As of March 1st, there is a new Sheriff in town at Kern Valley Airport CA. “L05”. After almost thirty years the Nelson family has decided to retire and give up management of the airport. Gene Nelson the patriarch of the family died of cancer in 2010 and his wife Jeltje wanted to retire. SOOOOOO I made her an offer and guess what, I’m now the new Airport Manger. Kern Valley is a great place to live or visit. I’m inviting everyone in the Backcountry Pilots Community to come by and look me up. We have a camp ground and the Kern River is only a quarter mile hike from the camp ground with great fishing. We have three rental cars to get you into town only three miles up river for rafting or some of the greatest fly-fishing in the state. When I get the web page up, a Calendar of events will keep you up on to date.

I hope to meet all of you at Kern Valley, or when I get a chance, to get out to the other stripes BCP people frequent.

Rick Lach

Thanks, I will put you on my visit list.

wish you good luck with your airport.

Do you have mogas or is it locally available? Do you allow refueling from cans on your airport?

Congratulations.
Funny, I grew up and learned to fly 125 miles away and the only time I landed there was in the right seat of a Lear 35 back when I was young and foolish. That was exciting.

Congratulations! That must make you feel like king of the hill! What a great place. My son lives in Victorville, not far away. I will have to put you on my list when I come out to visit him.

Keep us up to date on how you like it. Sounds like a dream job.

Hi MauleOne


At the moment we do not have any fuel. The previous airport manager had it removed in 2009. Getting fuel back at Kern Valley is my number “1” priority and expect to have it back by mid summer. As for refueling out of cans, that’s what most of the guys have to do, so that’s not a problem. Mogas is available in town 3-miles up river but this is California and it’s laced with ethanol.

Have you been over to Chistochina on the Copper River lately? We use to own the lodge there until it burned in 2000. Do you know if the strip is still operational?

Rick

701driver: Good for you. I have fond memories of Gene and the entire Kervn Valley airport crew. A buddy of mine from Mammoth Lakes moved down there and rented Gene's trailer at the end of the runway. He flew a Commanche and was getting into r/c flying. He had a mechanic that was a retired Lockheed mechanic and a wizard of a r/c pilot. I started taking my 206 down there for maintenance and to learn how to fly r/c. Bill Hebestreit was the guru for most of the guys on the airport as there was a very active homebuilt airplane group. Bill finished a Sonex not that many years ago and as far as I know is still hanging around but doesn't do any more wrenching. Please say Hi to Bill for me. Best wishes, Ford

Congrats Rick - will definitely stop to say hi sometime when I am down towards home (north of you, base of Sequoia National Park). I used to spend a lot of time in the Big Kern Wilderness ass a kid with my dad on horseback. Pretty country

Best of luck in your new post!

Carl Gerker says "Hello" -Carl has retired from FAA and a DAR .

Hay Ford,

Bill says "HI" and next time you’re this way to stop by. He is a fixture at the cafe and has been sitting in the same chair every morning for 25-years. I think I'll put his name on it.


182 STOL Driver,

Carl was my PMA inspector from the Van Nuys MIDO when he was working for a living. I also manufacture engine mounts and landing gear for Piper Pacers and Carl and I spent a lot of time together discussing the wisdom of the FAA.

Rick

I fly over your place all the time now I have a reason to stop. Long as the new Sheriff isn't taking our guns at the door.

701driver wrote:Hay Ford,

Bill says "HI" and next time you’re this way to stop by. He is a fixture at the cafe and has been sitting in the same chair every morning for 25-years. I think I'll put his name on it.


182 STOL Driver,

Carl was my PMA inspector from the Van Nuys MIDO when he was working for a living. I also manufacture engine mounts and landing gear for Piper Pacers and Carl and I spent a lot of time together discussing the wisdom of the FAA.

Rick

Rick:
I talked to you when you had the strip up at 7000 msl . where you were flying the 701. Think that be a great fly-in spot .Carl is going to be getting a hanger at Tachiapi ,CA. airport . He's got his DAR/DER stuff for Burn Test and Manufacturing and Maintenance. He's still working on his airplanes at WJF .

Guns are always welcome at my airport Scout. I declined the “Terrace Attack Insurance” for the airport, figured I could just shoot SOB myself. If you want to do some shooting there’s the local range, only a half mile away with distances up to 500yards, or if you want some privacy we could go to my new place but it only goes out to 350 yards.

You’ve got a good memory 182 STOL driver. I use to live up in the Piute Mountains, but my lady and I decide to come back to civilization where they have phones and electric power, so we bought 33-acres in Weldon CA. It’s about 12-air miles from the Kern Valley Airport so it only takes me about 10 minuets, in my 701. So I’ve now gone from Mountain Hermit to Kern Valley Socialite.

If you guy’s come by please give drop me an e-mail and I’ll make sure I’m there. I’m running hard right now to get all the details worked out for the take over and I’m in and out a lot.

Rick

Hey Rick:

Congratulations. It has been a while since I have been to your airport, so I have added it to the list on my next jaunt up the valley.

Rich

Congrats on the new gig. Great airport you've got there. Don't screw it up!

porterjet wrote:...the only time I landed there was in the right seat of a Lear 35 back when I was young and foolish. That was exciting.

As they say on the Internet...pics or it didn't happen!

C.

OK Skylane_Guy, what do you mean by "Don't Screw It Up"??

I think you should come on by and make sure I'm doing it right. At this point I'll take all the sugestions and help I can get to make this place somthing even more special than it already is.

Rick

Anyone know the current cost for camping at Kern Valley, and current fishing conditions within walking distance of the airport campground!?

Looking to be up there for a night or 2 in next week!

Hi Rick your on my list on my next trip to socal.

Cheers...Rob

Hi Brandon,

Our camping fees are $15 a night encluding your airplane tie-down. Fishing is good up river from the campground into town. from the campground south to the lake has been dead as of last weekend. We also have two rental cars if you want to to way up river in to the high country.

Rick

Your welcome anytime Rob. If you make it before winter you’re invited to pick up a shovel and come over to the Chicken Strip and do some hydraulic engineering with us.

Rick

Sounds like a great place to have a fly-in. What do you guys think?