For someone who is in Boise and is considering relocation to Seattle, how good are the flying opportunities? Will I be in for a big disappointment?

I could leave the plane in Boise I suppose.

Get CANPASS and fly in British Columbia! Wonderful area! Floats preferred.

idair wrote:For someone who is in Boise and is considering relocation to Seattle, how good are the flying opportunities? Will I be in for a big disappointment?

I could leave the plane in Boise I suppose.

Plenty of flying to be done here, and Idaho is still only a couple of hours away if you want to go and get your fix. Check out the WA state DOT aviation website. Some of the state strips are pretty and challenging if that's your thing.

I like the BC aspect. This is my thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN5jHtbGD4Q

Everything will happen at 100 knots in a VFR bugsmasher (172).

I really like Boise, but I have a job offer from that big online web store based in Seattle that I don't think I can refuse. I'm trying to make a decision, and flying is part of it.

I have posted this before, but all of this is within 200 nm of Seattle:



Some of the nicest aviation destinations that I have ever visited are in that area. Unless you are very easily disappointed, you will not likely be. Weather can be challenging, especially in the winter months, but weather is always a factor in light GA aircraft.

Seattle (and suburbs) is a "Rough" town. It ain't Boise.

This topic also interests me because I might relocate to Seattle too.
I have been there like 6 times , a couple of them in February and always have had good weather.

I flown a bit , but none of the backcountry strips, some nice grass strips in small islands.

Going again at the end of August, any of the locals would like to take me flying to the backcountry strips?

idair sorry for hijacking your topic

I'm located 60 miles north of the Emerald City. Flying is good here in some ways but when I really want to have fun, I head for Idaho. One of the upsides of western Washington flying is access to the islands, they are pretty cool. There are also some interesting places to go on The Olympic Penninsula. We kept a car full of camping gear at Port Angeles and the easy access made it fun. Whidbey is good for flight following and I think that is a plus. There is also Stehekin airport and a few other backcountry-ish airports within an hour or so but still, nothing exactly mind boggling or amazing.
The downsides are that there is a lot of time that you are stuck with low clouds overhead, the Cascades on the east and the Puget Sound and Olympics on the west, the border to the north and nothing all that interesting to the south. Lotsa marginal VFR days and IFR over the Cascades can be really sucky too unless you burn kerosine. So, not all bad but not all good. I'm counting down the days until I retire and can move to Idaho and that is mostly for the flying opportunities.
Good luck,
FZ

We don't have any mile High, Vines, or Soldier Bar. But we have places plenty hard enough if you want to break your plane.

Lots of fun places! Just not quite as remote as the Frank Church.

I'll take the NW weather in a heart beat over the Oshkosh weather I just came from. We got it pretty damn good out here.

Cheers...Rob

Lots of GA in and around Seattle, out of all the places I've flown all throughout the US, it's my favorite.

If you're not yet joined this group, tons of pilot from the area, lots of flyins, very good resource.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FLightsAboveThePNW/

Outside of aviation, after living all over the US, a few different countries, Seattle, is by far, my favorite city, especially the Fremont and Ballard area.

Misnomer in the title.
You will find that Seattle is a place by itself, and the rest of the Pacific Northwest is a pretty good place!!
Pretty far left!! I meen way over there on the ditchline past the fogline on the left! King County rules the rest of the state!!
(Citizens for the 51st state of Eastern Washington)
Just an opine from a Eatern Wasnington Resident!
GT

I moved to Seattle in 2013 from AK for work. I would not argue with the things that M6RV6 had to say and I agree with flyingzebra. I took my plane back to AK and take the jet north for my flying adventures. I am trying to convince the wife we need a second plane.. something faster and a good IFR machine for down here. I really cannot afford it, but a FIKI capable machine would be really nice to have. Seems like in the winter you have to go IFR above 5000' and you will be in the ice.

Some things to consider... I kept my plane outside in AK.. I could not stomach the moisture and condensation that happens on the inside of a plane when parked outside in this climate. Hangars are about $350+/mo and only readily available in a few locations.. S50, KPAE(maybe), S43 or farther out. They are not climate controlled. I kept my plane at KRNT(outside), S50, and KPAE.. Will probably base at KPAE if I bring my bird back or get a second because of the precision instrument approach, maintenance options and fuel prices. Unfortunately it is a 50min drive in good traffic from my home.

Traffic... I wish I had figured out where I was going to keep my plane and bought a home in a location based more on that. I bought 12 miles from work and it can take 45-50 minutes to get home.. The traffic was something that I have had to mentally adjust to. Prepare yourself for being in gridlock traffic unless you can adjust your work schedule to avoid the bad traffic times.

I also think the Seattle Freeze is real. If you have not heard of it, Google it.

With the exception of the traffic, Seattle is a really nice city. Lots to do, amazing summer weather, the winters are very mild, lots of outdoor things to do.. We are treating it like an adventure, know we won't be here forever and soaking in as much PNW as we can while we are here.

Another point of view that makes us smile... What major city in the U.S. would you rather be in?? Only Portland would rank as high or higher for us.

What about backcountry strips which ones are the most fun to go to?

I agree about the traffic, if I move would I make sure is close to the airport where Im based out of ,and also close to Mt bike trails.

motoadve wrote:What about backcountry strips which ones are the most fun to go to?

I agree about the traffic, if I move would I make sure is close to the airport where Im based out of ,and also close to Mt bike trails.

Stehikin and Tieton are probably the best backcountry type strips in Washington. If you want to fly somewhere to Mountain Bike, Ranger Creek has the Skookum Flats trail along the White River.

NineThreeKilo wrote:Lots of GA in and around Seattle, out of all the places I've flown all throughout the US, it's my favorite.

If you're not yet joined this group, tons of pilot from the area, lots of flyins, very good resource.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FLightsAboveThePNW/

Outside of aviation, after living all over the US, a few different countries, Seattle, is by far, my favorite city, especially the Fremont and Ballard area.

Hey, I live in Ballard, next time you're in town look me up. I don't do bookface

Let's see, we have Elliott Bay (Seattle waterfront), Lake Washington, Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, the Olympics, the Cascades, the Pacific coast, BC right across our north border, Oregon across our south border, and eastern Washington right across the Cascades. So we have mountains, volcanos, forests, fresh water, salt water, islands, farmlands, & desert-- all within an hour & a half of Seattle (even in a 172). The Seattle traffic & high hangar prices in the metro area I have no answer for, unless you can possibly live out away from town and get to work via vanpool or Sounder train, or live on the west side of the Sound and walk onto the ferry to Seattle & take a bus (or whatever) to work. I believe the (new?) Amazon campus is in the south lake Union area. Is telecommuting some of the time an option?

I live in the Port Townsend area on the Olympic Peninsula and really like it here (moved up from L.A. in 1992), but good paying work is not abundant here and commuting to the Seattle area can be a PITA.

Got to agree with GT on the politics over there! A little left of the dry side of the state. LOL

There is also Copalis Beach out on the coast if you want to play around on the beach.

Hotrod180,

Hangar prices are outrageous. Yes, I would work in the South Lake Union area. Knowing nothing about Seattle but only looking at a map, Boeing field (BFI?) would be the best for both location and public transit accessibility. Getting a hangar there is entirely outside the question ($$$), but tie downs are extremely reasonable. I am also floating the idea of just bringing it up for a few months during prime flying season to the tie downs and away it goes to it's $200/month hangar at dry BOI -- easy commercial access.

Employer provides a free transit pass, and limited (not sufficient) parking reimbursement for what its worth. Organize a van pool of 4 and in lieu of the transit/parking for all 4 participants, you get a Leaf and free parking. So there are options.

Telecommuting will not be possible in this role.

I still believe you can get a basic 1400 sq ft house within a 30-40 minute commute for $2,000 or so. It's ludicrous, but they make it worthwhile.

How had is the commute from Newcastle? That would also open up the option of Renton airport.

Commute from Newcastle sux. If you're going to work in South Lake Union just bite the bullet and live in the city. Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Magnolia, all beautiful and easy to access for work.

Try to get a north facing office so you can look out the window and watch me operate the otter off the lake! [emoji3]

Port Angeles, WA on a beautiful Summer day this year. I really liked the FBO (courtesy car), customs, motel and the Domino Pizza there. Great place to enter the U.S.

Also, saw this flying B17 depart this June. There is a lot of wealth to compete with in Washington State. But, the people I met were really nice.