South Dakota or western Iowa

Handsfield

Handsfield

Pre-Flight
Joined
Feb 25, 2005
Messages
43
Location
Seattle
Display Name
Display name:
Hunter Handsfield
Greetings to all, especially those based in or familiar with South Dakota or western Iowa. In a few days I'm flying from Seattle/BFI to east-central Illinois (C16/Frasca). With prevailing westerlies, flight time in my C182 will be 11-12 hr. There will be an overnight stop, and 6-8 hr on day 1 will take me to somewhere in South Dakota, probably on a line from Belle Fourche (KBEL) to Menno (SD29); or perhaps a bit further, into western Iowa.

I'm looking for advice for the overnight stop, with convenient lodging on or near the airport, or decent on-field camping. Suggestions?

Thanks-- Hunter

HHH, MD
T182T N134GW
Seattle/BFI
 
Wall is close enough to downtown (LOL ... such as it is) that you can easily walk to one of the couple of motels. Wall Drug's good for killing time, cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll.

Custer State Park used to have camping on the field, but is somewhat south of your line of travel. Also have shuttles to the Game Lodge for rustic type lodging.

Custer Municipal has a courtesy car and the newer hotels in town are nice - Holiday Inn Express and Quality Inn right next door are both new(er) and about the best in town. Again, a bit south of your intended route.
 
I stayed at Sioux Falls (KFSD) when heading the opposite direction. Shuttle to a hotel, shuttle back to the airport in the morning. Class D with with approaches, services, etc...
 
Sorry, I don't have info on SD. But, I am curious about your route. I see that the straight route takes you over a lot of Idaho/Montana mountains, over Missoula & Helena. So, I have two questions to help me understand how others plan routes though this area.

Are you going the straight route or take a route that follows a valley such as from Kellogg along the interstate?

Will you change your route/altitude should there be an icing airmet for 9000 ft an above?
 
I'll second Wall. I stopped their once and Dave the airport owner manager is a great guy.
Call in advance. He let me use his VW bug for the 3 days we were there, cost was "put some gas in it please" We drove around a lot and needed 4 gals to fill it up. It does have a sticker on the dash that sys Vne 60mph.

Staying at Annie's hotel when I went to look at the license for the registration card, she said just write down "Dave's bug".

No fuel and I don't believe there are lights so no night ops but a VERY friendly place.

Joe
 
You can always stop in Lincoln (KLNK) - the FBO has no overnight fee and I have a spare bedroom.
 
If you can make it to central Iowa I can help. DSM IKV and others have options.

Feel free to contact me if you need help
 
And then do you have a place to stay and a way to get around once you get to Urbana?? There isn't really a whole lot out there, I'm not even sure that C16 has rental cars. They used to have flight training and mechanics there at one time, but now it's mostly a place where Rudy Frasca keeps his warbirds. And a bunch of his old friends still come out on Saturday mornings to sit around, have coffee, and look out the windows.

I'm here next week if you need a ride somewhere when you get here... but if you are coming here for Frasca business, maybe you have that taken care of already! :) Have a great trip... take lots of photos!
 
Thanks to all.

Skidoo: There is no course, straight line or otherwise, that doesn't involve high terrain here and there. Of course I am always prepared to alter my route (or do whatever esle is necessary) to stay safe in relation to weather. I'm not cavalier about it, but I am turobocharged and have O2, so can usually get above the freezing level; and I have nexrad and will avoid heavy precip echoes.

Flygirl34q: I'm familiar with C16 and surroundings. I'm going to visit daughter and grandkids, who live 6-7 mi. from the airport. Sometimes I need a car, but then I fly into CMI; ditto if I need fuel or other services. Frasca has nothing except the very friendly people who operate the lone FBO/terminal -- which always makes it pleasant.

HHH
 
Handsfield said:
Thanks to all.

Skidoo: There is no course, straight line or otherwise, that doesn't involve high terrain here and there. Of course I am always prepared to alter my route (or do whatever esle is necessary) to stay safe in relation to weather. I'm not cavalier about it, but I am turobocharged and have O2, so can usually get above the freezing level; and I have nexrad and will avoid heavy precip echoes.

snip...

HHH
Click to expand...

I hope you have a great trip!

I also fly a T182T, but have only about 50 hours in it. I am based in the middle of the Rockies (Montana), so I always have to consider the terrain. As you, I can easily get over the terrain, but so far, I like to keep within gliding distance to a valley of some sort in the event of forced landing. Sometimes there are weeks of overcast here with icing levels. I haven't yet been above 12K and have not yet used the O2. I'm also VFR only. I assume that you getting above the freezing levels that you are IFR. So, anyway, I was just wondering the flight planning process by those more experienced as eventually, I would like get my personal minimums down so as to be able to use mine more often. I am aiming for the IR. But my instructor indicated it wasn't much use around here because it is usually icing conditions and the T182T was not FIKI certified.
 
Areeda said:
I'll second Wall. I stopped their once and Dave the airport owner manager is a great guy.
Call in advance. He let me use his VW bug for the 3 days we were there, cost was "put some gas in it please" We drove around a lot and needed 4 gals to fill it up. It does have a sticker on the dash that sys Vne 60mph.

Staying at Annie's hotel when I went to look at the license for the registration card, she said just write down "Dave's bug".

No fuel and I don't believe there are lights so no night ops but a VERY friendly place.
Click to expand...

Yup! It's probably also the only easy fly-in hamburger in the entire state. :rofl: I got to use the "courtesy motorcycle" to run to Wall Drug and get food/stuff, but it's only a few blocks from the airport.

I stayed overnight in Aberdeen, SD one night and it was a pretty friendly place too (and had fuel), but it's not really in the "right" spot.
 
Hunter

If you haven't left yet ....try KPQN, it's my base, fuel $4.35, courtesy car,airport on the edge of town, new hotel, and lots of places to eat,try Lange's Cafe :)

Willie
 
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