JohnSBA
Pre-takeoff checklist
I'm collecting here a list of destination airports for fly-camping with my own ratings, and welcome your additions/comments. What airports do you recommend (and why) in the U.S. and Canada for tenting on the field next to the plane?
Rating Scheme:
*C1-4F1-4 = Camping (tent) rating 1-5 stars, Facilities rating 1-5, Walkable local attractions & food rating 1-5, Meals on airport 1-5, $fee (categories/ratings omitted if unknown)
My list so far:
Fly Idaho, Fly the Southwest
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Original 2/24/10 intro of this post:
Hello POA, I'm the new owner of a 172Q and new member here on POA. I'm a VFR pilot with about 750 hours, mostly x/c in a 172M. I'm looking for fun places to fly-camp. The day I got the PPL, my wife and I flew the 40 minutes from KSBA up to L52 (Oceano) and pitched a tent next to the plane. We loved it, but for a variety of reasons have only done it once more (IZA to avoid am fog in SBA) in the 3-1/2 years since.
In October we flew the Flying Club 172M to San Diego, Bar Harbor ME, Melbourne FL and home in five weeks. Despite hauling a tent across and back, for a variety of reasons we ended up not camping. Nonetheless, the end result of that trip was buying the 172Q so we can do a lot more (and longer/safer) trips like that for a few years now that we're retired. That purchase leaves us airplane rich and cash poor, so fly-camping is even more attractive to us now. Being free of the Club rule against grass and having what amounts to a stock SuperHawk (Skyhawk with 180hp, aka poor man's 182), I'll soon be brushing up short/soft field technique on the real thing.
Rating Scheme:
*C1-4F1-4 = Camping (tent) rating 1-5 stars, Facilities rating 1-5, Walkable local attractions & food rating 1-5, Meals on airport 1-5, $fee (categories/ratings omitted if unknown)
My list so far:
- Airports by State/Canadian Province:
- CA:
- IZA Santa Ynez - great airport, close to town, free Casino shuttle C1F2W3M1$0-10
- L52 Oceano - ditto, plus 2 blocks from the beach, C3F2W4
- L05 Kern Valley - next to lake/river, a bit far from town, C3F3W3M3
- O22 Columbia - grass and paved strips, W3
- E36 Georgetown
- ID:
- 3U2 Johnson Creek
- U87 Smiley Creek
- 0U1Warm Springs
- WI:
- OSH Oshkosh - I've dreamed about this for 30 years
- FDL Fond Du Lac - good during AirVenture, likely other times C2F2W1M1
- MI:
- 6Y9 Sidnaw - Great recos, Labor Day hit
- CA:
- Canada:
- AB:
- YJP Jasper-Hinton - (good because inside Jasper is grass with a landing fine) C2F2W0M1$0
- BC:
- YPZ Burns Lake - rooms for rent good, camping C1F2W0M1
- YXT Terrace - tolerant of camping near terminal C1F2W0M1$0
- AB:
Fly Idaho, Fly the Southwest
---
Original 2/24/10 intro of this post:
Hello POA, I'm the new owner of a 172Q and new member here on POA. I'm a VFR pilot with about 750 hours, mostly x/c in a 172M. I'm looking for fun places to fly-camp. The day I got the PPL, my wife and I flew the 40 minutes from KSBA up to L52 (Oceano) and pitched a tent next to the plane. We loved it, but for a variety of reasons have only done it once more (IZA to avoid am fog in SBA) in the 3-1/2 years since.
In October we flew the Flying Club 172M to San Diego, Bar Harbor ME, Melbourne FL and home in five weeks. Despite hauling a tent across and back, for a variety of reasons we ended up not camping. Nonetheless, the end result of that trip was buying the 172Q so we can do a lot more (and longer/safer) trips like that for a few years now that we're retired. That purchase leaves us airplane rich and cash poor, so fly-camping is even more attractive to us now. Being free of the Club rule against grass and having what amounts to a stock SuperHawk (Skyhawk with 180hp, aka poor man's 182), I'll soon be brushing up short/soft field technique on the real thing.
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