Colorado Grass/Dirt Strips

5V4. 1000' of AstroTurf and another couple thousand of some fairly rough dirt and a road crossing it.
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That one looks great!

Anyone been to 11V? Easton
 
18V Platte Valley and 11V Easton Valley both between Greeley and Brighton. 5V6 Gebauer east of Akron.
 
Platte valley has a dirt/weed/grass strip in addition to the paved runway. Watch out for the gopher holes.

There is a dirt strip south of Greeley that's open to the public. The word is not to use it unless familiar.

There are several dirt and grass strips in the inter-mountain and out on the western slope. The ones I've visited are serviceable. No promises though and I'm not listing them.

Last on the list is Holly. Haven't been there.
 
If you want to cross state lines the both goodland and st. Francis have grass strips in decent shape. There's also a lake in southeast Wyoming that has a grass strip adjacent. I haven't been there.

And don't forget the greater green river intergalactic space port...just flown over that one.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
WOW 8000 feet of gravel runway?

I've flown over it a bunch, looks like a cropduster strip. Any pirep on runway condition?
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Ya need the 8k on a warm day. Look at the ground elevation.

Call the manager for Easton. Yup it's a duster strip. The manager seems like a very straight shooter. He's the one who says glad to have ya visit but be a bit careful.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
That one looks great!

Anyone been to 11V? Easton
Click to expand...

"Great" might be a bit much. :)

Depending on drainage and maintenance the south end is pretty rough. Also big obstacles at that end if landing (trees, houses, I think power lines, all sorts of crap).

I've landed to the north there once and I flew a significant way up the runway before it looked good enough to touch down on, and the hump where the road crosses the runway isn't fun if you plan the touchdown just before it. Rolling over it is a pretty good bounce.

Nowadays I'll only mess with Calhan if landing south, so I can touch down on the AstroTurf. Note about that, though, it's slicker than grass and I wouldn't touch that runway at all if it's at all wet. Slippery AstroTurf, bad drainage dirt, it'd be a disaster if wet. And you have all that crap at the south end to outclimb and then you're pointed at the ridge. (See note about what's on top of the ridge now, below, that didn't used to be there.)

Best days for Calhan are wind out of the south, touch down on the turf and stay off the brakes or very light on them until you roll into the dirt. Any side load at touchdown on the turf, you'll slide sideways. You'll wiggle your butt in a crosswind.

Note all the stuff in the chart supplement comments. Width is variable from 40' - 100', and where it's 100' I wouldn't go anywhere near the edges. A number of obstacles including fencing running along one side and a ditch.

That photo is from last weekend. It's very very dry down there right now.

Also... since the last time I was down there they built HUGE power generation windmills on the ridge you see ahead. If you go out to the east to enter downwind on a 45 to get at least a look at the runway, you're pointed right at the center of the windmills at pattern altitude. Garmin Pilot went full freakout mode and gave a "collision warning" there.

I had heard another airplane landing there on the way there so I asked the runway condition but it's one of those that a low approach is usually in order to look it over before committing to a landing. Like a lot of dirt. But I'm just saying, "Be careful."

I did T&Gs there. Land on the turf, and in my airplane you can be back off the ground just as you're rolling into the dirt, if you're quick enough reconfiguring.

Oh ... there used to be some adults and kids who'd fly RC stuff off the AstroTurf. They're airplane-clueful and at least one guy had his aviation handheld on one time I went in there. It's so dead he just keeps an eye and ear out for airplanes and hardly ever sees one. We chatted for a while after I saw him there off to the side so I decided to stop that day and taxi in and say hi. That was a couple of years ago so I don't know if anyone still does that.
 
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