I've got a plan to visit the Airstream Trailer Group Rally at Sweetwater Summit, NV (North of Bridgeport, Ca and about 16 miles South of Wellington, NV) in late June. NV72 is a short walk from the BLM campsite where they'll be.
It looks like a nice unpaved strip, at 6800' MSL... but it's marked military. I've called the USMC Mtn. Warfare Center, who are listed as the authority, and they don't know anything about it. The Lyon County Public Works folks thought it was operated by the Sweetwater Ranch; but I can't reach anyone there. Tried calling local airports for PiReps... no contacts yet.
Anybody out there have knowledge or experience with this nice little strip?
There's always the "ask forgiveness, not permission" approach... but if it were my airstrip, I might not appreciate that.
Thanks,
B.R.

According to legend, Sweetwater is the strip that was originally built or used to test the reverse-mounted JATO on the front of a C-130 that was going to go into Iran to rescue the hostages about 30 or 32 years ago. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed, and they went with helicopters instead, with disastrous results. I think you can find the video of the Herc accident online.

The Marine Corps has used it for training, and the glider pilots out of Minden NV have used it as an emergency strip many times. That I believe is your key... contact the glider operations at Minden NV (High Country Soaring, if they a re still operating with that name) and ask them what the current condition of the Sweetwater strip is. Also, contact RESCO (Region 12 Soaring Club), and ask who might know the status of Sweetwater airport. Contact the Soaring Society of America http://www.ssa.org. Ask SSA for the contact info for Region 11 (I think that's the area for Minden). Their members will be the ones who need to have current info on that strip.

Another avenue for information is to contact Rosaschi Dusters, which is at Rosaschi Ranch, a small airport 20 or 30 miles north of Sweetwater. Their local pilots will probably know something. Smith Valley airport is near there as well.

In the distant past when I flew sailplane competitions in that area, Sweetwater was a well maintained, wide, C-47 sized airstrip. All else fails, drag it a few times at 20 feet altitude looking for ruts and craters, then land and enjoy. The large "bowl" shaped cutout in the mountain just south and east of the airstrip is known far and wide for the tremendous updrafts it generate in the spring, summer and fall. If you fly in to that area during the warm part of the day, be advised. I've personally had sustained rates of climb in that "house thermal" exceeding 1800 FPM in a heavy racing glider with a wing loading in excess of 10 lb/ sq ft .

Now as for the time I landed a glider on the helicopter pad at the Mtn. Warfare Training Center without permission... that's another story

Yep, been in there a number of times with others. It is a very long and wide dirt strip. Will try to find a photo for ya.

Last time we came in on final to have a whole bunch of horses and trailers there. Its not marked private on the sectional. Would be curious what you find out about it. Have not had any problems landing there.

AKT

Thanks for such quick responses, you guys!
I just had a nice talk with Mike Rosaschi at N59, Smith, NV.
He says go ahead and land, after a little fly-by (or two)... only problem might be motorcycle or 4-wheelers doin' donuts on the strip.
I also fly gliders and hang gliders; I'll be lookin' out for that house thermal!
Full report to come, after our June sortie.
Thanks again,
B.R.

BR,

It's under the control of the Marine Corp, but they don't seem to use it anymore . . . perhaps for the occassional training flight, but I've never seen them there. In any case, as EZ Flap says, it's used by gliders for land outs, and by other aircraft just for the fun of it. Ain't much there, so if you do a clearing pass for ATV's first, no one will bother you. If you leave your plane unattended, consider using tie-downs in case there's a thermal. They've been known to carry away small kids and puppies.

That's my neck of the woods...

USMC is in control or that strip, and they DO use it. A lot. There is a huge amount of mountain warfare training going on right now at Hawthorne and Pickle Meadows, and it is not uncommon at all to get 2,000 to 3,000 Marines and soldiers a week into the bases. Then they get shuttled out on the Shithooks for training scenarios, Sweetwater being one of them.

You may want to call the USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport to confirm, but I'd be hesitant to go in there right now without permission.

Gump

Past due for a report on my visit to Sweetwater... but it's been a busy July. Went to San Diego (KMYF) for the Cessna 170 Convention, and on to other locations for visits and fun... now good to be back home again.
The airstrip at Sweetwater Summit is in pretty good shape. Easy for our C170B with 8" tires and a stock 0-300. I had to make four passes to clear the cows off the runway, then linger around until the one stubborn individual strolled down the entire length of the centerline.
Had a nice visit with the Airstream boondockers, then off for fuel at Yerrington, almost always a good deal.
Takeoff at 6,700MSL and 80 degrees was fine with a light load, and there's plenty of clear ahead of you to make an easy climbout.
Back at the hangar at KSVE, it took awhile to get those meadow muffins off the plane... but worth it.
B.R.