Cool Flight - Lajitas International 89TE

[kenjr]

...just got home from a long weekend in Lajitas, TX. It's down on the US/Mexico border just west of the Big Bend National Park area.

http://www.lajitasgolfresort.com/

I took my wife, brother and sister-in-law for some R&R and KILLER golf. The Blackjack @ Lajitas Golf Course is pretty darn amazing. The views are breathtaking and the course itself is just perfect. Some of the best greens I've played on a public course.

Anyway, Lajitas has a nice private strip you can fly into with a shuttle service over the resort area about 10 minutes west. Terlingua, TX is close by - cool old mining ghost town city turned into restaurants, shops and hotels.

The resort itself is nice - but overly priced. But, it's a great getaway and worth it just for a round of golf at that amazing course.

I brought my cameras and recorded the approach in. It's out in the middle of nowhere with amazing topography. The main camera is the iVUE 1080 sunglasses and the video turned out great. Unfortunately, I forgot to set my other 2 cameras to 1080 so few times I'm on the GoPro's they aren't scaled right...but that's where I was pulling audio so kept a few bits of the video.

If you are in flying distance of Lajitas - strongly recommend. If you have any questions about it - lemme know...

http://youtu.be/govSGk2BCKk

 

[champ driver]

I was there two years ago when we brought some people in to play golf, don't ask me about golf as I never play it.
The runway is rough and undulating, but no pot holes or anything like that. The FBO building is very nice but it's an empty shell, absolutely nothing in it, no furniture and no one on duty, you have to call them out from the resort.
Beautiful country with Big Bend National Park nearby and people on the highway stop there for overnights and exploring.
We stayed at the resort, we didn't have any car so we never went anywhere else. We did drive around the course once, which was nice, very hilly with bluffs to tee off from, and it's right on the Rio Grande.

This is the FBO building.


Part of the resort with outdoor restaurant seating.


One of the buildings next to the resort and golf course.

 

[kenjr]

I think things have changed a bit (sounds like for the better) since you were there. They just completely repaved the runway a few months ago...it's flat and awesome (but I think a bit shorter than it used to be). Check out the last few minutes of the video.

There were several guys out the ramp - including a really great guy that also doubled as our cab driver for the trip, JD. (who also happens to be the town medic)

They helped get us parked and shuttled us over to the resort. He picked us back this AM and dropped us back off - right to the plane service.

I did call in advance (as they recommend) and let them know when I was going to be arriving. There's no AWOS there so you call 122.9 whenever you can get them and they'll tell you what the wind is doing.

Albq Center couldn't' see me anymore at 10,500 once I passed 6R6 and headed SW so it was eerily quiet on the radio for about 35 minutes until we were able to hear some folks talking at some other fields in the area that shared the 122.9 frequency.

 

[champ driver]

Yeah, that runway has definitely been repaved from when I was there. It used to be almost completely unmarked with striping, and I'm sure it used to be longer on the SW end. Just guessing it was maybe around 7000' and I think we needed the majority of it for our 2:30 flight back home.

 

[kenjr]

Yeah, that runway has definitely been repaved from when I was there. It used to be almost completely unmarked with striping, and I'm sure it used to be longer on the SW end. Just guessing it was maybe around 7000' and I think we needed the majority of it for our 2:30 flight back home.

I hear you. We left at 10:30am today...was still pretty cool outside but we were about 125lbs from gross so we used a bit more than I like using today as well. I could see really having to do some serious W&B there when it heats up. It's not that high there - 2700' but when it's in the high 90's/low 100's it definitely gets your attention.

FF still shows it at 7500', but judging by eye it looks more like 4-5000' or so...

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Don't forget to check out nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park (sounds similar to Big Bend National Park but it has an airstrip, invites pilots to visit, has genius interpretive staff who will give you unforgettable tours)....we hiked there a few weeks back, "Cinco Tinajas"; walking distance from the headquarters; a series of water pools where we soaked our hot feet, neat climbing rocks, tiny waterfall. They hosted our EAA fly-in and are looking for pilot groups. Made us welcoming banners, postcards, great breakfast.

 

[eman1200]

"I don't see 7 runways" hahah, that's awesome!!!!

 

[Van Johnston]

So if it is an international airport, does that mean you can clear customs there?

 

[kenjr]

So if it is an international airport, does that mean you can clear customs there?

I guess? I dunno. Supposedly the Sheriff lives in the FBO/on the field so maybe they have some hookup to CBP or something...no idea.

 

[N801BH]

I hear you. We left at 10:30am today...was still pretty cool outside but we were about 125lbs from gross so we used a bit more than I like using today as well. I could see really having to do some serious W&B there when it heats up. It's not that high there - 2700' but when it's in the high 90's/low 100's it definitely gets your attention.

FF still shows it at 7500', but judging by eye it looks more like 4-5000' or so...

That private jet sitting on the ramp would need at least 4500 feet of runway.....

 

[kenjr]

That private jet sitting on the ramp would need at least 4500 feet of runway.....

It's an Embraer and belongs to the owner of the resort...

Of all people to meet...we're sitting at the fire pit on our first night chatting, smoking cigars with a drink and a guy and 2 women sit down on the other side. Within a few minutes we are all talking and he mentions something about flying in. So we start chatting it up and he's the pilot, one of the women is the first officer and the third is the flight attendant. So, he and I start talking Pilot for the next 20 minutes...come to find out he's from the Austin area and knows my CFI, the lady that runs my school, etc... and we bore everyone else out of their minds. Fun times.

 

[champ driver]

I hear you. We left at 10:30am today...was still pretty cool outside but we were about 125lbs from gross so we used a bit more than I like using today as well. I could see really having to do some serious W&B there when it heats up. It's not that high there - 2700' but when it's in the high 90's/low 100's it definitely gets your attention.

FF still shows it at 7500', but judging by eye it looks more like 4-5000' or so...

W&B is not the issue, Density altitude and TO performance is.

 

[SCCutler]

It's an Embraer and belongs to the owner of the resort...

Of all people to meet...we're sitting at the fire pit on our first night chatting, smoking cigars with a drink and a guy and 2 women sit down on the other side. Within a few minutes we are all talking and he mentions something about flying in. So we start chatting it up and he's the pilot, one of the women is the first officer and the third is the flight attendant. So, he and I start talking Pilot for the next 20 minutes...come to find out he's from the Austin area and knows my CFI, the lady that runs my school, etc... and we bore everyone else out of their minds. Fun times.

Heh.

We like to visit Cibolo Creek Ranch (not terribly far from Lajitas), a resort which is more focused on remoteness and quiet, historic and no golf. Also has a nice runway.

Meals are served at a long table (or a rather small one, hosted by the Owner, when fewer guests are in residence) so you end up getting to know other guests. One time we were there, good chat with a great family, husband, wife, two charming kids, and he asked if that was my Bonanza at the strip, allowed as how he was a pilot, did "a little flying," was an engineer by trade.

Later found out that he was, in fact, an astronaut, had just returned from several months at the ISS. "A little flying," indeed! What a hoss.

 

[SCCutler]

It's an Embraer and belongs to the owner of the resort...

Of all people to meet...we're sitting at the fire pit on our first night chatting, smoking cigars with a drink and a guy and 2 women sit down on the other side. Within a few minutes we are all talking and he mentions something about flying in. So we start chatting it up and he's the pilot, one of the women is the first officer and the third is the flight attendant. So, he and I start talking Pilot for the next 20 minutes...come to find out he's from the Austin area and knows my CFI, the lady that runs my school, etc... and we bore everyone else out of their minds. Fun times.

Heh.

We like to visit Cibolo Creek Ranch (not terribly far from Lajitas), a resort which is more focused on remoteness and quiet, historic and no golf. Also has a nice runway.

Meals are served at a long table (or a rather small one, hosted by the Owner, when fewer guests are in residence) so you end up getting to know other guests. One time we were there, good chat with a great family, husband, wife, two charming kids, and he asked if that was my Bonanza at the strip, allowed as how he was a pilot, did "a little flying," was an engineer by trade.

Later found out that he was, in fact, an astronaut, had just returned from several months at the ISS. "A little flying," indeed! What a hoss.

---

I love the west Texas countryside, and the people you can meet there. Itching to get back there, sooner than later.

 

[MD11Pilot]

Been a while since I have been there on the motorcycle but did you get to meet the "Mayor" of Lajitas or has he "died" again?

 

[kenjr]

Been a while since I have been there on the motorcycle but did you get to meet the "Mayor" of Lajitas or has he "died" again?

I believe he's still 'stuffed'...and I think he's over at the Starlight Lounge in Terlingua.

 

[danhagan]

I think things have changed a bit (sounds like for the better) since you were there. They just completely repaved the runway a few months ago...it's flat and awesome (but I think a bit shorter than it used to be). Check out the last few minutes of the video.

Albq Center couldn't' see me anymore at 10,500 once I passed 6R6 and headed SW so it was eerily quiet on the radio for about 35 minutes until we were able to hear some folks talking at some other fields in the area that shared the 122.9 frequency.

Glad they fixed the runway. I was there about 6 years ago ... the runway look like 3 foot waves in the cement and you'd get launched early on takeoff. I don't remember having any problems with FF back then.

Horseback riding was a BLAST there if you like riding ... those horses climb some really rough terrain. Also did some river rafting, but it's gentle there, not like near Sante Fe or Durango.

It might be port of entry as the Lajitas workers walk over from across the river near the golf course. Hole 11a used to be on the Mexico side of the river.

 

[JasonM]

"I don't see 7 runways" hahah, that's awesome!!!!

That was priceless!

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Lajitas is not an AOE, not a Customs Landing Rights Airport.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Great video. Also laughed at the "7 runways" comment... so funny.

What are you using/wearing for the forward POV shots? I see those black glasses--something clipped to them, or the glasses themselves?

 

[kenjr]

They are the iVUE 1080p glasses. They actually work pretty well - both as a camera and as sunglasses. A little bulky but after a bit you don't notice it.