Castle AFB Open Cockpit Day - fly-in?

comanchepilot

comanchepilot

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Joe Farrell, yeah, him
Ok California types -

Castle AFB is in Merced - about 1hr 45 in the Comanche from near KONT [ prob 2.5 in a 172/182/Pa28] and prob an hour outside the Bay Area for similar.

Open Cockpit Day [go look at the vast and wide number of military fighter and bomber airplanes in their collection ] is set for May 26 - the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

I propose a POA fly-in. With enough participants we might be able to score a fuel discount and who knows, with an ask the pilot forum at 3pm maybe we can get in free.

We have a firm date. We have a firm time. Its BYOB boys. No restaurant at the airport, and no snack bar at the museum. I will contact the FBO and see if they would be amenable to setting up a grill - and then its pot luck lunch and then over the museum.

maybe arrival 11-1130 and lunch 1130-1 - everyone brings a salad, drinks and meat - I'll bring utensils, papers plates, cups and buns.

Express interest here but I'm thinking that we need in or out firm by May 20.

We have never been able to put this together because everyone is always hemmming and hawwwing - this has firm date and time from a third party who will not change the date or time!

Chime in here -

http://www.castleairmuseum.org/index.html
 
There is a taco place within walking distance of the museum. It's pretty good. But the walk is kinda long if it's hot out....

It's on the other side of the AT&T center. See http://goo.gl/maps/P0r1E

On a "normal" day the FBO at the base of the tower provides rides in their pickup truck, but I don't know if they would do such a thing on a special occasion (or they would be mobbed).
 
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Can't imagine that the FBO is mobbed at open cockpit at a museum 1/2 mile or more away since the FBO does not participate - and its Merced for gosh sakes . . . its May, it'll be hot!
 
Hmm, sounds interesting. I fly over Castle all the time. The runway is about the size of the State of Rhode Island. I'll pencil it in.
 
Yeah, that runway is so big that the airport narrowed it when it was turned over to the civilians.

It's a former SAC base, intended for B-52s. That runway is 12,000 feet long, narrowed down to 150 feet. If you overrun that, you really suck....even if you drive a C-5.

It's a long walk in the heat to the museum, about a mile. I haven't been there for open cockpit day, but I've been there on a nice early spring afternoon. The FBO is really nice. No day-use ramp or landing fees.
 
I am interested. The FBO gave me a ride to a restaurant last visit, as well.
 
I flew in for open cockpit day a few years back. Can't remember if it was run by the FBO or the museum, but there was a shuttle.

The runway and taxiways are so huge that I had no problem making the taxiway at the very beginning of the runway.
 
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