Three flood gates are open at Gastons

ApacheBob

ApacheBob

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ApacheBob
I just got off the phone with Gastons. All eight generators are running at the dam and three flood gates are open. Guides are going out fishing, but the White River is running high and fast. The general public is not allowed to rent boats today and go out on the river.
After seeing how low the river was last year, this has got to be a remarkable change.
The landing field is unaffected. So you could fly a base leg over the dam...:)
ApacheBob
 
ApacheBob said:
I just got off the phone with Gastons. All eight generators are running at the dam and three flood gates are open. Guides are going out fishing, but the White River is running high and fast. The general public is not allowed to rent boats today and go out on the river.
After seeing how low the river was last year, this has got to be a remarkable change.
The landing field is unaffected. So you could fly a base leg over the dam...:)
ApacheBob
Click to expand...

Everything lake in the lake chain that zig-zags the AR/MO border is at or near capacity (up from record low-levels a couple years ago). They're all backed up so fishing the tailwaters has been real weird. We're getting more rain now but flooding usually happens further down-stream from the dams..

Safety tip: Left Base over the dam is the wrong direction to be landing and a good way to find some "dam" power lines :yes:.
 
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I heard today southeast Missouri has already gotten 32" of rain since the first of the year. That's more than Georgia got all of last year.
 
pilotmattk said:
Safety tip: Left Base over the dam is the wrong direction to be landing and a good way to find some "dam" power lines :yes:.
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Pretty sure he was thinking "left crosswind" but his fingers had minds of his own. Of course, that means he's of nine minds!:rofl:
 
gprellwitz said:
Pretty sure he was thinking "left crosswind" but his fingers had minds of his own. Of course, that means he's of nine minds!:rofl:
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For some reason I always make the mistake of calling the crosswind over the dam as a base over the dam. Something about Gastons..
 
jesse said:
For some reason I always make the mistake of calling the crosswind over the dam as a base over the dam. Something about Gastons..
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Oh, I make that sort of mistake all over the place. Usually, on the air!:rofl:
 
gprellwitz said:
Pretty sure he was thinking "left crosswind" but his fingers had minds of his own. Of course, that means he's of nine minds!:rofl:
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I was a little bit afraid a first timer might read that and then actually do it. I make mistakes calling position too, usually when just entering the pattern.
 
Dave2 said:
Ok who's got the "Approach Plate" for Gaston.I seem to have misplaced mine. :(
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This one?

3m0plate.png


EdFred had also made one but it's no longer present at the original URL.
 
Hope you guys have flood insurance. Last years Moto Guzzi National Meet was washed out by rains. Flash flood came in the middle of the night. About 30-40 bikes lost to flood waters including the entire Guzzi demo fleet shipped over from Italy. Almost lost a couple of people as well.

Rising flood water is something to stay far, far away from.
 
mikea said:
Both FLP and BPK are 4 NM away. You're almost in the pattern for Flippen and Mountain Home when you're at Gastons.
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Your ARE in the pattern at BPK if you use the "slot in the bluff" departure from Gaston's. Worse yet, BPK and FLP are on a different frequency. I always keep BPK/FLP (123.00) in comm 2 when arriving/departing 3M0 which is on 122.8.

Go figure.

As an aside, BPK is typically far more active than FLP and you tend to get closer to it than FLP on the typical arrival & departure (at least I do) so it should be the main concern. Though if you use the "down the river" departure then nevermind.

Oh, and don't forget about "The Valley" airport. It's right there too (on 123.0) especially if you go down the river on departure.

You can check it all out here:

http://www.aopa.org/members/airports/sectionals/map.html#35-20-2-4881-4565
 
DeeG said:
Hope you guys have flood insurance. Last years Moto Guzzi National Meet was washed out by rains. Flash flood came in the middle of the night. About 30-40 bikes lost to flood waters including the entire Guzzi demo fleet shipped over from Italy. Almost lost a couple of people as well.

Rising flood water is something to stay far, far away from.
Click to expand...

I do not believe Gaston's is subject to flooding, unless the dam were to break. Then all bets are off!
 
Thanks for pointing this out, Tim, this is the reason I personally do not prefer the "slot" departure at Gaston's. Too high a probablity you'll encounter someone in close proximity landing at BPK, especially if the other someone is flying a wide pattern at BPK.

IMHE, if you are concerned about the power lines crossing the river downstream of 3M0 following the river valley on departure, you've already got other issues with your aircraft performance.

In a slight thread hi-jack, here's a pic of the MS just south of VKS, and one of VKS taken this weekend. I doubt there'll be a problem at 3m0 of this magnitude any time soon.


timwinters said:
Your ARE in the pattern at BPK if you use the "slot in the bluff" departure from Gaston's. Worse yet, BPK and FLP are on a different frequency. I always keep BPK/FLP (123.00) in comm 2 when arriving/departing 3M0 which is on 122.8.

Go figure.

As an aside, BPK is typically far more active than FLP and you tend to get closer to it than FLP on the typical arrival & departure (at least I do) so it should be the main concern. Though if you use the "down the river" departure then nevermind.

Oh, and don't forget about "The Valley" airport. It's right there too (on 123.0) especially if you go down the river on departure.

You can check it all out here:

http://www.aopa.org/members/airports/sectionals/map.html#35-20-2-4881-4565
Click to expand...
 

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