be (and probably am) wrong .
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Dean said:
Ed posted this airport on another thread as a possible new location, http://www.airnav.com/airport/K15 This might be a good one for a late March/early October fly-in instead of a replacement for Gaston's.
I talked to the airport manager and he is willing to do just about whatever it takes to get us there. There are three Motels within walking distance of the FBO and there are 7 places to eat and two C stores. Camping is allowed at the airport for those that want to sleep with their airplane. If we want to do a Saturday night cookout, he will provide shelter tents and help arrange Bandannas BBQ to cater for us. He will also get the local Lions Club to cook a pancake breakfast for us on Sunday Morning on a pay per plate deal. And provide portable facilities for the campers and fuel discounts.
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If your gonna use K15 as an alternative to Gastons that may make sense. If your gonna do it as another FlyIn then that doesn't make too much sense to me as its only about 44nm past gastons, so if the idea is to move it around that dosen't accomplish too much.

I'm working on a neat fall flyin right now and am trying to make it centrally located but not near any of the big three as I call them. Wings FlyBQ, Gastons and 6Y9er.
 
Can't speak to the accommodations at Rough River as we have never spent the night. But we have flown over for Sunday brunch on several occasions. We have never been disappointed nor gone away hungry. The staff is attentive and the restaurant clean.
Ron
 
Couldn't find the quote off hand but someone mentioned trying a fly-in at a new location in addition to Gaston's. If what is seen is favorable, consider switching Gaston's to that other location the following year. That is a great idea to me.

As someone else(s) also mentioned about adding another fly-in, "Plan it and they will come." So what if the numbers aren't as high as Gaston's...I'm sure a great time will be had with who is there.

I'm also all for lcontinuing to have Gaston's as the location for the first part of June indefinitely...
 
bockwoman3 said:
Couldn't find the quote off hand but someone mentioned trying a fly-in at a new location in addition to Gaston's. If what is seen is favorable, consider switching Gaston's to that other location the following year. That is a great idea to me.
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Definitely! :yes:

And I'm excited about what Adam's talking about for the fall, too - Is this the place in... Was it WV, Adam?
 
kevin47881 said:
Hey, Missa

"Lodge rooms are complete with hair dryers, irons & ironing boards, coffee-maker, television, reading chair, all purpose table, dresser and night stand. Amenities include: soap, shampoo & Bluegrass Blend Coffee."

LOL:D
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There are about 3 guys on the board who will like the Shampoo part...:rolleyes:
 
AdamZ said:
If your gonna do it as another FlyIn then that doesn't make too much sense to me as its only about 44nm past gastons, so if the idea is to move it around that dosen't accomplish too much.
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You must have used the wrong identifier for Gaston's, K15 is 105 nm north of 3M0.
 
Rough River is nice. Did a day trip there in the Tiger recently.
 
Adam has been privately discussing (with me at the very least) the Windwood fly-in resort in West Virginia at WV62. I like the thought, as the West Virginia mountains are spectacularly beautiful, much closer to the East Coast than Arkansas, and much closer to yours truly. Could be lots of pitfalls like anywhere else, but definitely a possibility for a secondary POA event.
 
Maybe we could switch it to here. It would make be a little more comfortable.
 

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