Hey kids,

Trip planning for a big cross country in a couple of weeks. I leave 9/18 and return 10/3 or so. Looking for advice for good fields along the way with nice grass runway and cheap gas.

My general plan is:

Boulder, CO -> Kansas City Area RON
KC -> Dayton, OH RON
Dayton -> Manassas, VA - spend a few days in DC with the wife and son
Manassa -> First Flight, Kill Devil Hills, NC and Manteo - got a place on the beach for another few days with the family.
Manteo bluegrass festival.
And back west through NC toward Colorado. Stopping in Jackson county to visit my nephew at Western Carolina University.
No other plan other than that.

If anybody wants to meet up with a poor wayfaring stranger in a lowly J3 lemme know.

Here's my plan on skyvector:

http://skyvector.com/?ll=41.19518982....24A:A.K2.KBDU


Thanks in advance for any info you can offer.

You're welcome to stop by Checkpoint Charlie (my place) for a couch to sleep on and a hot shower. Fuel is about a 5 minute flight to KPKB.

It's not on the sectional anymore but sky vector still has the info. Contact info is out dated.

990' useable not 2000'
https://skyvector.com/airport/OI27/Chec ... ie-Airport

Thanks, Evan. I might do that - even if it's just a pop in to say hi.

Soy,

Please look me up when you get to the OBX region. I would like to meet up with you. I will be in town from 25th to the 2nd (leaving for Ketchikan on the 2nd). My home and airport are KONX (very close to Manteo and fiirst flight). Cheapest gas in the region and we have Mogas.

If you have not transitioned through DC space yet, you should be aware that it requires an online training course if you are going to be with in 60 NM and its a mind blowing bunch of absolute bullshit! You can only enter and exit through established gates and you will need to get a discrete code issued prior to departure. You have to file a flight plan and you probably need two radios in case you lose comms to avoid an F16 escort. If your J3 is without a TXP (or an electrical system for that matter) then you will need to plan to go around. Even flying an instrument flight plan is complicated and cumbersome. VFR pilots are treated as threats.

Mark

Thanks, Mark. I appreciate it. I know about the DC SFRA though this will be my first time through. I'm no-electric, but I do have a mode c xponder with a battery, and only a handheld. I know about the training and the rules.

I'll shoot you a pm w/ my contact info. I'd love to meet up.

Greg,

You are welcome anytime at Aurora, Missouri (2H2.) I could bring you gas in plastic jugs, if you do that. I had only used airport gas in an emergency when I started flying pipeline in 97. Did you do one cylinder or top?

Jim

Thanks, Jim. I didn't do any cylinders this time. I'm only 200hrs out of a top overhaul anyway. I just had a stuck valve so we cleaned them all and it's okay now. I also had a cracked exhaust so I had a new one built that's what kept me down for several weeks.

If you cover over the gps, you'll be a heck of a map reader by the time you get home. Just keep the wings level with the rudder. At 500' you can easily see things higher than 500' sticking up on the horizon.

Getting excited about my thursday morning departure... Follow me on my spot link over to the right there. Hope to see some of you around!

Going to be a cool trip. Be safe and have fun.

Have a great trip Greg. Looking forward to hearing all about it when you return!

Have fun Greg! Post pics along the way. If you come thru this way ahold of me! I'll be gone Thursday night, and be back Friday. Then flying to the WV mountains Saturday morning and then back home Sunday.

Greg: Our schedules are at cross proposes, but I'd love to connect with you if at all possible. Our house sold, and the movers are coming on Tuesday, 9/23. We'll be in a local hotel in Manassas until the 26th when we close on the sale. We start driving west right after the closing. I think my wife is giving me the 25th of to say good-by to my plane until I return to fly it to Washington State in mid October.

Did you complete your SFRA online course prior to flying in to Manassas? KHEF is inside the SFRA surrounding DC, and the procedure isn't complicated, but compliance is a must if you don't want to fly formation with either an Apache or an F16. Of you are here on a Sunday, I'd recommend a short bio over to the flying circus aerodrome. It is only a 15 minute hop from KHEF. Actually, you could land at KHWY, just outside the SFRA and you'd still be close (20 miles) to Manassas, and even closer to the flying circus. If your kids are with you, that would be a really fun stop. Other fun airports in area include MD1 (Massey Aerodrome), 3W3 (Kentmorr), 9VG (Campbell field), and VG18 (Sky Bryce). The first 3 are grass strips. VG18 is paved, but it is in the Appalachian Mountains and they have some cool zip line adventures along the ski trails in the summer and fall.

Greg: I just read your response about the SFRA, and see you are prepared. I fly in and out off the SFRA frequently and it really isn't a big deal. You'll approach Manassas through the "Fluky" gate and Potomac Approach will give you the discrete squawk code and clearance to enter the SFRA on 127.325. There are lots of places to park at KHEF.

I clicked on your SkyVector link, but it just took me to the main page. I didn't see any of your flight planning info. Maybe that's because I accessed the site from my tablet. I'll try again on the big machine.

Gary

Looks like you're making good progress Greg, that's a lot of hours in the J3.

I'm already looking forward to the trip report.

Just checked your Spot, looks like a lot of progress!

As of your latest update you're about 64nm from me. If I had a dang plane already I'd try to meet up and fly a leg with you, but no dice just yet. Still saving my pennies.


Looking forward to your trip report! Fly safe!

Have a great flight! I'm a bit jealous!

I highly recommend a stop at First Flight. I stopped by in my rig a couple of years ago and just hung out a while. If was a very cool vibe and feeling to be there and get into a deep thought about the days of the first flight. Every pilot should try to visit this historic aviation landmark.

My phone died which has most of my pics. But First Flight today - and nasty wx.