May/June 2006

Enjoy the Summer!

This issue has some unique ways to usher in the summer, from a Western themed fly-in resort in New Jersey to quiet and solitude at a mountain resort in California. If enjoying the beach is more your style, you can enjoy white-sand beaches and emerald green waters off the Florida coast. Whatever destination you choose from this issue, have fun in the sun this summer!

Trinity Center, California

Have you ever wanted to really get away from it all? Author Michael Coyle found the perfect place to do that and more at Trinity Center, California. You’ll approach the airport right over the waters of Trinity Lake, where you can rent a houseboat, swim, or fish. If mountains are more to your liking, Coffee Creek Ranch offers hikes and guided pack trips into the surrounding Trinity Alps. Or, for the ultimate in seclusion, head to the one-square-mile Almay Ranch, which is only rented out to one party at a time, to commune with nature in solitude.

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Can’t wait to get a jump-start on summer? Head to Destin and Fort Walton Beach on Florida’s Emerald Coast, where beachgoers enjoy warm weather, crystal-clear, blue-green water, and powdery white sand beaches year-round. Florida native Kathy Wolf, author of several travel books on the state, gives us the best insider tips on the best accommodations, the tastiest cuisine, and the most enjoyable activities .

Flying W Airport Resort, New Jersey

Soon after Eastern Airlines pilot Bill Whitesell purchased a private airport in Lumberton, New Jersey, in 1959, he came up with the idea of a themed airport that he called “The West Back East.” Though under different ownership today, the Flying W Airport Resort is a truly unique fly-in destination. This Western-themed fly-in resort with comfortable accommodations, a saloon, a golf course, and even an airport-shaped swimming pool is in southwestern New Jersey, within a short distance of Philadelphia. Find out why author Cal Thomas says that having everything you need within walking distance of your tiedown makes the Flying W a “low-logistics destination.”

Flagstaff, Arizona

When astronomer Percival Lowell sought a remote place with dark skies for an observatory, he selected an area on the southern slopes of Arizona’s 12,633-ft. Humphreys Peak. Today, Flagstaff still enjoys a breathtaking night sky due to the absence of big city lights and high altitude. In the daytime, you can visit 800-year-old Native American pueblos, or an even older volcano at Sunset Crater National Monument. Ever since 1956, when Interstate 40 replaced the popular Route 66 that ran straight through town, some travelers have bypassed this haven for exploration and discovery. Author Laurel Lippert shows you why this high-altitude Arizona town shouldn’t be bypassed, whether you’re flying or driving.

Vince’s at the Airport, Muncie, Indiana

Vince’s at the Airport in Muncie, Indiana, is unlike many fly-in restaurants in that it truly has excellent food. It is known as one of the best restaurants in the area—on airport or off—and attracts pilots and locals alike. For lunch, you can have a $100 hamburger made with 100% Kobe beef for around $10 and you’ll still have $90 left over for gas. High quality dinner entrées including steak, seafood and pasta, as well as a popular Sunday brunch make Muncie an airport worth flying to any day of the week.

Pine, Idaho

Idaho is blessed with the most backcountry airstrips of the lower 48 states. Many of these strips are great places for camping and other outdoor activities. But what if you want some backcountry flying combined with a stay at a B&B, a ride in an ATV, or a meal that you don’t have to cook yourself? We found just such a place in south-central Idaho on the north shore of Anderson Ranch Reservoir. Within a mile or two of the 2,300-ft. dirt strip at Pine Airport, you’ll find several hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that provide free airport pickup, as well as a warm lake that is perfect for swimming and jet skiing. Author Beth Ann Schneider had such a good time here, she enthusiastically calls Pine “one for the memory books.”

CubCrafters SPORT CUB – Big Fun in a Light Airplane

When editor John T. Kounis first heard he would be flying a Light Sport Airplane, he expected a small-airplane experience. But he discovered big-airplane fun, with a small airplane price, when he flew CubCrafters SPORT CUB. John says this new LSA airplane is “good at dishing out fun in large doses” while burning less than five gallons per hour. The wide cockpit, short takeoff and landing distances, and respectable range and cruise speed make this new airplane an all-around winner.

Crossing the Continental Divide, Part 2 – The Challenge and Beauty of Colorado

One of the most common questions subscribers ask is, “how do I fly across the country?” In particular, routes across the Continental Divide are a challenge. In the last issue, we covered the easiest routes along interstate highways, but we skipped the hardest, and perhaps most beautiful: the routes across the state of Colorado. With passes between 10,000 and 14,000 ft., crossing the state can certainly be intimidating. Editor John T. Kounis who flies through Colorado frequently while researching articles for the magazine tells us his favorite routes, and the ones to avoid. This overview of Colorado mountain passes is a must-read for anyone who is unfamiliar with the state and would like to experience some of the awe-inspiring alpine beauty the state has to offer.