The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Looking for ideal quality Fly-In destinations in different geographical locations of the United States: Needs to have a nice camp ground, in peaceful, rustic setting. Optional lodging & restaurants are a bonus. Does anyone know of places in the following areas? Or other exceptional places, anywhere?

Idaho / Nevada / Utah, area
Southern Colorado / Northern New Mexico
North / South Dakota
Virginia area

This one comes under the heading of "other exceptional places, anywhere":

Columbia, California, in the western Sierra foothills about 60 nm southeast of Sacramento, is an old gold mining town, and is a great place for a week-end fly-in in this part of the country. The town IS a state park and is less than a mile walk from the airport ( http://www.airnav.com/airport/O22 ). There is a large wooded campground (with showers and BBQ grills) alongside the 2600 ft grass runway. (There is also a 4600 ft paved runway.) If camping isn’t your thing, there are several nice bed and breakfasts, and there’s a 1850’s style hotel operating in town. For dining, there’s the hotel, and at least one local café. If you rent a car or have your own wheels, Sonora is only about 4 miles away with several hotels and restaurants. For evening entertainment, there's a period theater featuring live plays.

Many Californians aren’t even aware of Columbia’s existence. Our local Tehachapi pilot’s group had a weekend fly-out there a couple of Octobers ago, and have made it an annual event. When we decide a date for this year, I’ll publish it in the FlyPaper and post it in the forums so anyone who wants can join the fun.

The following is a short blurb from the Spring 2002 issue of Pilot Getaways magazine:
http://pilotgetaways.com/spr02.html

Columbia, California
The spirit of the Gold Rush lives on in Columbia, a boom-and-bust town now preserved as a state park. Columbia’s main attractions and historic downtown are within a short walk from the airport. Fly in to participate in the area’s history, to take in a show at the 114-year old Fallon Theatre, and to enjoy the fresh air of the Central Sierras. You’re not likely to strike it rich at gold panning here, but you can certainly live the dream of the mother lode.

I was there last year after the convention visiting my sister at Sonora. They were giving lessons in a Stearman. It is a neat airport with lots of room and neat planes.

John

Columbia seems to be a popular place for type-club fly-ins, for example this coming weekend's "Gathering of Luscombes". If you'
re looking for maybe a little solitude, it'd be best to check whether or not any events will be happening when you plan to be there.

Eric

Dave,

Rainelle, WV (WV30) is a simular atmosphere to Petit Jean. There is camping on the field and a motel in town about three miles away for those who don't want to sleep on the ground. A part time restaruant is also on the field. The elderly airport owner/manager welcomes fly ins. The 180 club has one there every October (it was weathered out last year) and several other types of flying groups and clubs have fly ins there also. You might want to check it out.

Harold
N92CP

If you decide to come out west to Idaho, there are some really magnificent fly-in camping places.
The gem of the Idaho Dept. of Aeronautics camping airports is Johnson Creek Airport, located in Yellowpine, ID.---Water,firewood, toilets, HOT showers, rental cars--- five miles to Yellowpine (POP. 40 in winter) for a restraunt,store, or lodging. Spectacular mountain scenery. Great comraderie among the fly in only campers.
There are many other places too.
If you make it for the Memorial Day week end I'll probably see you there. I'm leaving for 3U2 (Johnson Creek) on Wed.,25 May 05.

zero.one.victor wrote:Columbia seems to be a popular place for type-club fly-ins, for example this coming weekend's "Gathering of Luscombes". If you'
re looking for maybe a little solitude, it'd be best to check whether or not any events will be happening when you plan to be there.

Eric

Kind of like Petit Jean, Gastons, Lake Texoma, Kentucky Dam…. And probably a few hundred others.

I've been to Columbia 3 times, two of those unannounced, and never had a problem with space. In the unlikely event that the very large campground is full, pitch a tent under the wing. In fact, showing up in the middle of another type club's gathering would probably be fun!

For almost guaranteed solitude without going into a dry lake or back country, I go to Lone Pine (http://www.airnav.com/airport/O26) or Independence (http://www.airnav.com/airport/2O7) in the Owens Valley on the east side of the Sierras. Both have paved, infrequently used airports about a half mile from town. Lone Pine is about 13 miles horizontally, and 2 miles vertically from Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 . Independence is about 15 minutes north of Lone Pine, and from what I understand, several decades ago, was the site of regular Cessna 170 gatherings. Go to http://map.aeroplanner.com/mapping/chart/smartchart.cfm, click on the San Francisco sectional and pan over to the southeast corner of the chart to find the Owens Valley.

Miles

blueldr wrote:If you decide to come out west to Idaho, there are some really magnificent fly-in camping places.
The gem of the Idaho Dept. of Aeronautics camping airports is Johnson Creek Airport, located in Yellowpine, ID.

Amen to that! Karen and I ran into blueldr at Johnson Creek Labor Day weekend in 2003. The most enjoyable long-weekend airplane trip I've ever had. We would have gone back last year, but we had a wedding to attend (ours )

Also, check the TIC170A FlyPaper for a fly-in this June at Garden Valley, ID put on by the Idaho Aviation Association. I just recently joined the IAA, and their newsletter "The Fly Line" lists some sort of activity somewhere in Idaho almost every weekend between now and the end of September.

Miles

AR Dave wrote:Looking for ideal quality Fly-In destinations in different geographical locations of the United States: Needs to have a nice camp ground, in peaceful, rustic setting. Optional lodging & restaurants are a bonus. Does anyone know of places in the following areas? Or other exceptional places, anywhere?

Idaho / Nevada / Utah, area
Southern Colorado / Northern New Mexico
North / South Dakota
Virginia area

If you're interested in Idaho camping places, try this:
http://www.ruralnetwork.net/johnson creek airport webcam

The best viev is after 10 AM MDT when the sun gets down in the canyon.

I’m trying to catch up! Would surely be neat to try and fly to all these places!

Harold, Rainelle, WV, just a few miles SE of Charleston? And it's comparable to Petit Jean? Could we host 25, 170's there? The location is just about right.
I havn't had time to look at the others yet, the Johnson Creek webcam didn't come up for me. But I sure do want to see it! Johnson Creek appears to be right on the target area as well.

These sound like great places. I'll have to decide which kid to leave behind? However, some of you know that I’m researching for more than just my own family’s vacation.

Kind of like Petit Jean, Gastons, Lake Texoma, Kentucky Dam….And probably a few hundred others.

While Gastons (70 miles from my house) is a very nice place to visit, it is not like Petit Jean! And Petit Jean ain't like a few hundred other places. Petit Jean has the unusual ingredients for an annual fly-in recipe, maybe more. I would like to see all these places, like Columbia though, especially if Joe, Frank, Randal, would go with me. I wish everyone in our club could experience what we’ve been experiencing with Petit Jean. I’m sure this is similar to the Convention bonding. But not only are our members excited about it, we are gaining new 170 members through this particular fly-in. There are members that havn't been to a fly-in since the seventies that have been revived. But Arkansas is just too far for everyone to fly each spring!
Do you think we could get anyone to fly to the “The Johnson Creek 170”?

To bring up the webcam at 3U2, Just type in:

Johnson Creek Airport Webcam

We will also try to stop in Johnson Creek this weekend. The strip at our house is also finished we used it a couple of times this year but the recent rains have made it too wet to use. The Lat/Lon of the home strip is part of my signature. Johnson Creek and most of the Idaho backcountry strips have been reported to be open.

For those that go into the Chamberain, Margerat has retired and she won't be back this year.

The johnson creek webcam is http://www.ruralnetwork.net/johnsoncreek

How about NE Arizona, for a 170 Fly-in spot?

Dave,

When would you be talking about date wise for Rainelle? Let me know and I'll call the owner and see what is going on about that time. I don't know what the date is for the 180/185 Rainelle this year yet. I actually have two 180/185 fly ins coming up in that area. Castlewood and Rainelle. Both were cancelled last year because of the weather.

Harold
N92CP