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Do You Collect Grass/Un-Improved Strips?

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Serpentine Hot Springs, Alaska.

Serpentine Hot Springs, Alaska airstrip is not charted. It's located at intersection CIVED. Forestry Service built it with a bunk house and a toilet. It's relatively short and modestly smooth. I was there mid August the weather was perfect and scenery breathtaking.

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There is a bunk house and a natural hot spring pool. Somebody was already there but they went on a hike.


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Wild blueberries are very tasty I would fly there just for the berries. :D


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Grass Strips

Well at least there aren't any alligators that far north. I think you should change the title to grass and all unpaved runways.
 
Richmond, RI

Gilligan's family strip by Richmond, Rhode Island. None of the owners are pilots but they love aviation and every September they invite any flying machine for a cook out. However they don't allow any student pilots. Recently they extended the turf to 2,000 feet and there is an overrun to a sod farm. There wasn't many attendees this year due to marginal weather.


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Chandalar Camp, Alaska

5CD Chandalar Shelf airport in Alaska is listed as a good grass 2,500 feet runway. Instead of advertised grass I found a pebbled well leveled runway. There was some flora near the edges. I spent from 4 to 5 hours there waiting for a snow storm to pass. It was early August and temps were in low 30ies.


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After landing there I donned my rain gear and went on foot exploring the vicinities.


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Past the creek a fiber optics company was digging a trench.


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They said it's a common thing here this weather type all year around. A blizzard comes then in couple hours there could be clear skies. I waited.


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The storm passed and I went my way via Atigun Pass toward Galbraith Lake.


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52FA the Airport That Collects YOU!

There is a grass airfield in Florida that "collects" airplanes. Bent Willies is the name and Bill Whidden is the owner. Permission required and is normally granted within minutes after initial request.


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Turbo and Smokyray were there and Gary Palinkas once set his tent on the grounds. An RC Club is based on the field and they keep the grass nicely moved. If you are lost just follow the direction airboat goes. :)


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There is some aerial traffic


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and some movement on the ground which is controllable.


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Bill doesn't live here but his crocodile pet Fred does. Don't go swimming in the pond. :D


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BC, FL, NC and ME

Bob Queen Lake, British Columbia.

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A Florida citrus farm. The tallest grass I've ever been. Works as an arresting gear no brakes needed. :D

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N21 Topsail, NC.


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An abandoned airfield in Northern Maine. :)


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Year 2016 is over

2015 was a good year. 36 new grass/other then paved runways were added to the list which now stands at 127 total.

The Grass Season 2016 is over. It was a record year for my RV9A and I. Not sure if we could ever reap such a harvest again. We visited 72 new non paved runways and accumulated 199 different strips total since 2011. Let's see the awards.

1. The shortest cut grass award goes to Bill Whidden's FA52.

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2. The longest uncut grass - a citrus farm in Florida.

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3. The remotest place - Serpentine Hot Springs, Alaska.

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4. The roughest (and the highest) be Russian Flat of Montana.

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5. The coldest grass field where it snowed on Aug the 3rd is Chandalar Shelf, Alaska. It's also above Arctic Circle.

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6. The prettiest airstrip from the air - Lake Francis.

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7. The most picturesque on the ground Mile 422 of Alaska Highway in British Columbia.

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8. The longest Ram Falls Canada.

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9. The softest was an auctioned strip in NJ.

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10. The curviest is a farm strip in PA. It's only 1,200 feet long but you can't see the other side of the runway.

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Grass Season 2017!

Airstrip #200! Uncharted, very difficult to find. I was lucky to have the best navigator of all times my good buddy Jeff. After having a light breakfast at Sky Bryce we crossed into West Virginia searching.




We found the strip.




It has a tower and a name of it.




Back home I was awarded a trophy. Thanks Jeff! :D





 
Farm out airstrip!

I thought I was your best friend - Jeff.

SnF turned out to be real nice, one early morning rain storm - but last part of week was cold nights, cool and sunny (and windy) days.

On list now for engine.
 
Jeez, if that's the trophy Jeff hands out, I'll have to step up and offer rides to him too!. Great to see you both at Sky Bryce.
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Back home I was awarded a trophy. Thanks Jeff! :D





[/QUOTE]
 
I was wondering what happened to you guys? Very sneaky. One of many reasons we call you the Air Czar!
 
Spring in TX...

Airstrip #200! Uncharted, very difficult to find. I was lucky to have the best navigator of all times my good buddy Jeff. After having a light breakfast at Sky Bryce we crossed into West Virginia searching.




We found the strip.
Vlad
Nicely done again Vlad...now if you could find this one...mine.


I know, I know, it's not an RV but related to subject matter...:)
V/R
Smokey
 
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Nicely done again Vlad...now if you could find this one...mine.


I know, I know, it's not an RV but related to subject matter...:)
V/R
Smokey


Is that Bar Victor Kilo? Doesn't look like it. But if yes it's been the longest time on my bucket list and I know the coordinates Smoky. After the Journey Beyond Three Seas maybe? In the meantime I went to a concert somewhere in a redneck country. There I met a nice guy, a businessman, an RV4 builder and an airport owner. When I asked him about permission to land on his grass strip and should I sign any waivers he said no. On one and only condition he claims all aluminum scrap on his field as his no removal. Ladies and gentlemen introducing WV65 "an arrow" :D


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Telegraph Creek BC

A fellow RV pilot and builder Greg Arehart sent me there. He cautioned the runway might be rough. It wasn't. Telegraph Creek is famous because of Russian-American telegraph line planned to connect San-Francisco with Moscow, Russia. The wire laying started 1865 then the project was abandoned.

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It's a pretty neibourhood. Decent runway long enough to accommodate a 737.


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It's a 2 miles+ walk to town (I didn't go) I was told and there is a food joint in there.


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5 fun strips in one day

How to visit 5 different grass airstrips in one day? Go to Spurwink flyin near Portland, Maine.

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Befriend the owner. He will allow you to land on his private island. A 900 feet of a nicely mowed patch. Sky Goddess will brief you. I was the second (or third) RV to land there.

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At the same fly in you will meet all surrounding airfields' owners. They will gladly give you the permission to land on their properties. Eric's 78ME.

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His father airfield Eagle 15ME.


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Then Webster ME91.


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Lean and Dry 2017 Grass Season

Only 14 new grass fields were added in 2017. It totals 213 new other then paved surface airstrips. Season 2018 looks very promising.


The Grass Season 2016 is over. It was a record year for my RV9A and I. Not sure if we could ever reap such a harvest again. We visited 72 new non paved runways and accumulated 199 different strips total since 2011.

Highlights of the year. The most picturesque goes to WV08 Scott's Island.

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The shortest was Randolf island (private and uncharted) in Maine. 500 feet of a mowed patch. Piper Cubs Heaven.


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The farthest from home base was Tanana, AK nearly 3,000 NM out.


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The longest, most populated and meticulously groomed grass was NC26 an airpark in North Carolina. Flash Mob Squadron is building a base there...


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Two prominent airstrips in British Columbia. Telegraph Creek

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and Marilla, a German farm.


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Looking forward to Season 2018 which starts late January.
 
10 grass strips in one hour challenge Vlad..

Vlad,
Next trip to 8A7, there are 10 grass strips within 5 minutes of Twin Lakes including our parallel one. I think you can hit all 10 in an hour! Extend the range a little, and you could add 5 more.
 
Challenge accepted

Vlad,
Next trip to 8A7, there are 10 grass strips within 5 minutes of Twin Lakes including our parallel one. I think you can hit all 10 in an hour! Extend the range a little, and you could add 5 more.


Challenge accepted Bill! How friendly are the owners of the neighboring fields? Are they granting landing permits by the phone? :)
 
Vlad,
I know most all the owners, many I can call and pre-arrange, but none of them object to "drop-ins". I will get condition updates from local Big Tire crowd although recent low altitude surveillance and mosquito/deer eradication via smoke indicates all in good shape.
 
Randolph Island?

Hey Vlad,
Did you mean Richmond Island? The pic you posted looks like Richmond. For what it's worth the cove on the lee of the island is a great place to swim and go to the beach in the summer. It's very private and the water is clear and usually gets a bit warmer (warm is relative in Maine).
Antony
 
Hey Vlad,
Did you mean Richmond Island? The pic you posted looks like Richmond. For what it's worth the cove on the lee of the island is a great place to swim and go to the beach in the summer. It's very private and the water is clear and usually gets a bit warmer (warm is relative in Maine).
Antony


It is Antony but don’t tell anybody. We call it any name except real. Sheep Island is the most recent... :)
 
You guys are having way too much fun!

I?ve got a video of your departure from KFNL, but it?s not as interesting as your Montana video by a long shot.

Travel safe!
 
Take the Highway...

Visited a ranch in Montana. Some coordination was required. A side road was blocked and designated as a landing site. Sheriff’s office was notified. :D

Vlad you madman, nicely done!
Your post brought back memories of a 90's jaunt in my 65HP Taylorcraft to a MT highway landing at Chico Hot Springs. At that time the Resort https://www.chicohotsprings.com/ monitored 122.7 and if you pre-coordinated they would block off the road and allow you to land alongside their parking lot.
They even had runway numbers painted on the highway. Subsequent fatal crash by a Twin on takeoff several years later closed that access forever.

Access by air now is the "Flying Y" PVT which is PPR, no worries if you're Vladimir, eh?
Maybe you should visit....
https://www.airnav.com/airport/MT48

Мне уже пора, пока!
Smokey
 
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You guys are having way too much fun!

I?ve got a video of your departure from KFNL, but it?s not as interesting as your Montana video by a long shot.

Travel safe!

Rodney thanks for the hospitality brother! Enjoyed tremendously! We flew your suggested route it was easy for us flat landers. Couldn?t make Telluride somebody planted his craft hard before our arrival and closed runway for couple hours.




Vlad you madman, nicely done!
Your post brought back memories of a 90's jaunt in my 65HP Taylorcraft to a MT highway landing at Chico Hot Springs. At that time the Resort https://www.chicohotsprings.com/ monitored 122.7 and if you pre-coordinated they would block off the road and allow you to land alongside their parking lot.
They even had runway numbers painted on the highway. Subsequent fatal crash by a Twin on takeoff several years later closed that access forever.

Access by air now is the "Flying Y" PVT which is PPR, no worries if you're Vladimir, eh?
Maybe you should visit....
https://www.airnav.com/airport/MT48

Мне уже пора, пока!
Smokey


Smokey I scooted into that canyon off Pray toward the resort. I already had an intel on it. Fantastic surroundings.
 
Vlad, you?re so fortunate to be on the other side of the country enjoying the great weather. Spent the morning at KLHV- low ceiling, very humid, simply yucky! Good luck with your travels.
Jim 7A
 
^^^^ Where is this beautiful grass strip?

The RV shadow looks fake like those 1970 NASA moon landings... :D
 
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^^^^ Where is this beautiful grass strip?

The RV shadow looks fake like those 1970 NASA moon landings... :D

That looks like Johnson Creek - we were there a couple of weeks ago, but not with the RV?s - playing with some back country airplanes!
 
0NY0 North Creek

After visiting with Bob and Terry at Lake Placid I went to North Creek, NY. An idyllic place in the Adirondacks very interesting upslope curvy runway. There are sandy spots and some roughness. Watch where you glue your training wheel in. :D











It was nice talking to you in the air Phil. I'll be baaack :D
 
Vlad,
Just missed you at The Crick! Had the RV out last night and the Cub out today! When I got back this afternoon I heard stories of an RV with Russian star stopping by. Every Sunday morning during warmer months, Marcy Field Farmers Market right next to the runway. Highly recommended and very scenic flight from The Crick.

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That's cool Jake! Those wingtips look nice. Marcy... haven't been there for years thanks for farmers market tip. Would be a perfect grocery stop in warmer months.

I was zeroed in on the CTQ2 breakfast run today but my CANPASS just expired and Canadiens said niet to expedited entry. So I just buzzed them and went on a free hunt. Have you checked out that elevated tillings pile by Tahawus quarry? Just between LKP and Bennetts. Looks like a runway.
 
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Trade Wind MA44

Trade Wind airport MA44 is located on the island of Martha's Vineyard. It belongs to the Land Bank Commission and pilots are encouraged to visit it. A simple questionnaire should be answered via email to receive the landing permit.

The airstrip is within KMVY Class D and runways are similarly aligned. A very nice 15 min hike through Oak Bluffs brings you to a marina. It's a tourist trap on the weekends. The town has a sidewalk all the way from the airport to downtown. Cool place.
















 
Looks like a cool spot Vlad. It?s a 4 hour flight for me, which is doable. Hopefully, I can talk my wife into a trip there this summer/early fall. I like the pub/bar, ?Nancy?s?. Especially the name, it?s so ?east coast?.
 
Rugmuff?

Nobody knows what it is but some know the location. Thanks to Alex Skrabut and T.Sayer Fahy of Carabasset Valley airport I was sent in right direction.











A beautiful place. There was no phone signal for hundred miles. How can I report?





All amenities.





Organic food.




If you drive a bit there is a camping spot.







If anybody knows what kind of airfield is that please do tell.


 
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1NY3 Richland Airpark

My good buddy Wade was vacationing on Lake Ontario shoreline and I came to visit him. The closest airstrip to his retreat was Richland Airpark 1NY3. Decent runway but trees on approach to the north were overgrown. I landed 18 and took off 36 worked good with winds 320/6kts. We went for a ride over the shoreline :)








 
Richland.

Approximately 7:30 am while on Vacation, I get a text that asks simply, "do you have your headset with you?" I roll over and show it to my little lady who just woke up. She asks, "do you?" I respond, "yes".

"Well go have fun!" She says.

I'm a lucky man for having an understanding little lady, and a friend whose always up for an adventure!

Thanks Vlad! High point of the week!
 
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