Reader Getaways's blog

About 2 years ago, with our third child on the way, I knew I had to upgrade from the 4-place C182 I had been flying for a few years to something with at least one more seat.  I love loading up the family and flying off to some new adventure, and if I wanted to keep doing that I was going to need a bigger plane. Not soon after I ended selling out of my 182 partnership and buying into a Cherokee Six partnership and now I had a bigger mode of transportation for these family adventures.

I started flying when I was 17 in Coeur d'Alene Idaho, also known as COE, in pilot speak. Other than my cross country flights during training in a C172, I had never been able to make what I considered to be a true cross country: more than 500 miles. The biggest reason for this was the fact that renting an airplane for that amount of time simply to fly somewhere far away, is an expensive proposition for a college kid.

After reading and saving Pilot Getaways magazines for several years, I hit the jackpot with the January/February 2013 issue. Typically, I read through each issue marking the potential trips I’d like to take so that a given trip will be easily found when the time is right. 

After seeing on the pilotgetaways.com web site that the Silver West airport (C08) was open to on-airport camping, I couldn’t wait to try it. I had done a touch and go there a couple of weeks prior when flying from my home airport near Colorado Springs (Meadowlake, KFLY) to the San Luis Valley. I was struck by the setting of the airport and the magnificent views.

Sometimes You Gotta Overcome Those Bêtes Noires and Go for It!