I just got back from a business trip to K.C., and had the opportunity
to stay in the downtown area.

Driving in on highway 29 South from the airport, towards downtown, took
us right by the downtown airport, as what looked like a Malibu was
taking off. It was such a cool site, taking in the background of
downtown, the layout of the airport, and the plane blending into the
landscape!

I also noticed that there was an Angel Flight office on the field, as I
could see the sign from the freeway... Is this where the head-quarters
is???

I've always thought about how cool it would be to continue to work in
my current field, but have the opportunity to commute into work (I know
the realities of this would probably make it less attractive). This
airport seems like the perfect airport for that type of lifestyle???
....(20 acre ranch with runway, 70-80 miles out of the city...) ...Oh
well... back to reality! ;-)

I just thought it was a cool looking airport and was wondering if
anyone in the news-group lives in that area and commutes into that
airport?

Best Regards,
Todd

We flew into Downtown at night on our trip back from Las Vegas. It was
undergoing a major construction project. The long runway was completely
torn up and the short runway was shortened on both ends. Barricades and
construction equipment were everywhere. Check the notams before heading
into MKC.

Not only is Angel Flight's headquarters on the field, but Howard Hughes
former TWA office building houses the FBO. The SAC Save a Connie
organization is also based at MKC.

I highly recommend a steak at the Savoy and overnight stay at the Marriot.

Jim

"three-eight-hotel" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I just got back from a business trip to K.C., and had the opportunity
> to stay in the downtown area.
>
> Driving in on highway 29 South from the airport, towards downtown, took
> us right by the downtown airport, as what looked like a Malibu was
> taking off. It was such a cool site, taking in the background of
> downtown, the layout of the airport, and the plane blending into the
> landscape!
>
> I also noticed that there was an Angel Flight office on the field, as I
> could see the sign from the freeway... Is this where the head-quarters
> is???
>
> I've always thought about how cool it would be to continue to work in
> my current field, but have the opportunity to commute into work (I know
> the realities of this would probably make it less attractive). This
> airport seems like the perfect airport for that type of lifestyle???
> ...(20 acre ranch with runway, 70-80 miles out of the city...) ...Oh
> well... back to reality! ;-)
>
> I just thought it was a cool looking airport and was wondering if
> anyone in the news-group lives in that area and commutes into that
> airport?
>
> Best Regards,
> Todd
>

three-eight-hotel > wrote:

> I just thought it was a cool looking airport and was wondering if
> anyone in the news-group lives in that area and commutes into that
> airport?

Last year I flew into that airport one night for an Angel Flight mission
and the city lights made an incredibly beautiful backdrop. Always wanted
to go back there, but living in the Northeast US I have yet to find the
opportunity.

--
Peter

> Not only is Angel Flight's headquarters on the field, but Howard Hughes
> former TWA office building houses the FBO. The SAC Save a Connie
> organization is also based at MKC.

Interesting... I was not aware of any of that. Next time I'm there, I
think I stop in for a look around.

If I flew in the mid-west, I would definitely add it to my list of
fly-ins! It really does have an attraction to it, that I can't quite
put to words! Seeing that plane take off, and taking in the entire
surroundings was very cool.

> I highly recommend a steak at the Savoy and overnight stay at the Marriot.

I've heard of the Savoy, and was staying at the Marriot (facing the
airport). I was only in town long enough for one dinner out, and we
ended up going to Famous Dave's. I'll have to make sure Savoy is on
the list, next time.

I do like BBQ, and don't get caught up in all of the BBQ hype in K.C.,
but Famous Dave's was exceptional. I even bought 3 bottles of their
BBQ sauce to take home. I highly recommend the "Devil's Spit"

Best Regards,
Todd

Well, we rolled into town at 10pm, desperate for a good place to eat and a
soft bed. The FBO gave us a crew car and we proceded into the downtowns
empty streets, hitting the Savoy around 11pm, luckily they were still
serving, but we were just about the only people in the place.

The worst part about going into MKC at night with the construction was that
it looked nothing like the runway diagram. The river next to the airport
was pitch black, no lights on the runway that was torn up, displaced
thresholds on both ends of the short runway, construction barriers flashing
all over the place, all made it tough to spot after 7 hours of flying.

Jim

"three-eight-hotel" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> > Not only is Angel Flight's headquarters on the field, but Howard Hughes
> > former TWA office building houses the FBO. The SAC Save a Connie
> > organization is also based at MKC.
>
> Interesting... I was not aware of any of that. Next time I'm there, I
> think I stop in for a look around.
>
> If I flew in the mid-west, I would definitely add it to my list of
> fly-ins! It really does have an attraction to it, that I can't quite
> put to words! Seeing that plane take off, and taking in the entire
> surroundings was very cool.
>
> > I highly recommend a steak at the Savoy and overnight stay at the
Marriot.
>
> I've heard of the Savoy, and was staying at the Marriot (facing the
> airport). I was only in town long enough for one dinner out, and we
> ended up going to Famous Dave's. I'll have to make sure Savoy is on
> the list, next time.
>
> I do like BBQ, and don't get caught up in all of the BBQ hype in K.C.,
> but Famous Dave's was exceptional. I even bought 3 bottles of their
> BBQ sauce to take home. I highly recommend the "Devil's Spit"
>
> Best Regards,
> Todd
>

> Last year I flew into that airport one night for an Angel Flight mission
> and the city lights made an incredibly beautiful backdrop.

I bet it was! I had the opposite view of being on the 12th floor of
the Mariot, looking down on the airport, at night, but could catch the
other buildings of downtown, out of my peripheral vision!

>Always wanted to go back there, but living in the Northeast US I have yet to find the
> opportunity.

I think I will look into getting a check-out next time I go there, if I
happen to be there for a week or so... It would be a great way to take
in the sights!

Best Regards,
Todd

> I got to do T&Gs in a Cessna with a L-1011 in the pattern at MCI before
> it offically opened for commerical operations.

I had to read that one twice... Doing touch and go's in an L-1011
would be fun! ;-)

I imagine appropriate procedures to avoid wake turbulence while
practicing those T&G's, was part of the pre-landing checklist?! ;-)

Best Regards,
Todd

Ross

Remember using field in early jet days. F-80A/B with small engine.
Very tight squeeze taking off over dyke in warm Wx. 6 feet was good
dyke clearance.

One of our instructors took off over dyke after refueling on F-80 XC
and stalled over river and went in. Found aircraft about 20 miles down
river years later.

Thought they had closed field when new airport built?

Big John
````````````````````````````````````````````````


On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 11:40:30 -0500, Ross Richardson
> wrote:

>I used to live in KC, MO and that was the main airport before MCI was
>built. Always nice coming from the south and seeing the KCMO tower
>above your flight path the dropping in over the levee to land. There use
>to be a Fairfax airport right across the river and a hot line between
>the two towers - talking to one tower and landing at the other airport.
>
>I got to do T&Gs in a Cessna with a L-1011 in the pattern at MCI before
>it offically opened for commerical operations.
>
>I learned to fly at Hillside south of Grandview and got my commerical at
>OJC and the community college.
>
>Ross
>KSWI
>
>three-eight-hotel wrote:
>
>> I just got back from a business trip to K.C., and had the opportunity
>> to stay in the downtown area.
>>
>> Driving in on highway 29 South from the airport, towards downtown, took
>> us right by the downtown airport, as what looked like a Malibu was
>> taking off. It was such a cool site, taking in the background of
>> downtown, the layout of the airport, and the plane blending into the
>> landscape!
>>
>> I also noticed that there was an Angel Flight office on the field, as I
>> could see the sign from the freeway... Is this where the head-quarters
>> is???
>>
>> I've always thought about how cool it would be to continue to work in
>> my current field, but have the opportunity to commute into work (I know
>> the realities of this would probably make it less attractive). This
>> airport seems like the perfect airport for that type of lifestyle???
>> ...(20 acre ranch with runway, 70-80 miles out of the city...) ...Oh
>> well... back to reality! ;-)
>>
>> I just thought it was a cool looking airport and was wondering if
>> anyone in the news-group lives in that area and commutes into that
>> airport?
>>
>> Best Regards,
>> Todd
>>

Ross Richardson > wrote:
>three-eight-hotel wrote:
>> Driving in on highway 29 South from the airport, towards downtown,
>> took us right by the downtown airport, as what looked like a Malibu
>> was taking off. It was such a cool site, taking in the background
>> of downtown, the layout of the airport, and the plane blending into
>> the landscape!

I grew up in the KC area and it was always an interesting scene if you
were driving on I-70, just south of the airport, when a plane was taking
off to the south. It was especially fun if you had someone from out of
town in the car with you - the first time they saw this from the ground,
they were certain that the plane wouldn't clear the buildings downtown.
As far as I know, though, that never happened.

>There use to be a Fairfax airport right across the river and a hot
>line between the two towers - talking to one tower and landing at
>the other airport.

http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/KSCOLL/lochist/thennow/TN05.htm
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/KS/Airfields_KS_E.htm#fairfax

In the early 1990s I worked in Fairfax. I had visited the area before
then but I don't ever remember airplanes landing there. By the time I
was working there, the GM plant had been built in the middle of the
field, but a few of the airport buildings were still there. I remember
one building at the northeast corner of Fairfax Trafficway and Funston
that was still there in about 1992. It may have been the old terminal;
I remember that it was clearly marked "Fairfax Aiport". By 1995 it had
been torn down. I want to say that the Save-a-Connie people were
originally working out of Fairfax, but that might be incorrect.

A lot of Fairfax was/is owned by the Union Pacific. They bought the
land cheap, laid tracks, and leased it out cheap to companies to get
their freight business. Originally it was not even a part of Kansas
City, Kansas - it had its own fire department, for instance - but it was
later annexed.

>I got to do T&Gs in a Cessna with a L-1011 in the pattern at MCI before
>it offically opened for commerical operations.

As I understand it, the runways and some of the buildings (maybe the TWA
maintenance facility?) at MCI were built and operational several years
before the terminals were built and opened.

Matt Roberds

three-eight-hotel wrote:
> > Last year I flew into that airport one night for an Angel Flight mission
> > and the city lights made an incredibly beautiful backdrop.
>
> I bet it was! I had the opposite view of being on the 12th floor of
> the Mariot, looking down on the airport, at night, but could catch the
> other buildings of downtown, out of my peripheral vision!
>
> >Always wanted to go back there, but living in the Northeast US I have yet to find the
> > opportunity.
>
> I think I will look into getting a check-out next time I go there, if I
> happen to be there for a week or so... It would be a great way to take
> in the sights!
>
> Best Regards,
> Todd
When landing to the north or taking off to the south, watch out for the
Hereford bull. He likes to stand ontop of the rocks and look at the
airplanes. Actually, the Hereford bull is mounted on top of the
American Hereford Association H.Q. It is a good landmark for your
passengers to watch for while on appch to KC Downtown.