Flying to Texas...recommendations?

Grumman-581 wrote:
On Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:33:41 -0000, Dylan Smith
wrote:

Also, the Johnson Space Center. Houston Gulf used to be the airport to
visit from this but it suffered the same fate as many private airfields
- now covered in tract housing.


Although Houston Gulf was probably closer, Ellington is probably the
closest these days... Technically, there's probably enough room on the
empty fields around NASA to land there and there's even a bit of
pavement where they supposedly tested rocket engines many years ago
that probably is long enough to land on... There's a tower at one end
of it... They probably won't be all that receptive to you landing
there... For some reason, security personnel don't seem to be issued
senses of humor...

Ballunar Fest is held out there every october. We contemplated, and had
preliminary permission to land some fixed wing stuff out there for some
of the mid-day non-balloon activities. The pilots walked it, and said no
way. Too many drainage troughs in just the wrong places.

There were ultralights, and ultralights towing hang gliders, and one
auto-gyro operating off the back 40 during the event though.

Security is never a problem with "prior permission"

And yes. Ellington is closest, La Porte is #2 and Pearland Regional is
#3 closest.

On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 08:05:53 GMT, Dave S
wrote:
Ballunar Fest is held out there every october. We contemplated, and had
preliminary permission to land some fixed wing stuff out there for some
of the mid-day non-balloon activities. The pilots walked it, and said no
way. Too many drainage troughs in just the wrong places.

I've seen it from the air at 1000 ft and outside of the Ellington
airspace... The arrow shaped pavement area was very noticeable... From
that altitude, I could not see any drainage troughs across it...

Security is never a problem with "prior permission"

When I used to work over at NASA, I tried to get permission to land a
gyro over there... This was back before the Beltway made it easier to
get across Houston on the south side... At that time, the only option
was a 2-lane TX-6 to Alvin and then FM-528 to NASA Road 1 in
Webster... Slow traffic and nowhere to pass... Couldn't get
permission...

On 2007-03-10, Dave S wrote:
of the mid-day non-balloon activities. The pilots walked it, and said no
way. Too many drainage troughs in just the wrong places.

Gosh, if only I could bring the Auster to Houston. Normal power off
approach speed is 50 mph. With a bit of power you can go a bit slower
still, and get stopped in about the length of two postage stamps :-)

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
We're hoping to depart for Fredericksburg, Texas (T82) next Sunday, to
pay a visit to the Hangar Hotel -- the only other aviation themed
hotel in the country (that we know of).

Fredericksburg itself sounds very neat, and we'll spend a day or two
there, but the kids want WARM weather -- and so do I. We're presuming
that we'll have to fly down to the Gulf coast to hit the really nice
weather, but there's no telling this far out.

San Antonio is nice, and we have friends to visit there, but I'm
looking for alternate suggestions. We'll be at the mercy of late
winter weather, so being flexible will be our best defense!

Texas has lots of military flying and very active MOAs. Watch out for them.
If you go IFR you will be OK. If VFR, I recommend staying out of any MOA
that is active. Call the local FSS for status of any MOA.

Danny Deger

Texas has lots of military flying and very active MOAs. Watch out for them.
If you go IFR you will be OK. If VFR, I recommend staying out of any MOA
that is active. Call the local FSS for status of any MOA.

We always use Flight Following, which keeps us apprised of the MOA
status.

Looks like our plans for flying to Texas tomorrow are scrubbed --
crappy weather coming for the next few days -- so we're heading to
Kitty Hawk instead, and maybe into Virginia.

If Texas clears up, we might catch it on the way back...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Texas has lots of military flying and very active MOAs. Watch out for them.
If you go IFR you will be OK. If VFR, I recommend staying out of any MOA
that is active. Call the local FSS for status of any MOA.


We always use Flight Following, which keeps us apprised of the MOA
status.

Looks like our plans for flying to Texas tomorrow are scrubbed --
crappy weather coming for the next few days -- so we're heading to
Kitty Hawk instead, and maybe into Virginia.

If Texas clears up, we might catch it on the way back...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


Jay, you use a different map. Texas on the way back from Virginia to Iowa?

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

("Ross" wrote)
Jay, you use a different map. Texas on the way back from Virginia to Iowa?


http://www.hangarhotel.com/about.htm
This is Jay's umpteenth attempt at flying to the Hangar Hotel. Weather, or
schedule, has always blocked his path.

So yes, Texas is on the way home. g


Montblack

Mario Andretti wouldda sure been proud
Of the way I was movin when I passed that crowd
Coming out the door and headed toward me at a trott

Now I guess I should of gone ahead and run
But somehow I just couldn't resist the fun
Of chasing them all just once around the parking lot

I had them all out there steppin and fetchin
Like their heads was on fire and their asses was catchin
then I figgered I had better go ahead and split before the cops got there

When I hit the road I was really wheelin
Had gravel flyin and rubber squeelin
And I didn't slow down till I was almost to Arkansas

I think I'm gonna reroute my trip
I wonder if anybody'd think I'd flipped
If I went to L.A., via Omaha

"Uneasy Rider"
Charlie Daniels Band
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Charlie-Daniels-Band/dp/B000066AUU
Go to "Listen to Samples"

Jay, you use a different map. Texas on the way back from Virginia to Iowa?

http://www.hangarhotel.com/about.htm
This is Jay's umpteenth attempt at flying to the Hangar Hotel. Weather, or
schedule, has always blocked his path.

So yes, Texas is on the way home. g

Montblack

Mario Andretti wouldda sure been proud
Of the way I was movin when I passed that crowd
Coming out the door and headed toward me at a trott

Ha! We listened to that song on the way down. I still know EVERY
WORD of that song, and yet I had NO idea that it was performed by
Charlie Daniels! XM radio displays the "artist" in the digital
display, which has really been handy for those weird songs that you
love (from decades ago), but don't know who performed them...
--
Jay Honeck
Currently in Memphis, TN
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Danny Deger wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...

We're hoping to depart for Fredericksburg, Texas (T82) next Sunday, to
pay a visit to the Hangar Hotel -- the only other aviation themed
hotel in the country (that we know of).

Fredericksburg itself sounds very neat, and we'll spend a day or two
there, but the kids want WARM weather -- and so do I. We're presuming
that we'll have to fly down to the Gulf coast to hit the really nice
weather, but there's no telling this far out.

San Antonio is nice, and we have friends to visit there, but I'm
looking for alternate suggestions. We'll be at the mercy of late
winter weather, so being flexible will be our best defense!


Texas has lots of military flying and very active MOAs. Watch out for them.
If you go IFR you will be OK. If VFR, I recommend staying out of any MOA
that is active. Call the local FSS for status of any MOA.

Danny Deger


Easiest way it to use VFR flight following.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI