Best gas stop East of the Rockies

Capt.Crash'n'Burn

Capt.Crash'n'Burn

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Capt.Crash'n'Burn
If one is flying from the L.A. area to either Omaha or Chicago, where is the pest place to stop for a rest/gas? I hear nightmare stories about the winds in Denver. Is there an alternate place to stop along the way to stretch out, gas up and down a fith of Scotch?? :thumbsup:
 
nightmare about winds here? nah ... here's KBJC TAF ...
FM170900 26025G40KT P6SM SKC
just a little breezy tonight.
 
This time of year, okay, any time of year ya just have to keep up with the forecasts and proceed accordingly.

Sometimes it can be clear and a million and other times you'll see TS scheduled for your arrival.

My suggestion is an early stop for gas and a weather check on the western slope (maybe GJT or one of the points south) and continue on if the forecast is positive.

The proposed approach helps in a couple ways. First, you'll spend more money as a tourist on the western slope and that is a good thing. The second is that you'll have time to digest the weather situation and decide if you want to continue.
 
Longmont KLMO (limited facilities) or Platte Valley/Hudson 18V (even less facilities) usually have the best gas prices in the area.

The above TAF is somewhat tongue in cheek - but it does happen. It CAN and DOES blow hard here, but not all the time.
 
+1 on 18V. You may not like the skinny bumpy runway. Doesn't bother me though.

If you're concerned about winds don't go anywhere near Wyoming.

GXY and FTG have crossing runways, but their gas prices may be higher.
 
FTG has been competitive with 18V and usually lower than LMO these days. GXY is always higher. But GXY is closer to town and has a crew car, FTG is often a problem if you want to go off-airport. As for route, it really depends on what time of the year you are flying. Winds last week were too much for most flying. This week, not much trouble but getting hotter. It's noon right now, and DA is 8100 (ground is 5500).
 
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I was told a couple of weeks back that McCook, NE (KMCK) had inexpensive gas. My personal experience with them is old, but it was a nice place to stop.
 
COFlyBoy said:
+1 on 18V. You may not like the skinny bumpy runway. Doesn't bother me though.

If you're concerned about winds don't go anywhere near Wyoming.

GXY and FTG have crossing runways, but their gas prices may be higher.
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18V is my favorite airport on the Front Range, but KFTG is competitive with them now with 100LL pricing.
 
If you can make Pueblo, CO, that FBO is terrific and the fuel price will make you greedy.
 
Be careful around PUB. The USAF is using it for IPT (Initial Pilot Training) and during the week it can sometimes be very time consuming to get in there. Altho there's a tower, and no T&Gs are allowed, the volume of USAF student traffic is much larger than in the past. It's also involved with USAF Academy training. We used to go down for lunch during the week but with the traffic, there are too many other places to go. Weekends are no problem, however.

As for the FBO - always check Airnav for pricing, it's usually spot on.
 
bbchien said:
If you can make Pueblo, CO, that FBO is terrific and the fuel price will make you greedy.
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PUB has a really cool airplane museum. B-47, B-29 and other stuff. The cafe is pretty good too. It is a bit far from town though.
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
If one is flying from the L.A. area to either Omaha or Chicago, where is the pest place to stop for a rest/gas? I hear nightmare stories about the winds in Denver. Is there an alternate place to stop along the way to stretch out, gas up and down a fith of Scotch?? :thumbsup:
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I just got back from a cross country trip. Went through the La Veta Pass eastbound and stopped for the night in Pueblo. Great service, Flower Aviation hooked us up with a Comfort Inn and transportation to and from the hotel. They promised to put the bird in a hanger if a storm popped up, but it was not needed.

La Veta pass is between Alamosa and Pueblo, AWOS in the pass at 10,216MSL, so when it reports 6000 Broken, the clouds are at about 16,000 MSL. We went through at 11,500 with no problems. Winds aloft forecast for Alamosa was almost calm and the winds on the ASOS were 10knts.
 
murphey said:
Be careful around PUB. The USAF is using it for IPT (Initial Pilot Training) and during the week it can sometimes be very time consuming to get in there. Altho there's a tower, and no T&Gs are allowed, the volume of USAF student traffic is much larger than in the past. It's also involved with USAF Academy training. We used to go down for lunch during the week but with the traffic, there are too many other places to go. Weekends are no problem, however.

As for the FBO - always check Airnav for pricing, it's usually spot on.
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No traffic when we landed about 5pm on a Saturday evening.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
I was told a couple of weeks back that McCook, NE (KMCK) had inexpensive gas. My personal experience with them is old, but it was a nice place to stop.
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We stopped at Oberlin KS between PUB and PMV. 100LL in early May was $4/gallon and we took the pilots car to the local A&W for lunch.
 
One more for KFTG. Self-serve is cheap, FBO folks are *very* helpful and friendly, a tower and two runways to choose from, and they have food in the terminal at the right time of day. I don't think you'll have a whole lot of options that aren't close to the Rockies with their potentially squirrelly winds if that worries you, since farther east there's... Well, most of the residents farther east go "moo" and can't fly airplanes, so the airports tend to be a bit lacking in services IMLE.

I should emphasize also the level of service from the folks at FTG - I originally called them about fuel, and they ended up scoring me a cheap (and very nice) hotel room and reserved me a rental car. The above-and-beyond part: When I hadn't arrived towards the end of the day (having too much fun!) they called me back again to see where I was and whether I'd make it before they closed. Since the answer was looking like a no, they gave me all the info I would need, "hid" the rental car out on the ramp with a map to the hotel, etc... That level of follow-through is rare these days, and I was impressed.
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
If one is flying from the L.A. area to either Omaha or Chicago, where is the pest place to stop for a rest/gas? I hear nightmare stories about the winds in Denver. Is there an alternate place to stop along the way to stretch out, gas up and down a fith of Scotch?? :thumbsup:
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How far East can you make it?

Iowa City (KIOW), Iowa has a lot to offer, including a cool little aviation themed motel right next to RWY 25... :cheerswine:
 
Hands down, no question, hands down, you'll thank me later:

Borger, Tx (KBGD).

They have the cheapest fuel in the United States more often than not, they have great facilities, nice people (they will probably offer you homemade cake even), and seriously, you will thank me later.

If you fly anywhere near KBGD, you have to, have to, have to stop there.
 
SkyHog said:
Hands down, no question, hands down, you'll thank me later:

Borger, Tx (KBGD).

They have the cheapest fuel in the United States more often than not, they have great facilities, nice people (they will probably offer you homemade cake even), and seriously, you will thank me later.

If you fly anywhere near KBGD, you have to, have to, have to stop there.
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Wow. I thought with such a glowing review like that from Nick that sexual favors must have been involved, but I went to the airnav page for Borger and there were a whopping 42 comments, every one of them glowingly positive.

I think Pete and I will have to fly the 182 to Marfa one of these years, because other than that Borger is on the way from home to approximately nowhere. :(

http://airnav.com/airport/KBGD/A#c
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Wow. I thought with such a glowing review like that from Nick that sexual favors must have been involved, but I went to the airnav page for Borger and there were a whopping 42 comments, every one of them glowingly positive.

I think Pete and I will have to fly the 182 to Marfa one of these years, because other than that Borger is on the way from home to approximately nowhere. :(

http://airnav.com/airport/KBGD/A#c
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Exactly. Being a cynic as hardcore as I am, you know when I'm that positive about a place, its good.

Its really good.
 
SkyHog said:
Hands down, no question, hands down, you'll thank me later:

Borger, Tx (KBGD).

They have the cheapest fuel in the United States more often than not, they have great facilities, nice people (they will probably offer you homemade cake even), and seriously, you will thank me later.

If you fly anywhere near KBGD, you have to, have to, have to stop there.
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I once spent a few days in Borger and what I remember the most about it was that the whole town had this strange odor. I thought it was the vegetation or something but I found out later that's where they manufacture the scent to put in natural gas.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I think Pete and I will have to fly the 182 to Marfa one of these years, because other than that Borger is on the way from home to approximately nowhere. :(
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Kent,

You are just not folding your charts right. I could make Borger on the way to anywhere. My charts look a little like steingar's origami when I get done with them. :thumbsup:

Barb
 
On my way home from Gaston's I stopped for fuel in ELK Elk City, OK. 100LL is $3.60 and Jet A is listed $3.25./ Gal. That was about the best price I saw.

Another great place I like to stop I RDK Red Oak, IW. 100LL is $4.01 and Jet A is $3.20. It is a nice friendly place to stop as well. And they have a grass strip, too. :wink2:
 
One Short said:
You are just not folding your charts right. I could make Borger on the way to anywhere.
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Good point! :D Say, I'm going to be flying from Michigan (Cadillac) to Wisconsin (Oshkosh) soon, can you post your map of how to get to WI from MI again? ;)
 
Jay Honeck said:
How far East can you make it?

Iowa City (KIOW), Iowa has a lot to offer, including a cool little aviation themed motel right next to RWY 25... :cheerswine:
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Wello, the last time I looked at a map, Iowa City was a bit past Omaha. It's a little out of the way for going to Chicago too. So far I like the idea of stopping off in Grand Junction.
 
SkyHog said:
Hands down, no question, hands down, you'll thank me later:

Borger, Tx (KBGD).

They have the cheapest fuel in the United States more often than not, they have great facilities, nice people (they will probably offer you homemade cake even), and seriously, you will thank me later.

If you fly anywhere near KBGD, you have to, have to, have to stop there.
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Sounds great, but Texass is a bit out of my way. Perhaps If I was going to Albuquerque first. ;)
 
Does anyone have experience with these two airports:

1) Scottsbluff (KBFF)
or
2) North Platte (KLBF)

??
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
Does anyone have experience with these two airports:

1) Scottsbluff (KBFF)
or
2) North Platte (KLBF)

??
Click to expand...
I've spent the day (a number of times) at both of them but this was in the 8-10 years ago range. As I recall they both have restaurants on the field with fairly typical, generic food.
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
Does anyone have experience with these two airports:

1) Scottsbluff (KBFF)
or
2) North Platte (KLBF)

??
Click to expand...

I've been to both also. I will echo what Mari said. Both are good, solid alternatives.
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
Does anyone have experience with these two airports:

1) Scottsbluff (KBFF)
or
2) North Platte (KLBF)

??
Click to expand...

If you don't mind a smaller airport, Torrington WY (KTOR) has cheaper fuel and a courtesy car. It is just west of Scottsbluff about 20nm. The guys were real friendly when I was there two years ago.

Barb
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
Does anyone have experience with these two airports:

1) Scottsbluff (KBFF)
or
2) North Platte (KLBF)

??
Click to expand...

I stop in KLBF every time I fly east and pass through there. It has always been a nice stop. One of the motels has a great breakfast and a shuttle to the airport. They put my plane in a hangar one time when a storm was approaching.
 
Bob Bement said:
I stop in KLBF every time I fly east and pass through there. It has always been a nice stop. One of the motels has a great breakfast and a shuttle to the airport. They put my plane in a hangar one time when a storm was approaching.
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Well, I wouldn't be planning on staying the night, but that's nice to keep in mind in case I have to. :wink2:
 
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