Hi Everyone.

It's been a long while since I have been active on this forum. Life has a way of making other priorities. I recently moved to Nellis AFB with my family and I just purchased a 1972 Cessna 150L, the very plane that I learned to fly in 17 years ago in rural South Carolina.

I have yet to move my plane to Vegas, looking at tie down at Boulder City, near Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. I was surfing Youtube and found a few cool videos of a Cessna 150 landing on the Pearce Ferry airport that is a dirt strip on a plateau overlooking the Colorado River.

I am doing some research into the Sierra Fly in in Northern Nevada and excited to get acquainted with the local area. I know Its BUSY. So my question I guess is do any of you have knowledge or suggestions for nice places to fly into that are within reach of the Vegas area. I see pictures of airstrips with hot springs...looks like places I want to try. BTW, I am very proficient at extracting every ounce of my Cont O-200 H.P. and landing slow and short.

If you want to fly a bit west, there is Bacon Strip Ranch which is a dry lake bed. There is a Facebook page for this. Permission is given freely as they like planes there which minimizes the damage and vandalism from offroaders. An easy place to do...
Blue skies,
Tom

Chicken Strip is within easy flying distance of Vegas also.

Try Shortfield.com , one that comes to mind is Grand Gulch Mine, if you're running Foreflight look up BEERZ its just south of BEERZ which is a turnpoint for a GPS approach. South of you, you have Cal-Nv-Ari with restaurant. Bacon Strip is a fun one.

I'm about 2.5 "Cessna 150" hours west of you in the Mojave area. Lots to explore out this way.

Panamint Springs Resort is a great stop when you're headed out to Chicken Strip. Good food, plenty of runway...but like Chicken it is one way in; one way out. Have been there with lots of little planes (Luscombe, TCart, Ercoupe, 150) 36.338211° -117.467343°



Near Panamint there is Darwin. 36.262682° -117.597747°
http://www.darwindoc.com



One I just visited recently is Goldpoint, NV 37.363823° -117.366330°




Another easy one is Fossil Falls/Cinder Cone Dry Lake. 35.983106° -117.899216°




Goler Heights is another easy one out this way. 35.427218° -117.733479°
Beacon Station makes a great mid-desert rest stop (and it is near Bacon Strip) 35.131082° -116.209198°
Amboy is fun. 34.561937° -115.749105°

There's a few out near Las Vegas I'd like to explore this winter:
Ruby's Store 36.488085° -116.418735°
Amargosa Valley (Jackass) 36.634736° -116.412347°
Hidden Hills/Cathedral Canyon 36.008406° -115.856548°
Essex Airfield (General Patton) 34.770244° -115.219128°
Unknown old mining strip 35.366098° -115.082034°
Glendale Airstrip 36.667678° -114.571597°

Lots of strips hiding in the desert.

Thanks for your suggestions! I really appreciate it. Now I have some research to do. Plane is in SC engine is off for overhaul and I wont be home to Vegas from my mid east deployment anytime soon. Lots of exciting strips to check out and adventures. My only thoughts are too bad I am not retired, nor am I single....otherwise Id be always flying somewhere. Going to have to get kitchen passes for the time being when I get back to Vegas......Looks like a blast to go out and explore the desert. People have RV's and 4x4's they spend thousands in accessories....i feel lucky to have a plane that I can fly and go explore these distant places with ease.

Last time I was at grand gulch mine the strip was pretty rough, with lots of vegetation in play. Take off rolls are going to be MUCH longer than book figures. Probably best to explore it in freezing temps. Do not trust there will be a windsock, or if there is one that it actually works.

Stay away from the chicken strip until it cools down...lots of crashes on landing and take off are directly related to the heat. At about 100 feet agl there is no reasonable go around in a 150, so abort early if you're not happy with your approach. And tie your airplane down SECURELY, regardless of wind forecasts. Lots of surprise winds down there...

I double what hammer said on the winds in the desert! Tie it down no matter how nice it is when you land. I don't mean a hour stop, more like 2 plus hours. I got the crap scared out of me. Pops Dory has a story too.
Cheers...Rob

Fiddler wrote:I'm about 2.5 "Cessna 150" hours west of you in the Mojave area. Lots to explore out this way.

Panamint Springs Resort is a great stop when you're headed out to Chicken Strip. Good food, plenty of runway...but like Chicken it is one way in; one way out. Have been there with lots of little planes (Luscombe, TCart, Ercoupe, 150) 36.338211° -117.467343°

Near Panamint there is Darwin. 36.262682° -117.597747°
http://www.darwindoc.com



One I just visited recently is Goldpoint, NV 37.363823° -117.366330°




Another easy one is Fossil Falls/Cinder Cone Dry Lake. 35.983106° -117.899216°

Goler Heights is another easy one out this way. 35.427218° -117.733479°
Beacon Station makes a great mid-desert rest stop (and it is near Bacon Strip) 35.131082° -116.209198°
Amboy is fun. 34.561937° -115.749105°

There's a few out near Las Vegas I'd like to explore this winter:
Ruby's Store 36.488085° -116.418735°
Amargosa Valley (Jackass) 36.634736° -116.412347°
Hidden Hills/Cathedral Canyon 36.008406° -115.856548°
Essex Airfield (General Patton) 34.770244° -115.219128°
Unknown old mining strip 35.366098° -115.082034°
Glendale Airstrip 36.667678° -114.571597°

Lots of strips hiding in the desert.

Great post Fiddler!!!

Well I have to give you So much Thanks Fiddler! I took the time and plugged those coordinates into google maps. Wow..so many strips in the middle of nowhere. Just over the Charleston mountains and to the west..easy reach from Vegas is the back country! I had no idea! I am so excited to get home in a few months fire up my plane and go check them out. Very much appreciated! Who needs a decked out SUV with untold thousands spent in accessories..when you have a plane with gas and a weekend bag packed with camping essentials! Guess I have to read up on the latest thread about the SPOT locator...so if I am in BFE...my butt can be found!