Picked up a Rans S7 at the factory this past December and plan on flying to AirVenture this year. I will be stopping in KC on the way. Would appreciate any info on grass strips to stop at along the way.

Magnet

Check out Marion, KS. It's very close to your route, and has a smorgasbord of grass runways running in about every different direction you could ever want!

You are welcome to stop at the Flying V Ranch in Mo. Next to Williamsburg off Hwy 70 between Columbia and St Louis. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Skydive+Flying+V+Ranch,+11101+Old+U.S.+40,+Montgomery+City,+MO+63361&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.911557,78.837891&ie=UTF8&hq=skydive+flying+v+ranch&hnear=Old+U.S.+40,+Montgomery+City,+Montgomery,+Missouri+63361&t=h&z=13 Click on the Skydive Flying V Ranch to get it to center.

I kind of checked out your possible route and noticed you might get close to Liberal, KS. I would recommend a stop at Liberal (http://skyvector.com/airport/LBL/Liberal-Mid-America-Regional-Airport) to check out the Mid-American Air Museum (http://www.kansastravel.org/airmuseum.htm).

Were you wanting airports with only grass, or that only have fuel? I've made a few grass strip tours and have researched grass strips in the midwest and other areas east of the Rockies. I have a few suggestions after looking at your route.

The airport at Ashland, KS (K58) has two grass runways (used to have three...don't know what happened to the other one). They supposedly have fuel now, but you would have to call and check. For two weeks in May, an instructor has acro camp based there. If you want to walk to town, there is a museum with Harold Krier's airplane, but not much else in the way of aviation stuff.

At Beaumont, KS (SN07) is a grass runway on the edge of town. You taxi to town on a small paved road, stop at the stop sign, cross main street and park in the grass across from the Beaumont Hotel for a meal and/or a room. No fuel there. A cool place.

At Miami County Airport (K81) near Paola, KS they have a grass and a paved runway. Good BBQ restaurant on the field and fuel available. I fly up there a lot to eat and meet friends.

Gardner airport (K34), a little bit north of (K81) near Olathe, KS has two grass runways, as well as a paved runway and decently priced fuel.

Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, Iowa (IA27) has two grass runway. I got a tour of their cool museum the day I landed there. They have a huge fly-in once a year. Normally no fuel available.

The Amana Colonies in Amana, IA (C11) is an interesting place to visit. Grass strip is on the edge of town within walking distance of great German restaurants and neat B&B's. No fuel. The B&B came to the airport to get me after I called them.

There are a few fly-ins (one of them is the week before Airventure) at the grass airfield at Brodhead, WI (C37). It has three grass runways, but no fuel reported.

On your route, there are other grass fields near small towns where you can walk to a local diner to eat, but I didn't know if that was the kind of airfield you were looking for.

I can post websites and/or photos for some of the airports I've listed, if you're interested in any of them. There are a few other airports that I could also suggest, depending on your criteria.

Sounds like you have a fun flight planned.

Absolutely, thank's Diana. I'll take all the info I can get. Would probably need fuel at the stops.

Arnie

Magnet wrote:Absolutely, thank's Diana. I'll take all the info I can get. Would probably need fuel at the stops.

Arnie

Arnie, here are links to some of those places I mentioned:

Beaumont Hotel (SN07): http://www.hotelbeaumontks.com/

We B Smokin' at Miami County (K81): http://www.websmokin.com/

Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, IA (IA27): http://www.antiqueairfield.com/info/airfield.html

Other airports on your route that have paved and grass runways and fuel are:

PXY at Perryton, Texas

MHL at Marshall, MO (a little bit east of your route)

CHT at Chillicothe, Missouri

MXO at Monticello, Iowa

C29 at Middleton, Wisconsin

Airnav has lots of info for all these airports. I'll look in my files tomorrow to see if I can find some more airports on your route.