Fist time taking my son up...interesting experience

[francisco collazos]

Well as some of you know if am a fairly new pilot with about 180 hr and currently working on my IFR. Well I decided that I would take my 10 yr old to breakfast at X60 (williston, FL) for the first time this past saturday. They have a small little mon and pop restaurant there that I have been there a couple of times. So off we go which is about a 30min flight from KBKV and head north from the airport. I pick up the weather and switch to the unicom freq and start getting information about 20 mi out. At that time I hear some radio calls and since the winds are light and variable most of those calls are using the main runway 23. I'm keeping an eye out for traffic because X60 is a non controlled airport with 2 large rwy and 1 grass strip.

About 5 mi from the airport, I decide i'm going to use Rwy 23 and about that time I hear a helicopter flying over the field and he notes that he hears us and we are no factor..ok. Just as that happens I note that there is an airplane below us about 200 ft about that time I see him and the guy had taken off from the other rwy but luckily I saw him in time not to be a factor. I enter the left downwind and land and at that time see a huey flying across the field and I thought to myself.. sweet there's a huey here. As we roll past I note that there is some sort of FESTIVAL WITH AIRPLANES AND HELICOPTERs and the ramp is completely closed. I thought this is odd, I didn't see any information about this anywhere. I even checked the NOTAMS and nothing.

We weren't allowed to taxi into the ramp so we decide to head over to Ocala but now I am a little concerned because there is one guy going missed on RWY 23 and other airplane taking off from the other runway. I was also nice to see the formation of two p-51 doing midfield overhead passes to the left. Yikes!! I get my chance and off I go. I know those p-51's are fast so out we go.. I am looking at my backside and the gps as I hit 1k ft and see the two break up and to the left. Well that was interesting.

Head over to Ocala and misreport my position. I swear I didn't want to be that guy. I reported east instead of west and got the tower people irritated at me. I apologized and they had me fly over the field for a right pattern to 36. My son and I ate lunch and off we went back to brooksville. The day was really hazy and smoky with about 10mi visibility max. Called tower and made my request for landing but I must have stepped over the tower while they were talking to me and did not hear to report my turn into downwind and got yelled at by the tower. I apologized again and landed. Like an idiot, I asked the tower if I could get off at the next exit and he said I was cleared to the ramp but for some reason I didn't equate the ramp with just going back to the hanger so I asked if I could taxi back to the hanger and the tower guy said in an irritated voice... "this is the third time I cleared you to the ramp".. ok. Apologized again and my son said to me.."dad you sure get yelled at a lot but your landing are on point" I said .."you owe me $400 for this trip" and he shut up.

In retrospect I would have never gone to X60 if I knew there was a festival going on and I did not hear anything on the radio. Also got to keep working on my situational awareness to be a safer pilot. Ironically, flying doesn't scare me as much as other planes and traffic do.

 

[WDD]

Sounds like your son had your back! And yeah, pilots get flustered - it happens. Important thing is to make it fun for you and your son while not causing too much of a kerfuffle.

Surprised that the festival with its closed ramps were not in NOTAMs - maybe dig deeper?

 

[Gary Ward]

Yes don't get discouraged, the more you fly the better you get all the way around. At 180 hrs I was very rough on the radio also.
I also have trouble with directions east south west etc. lol You will get better and more confident.

 

[eman1200]

I wouldn’t worry too much, I don’t think they start teaching things like ‘north/east/south/west’ until at least commercial….


jk

 

[ahmad]

OH man. I am sorry this happened to you but its all part of learning. I have made dumb mistakes and I am usually hard on myself but I am working on having thicker skin these days. I think most people get scared of the ATC (some rightfully so because our society has attitude issues...all of us). Luckily, I have not had anything super crazy with ATC yet. I remember one time (I only had about 50 hrs in) when I went to KEVV with my CFI for my x country. All was well getting in. On departure the tower freq was all garbled but the ground freq worked fine. So I am holding short of the rwy trying to get take off clearance on tower freq but it wasnt working. So, I switch to ground freq and asked for takeoff clearance (same guy working ground and tower). His response "698J you are the only one having issues with the freq....cleared for takeoff....I dont need your readback...contact departure airborne). Lots of attitude in his tone. I read back the take off clearance, took off, then switched to departure. My cfi and I were like WTH?

 

[WDD]

Some towers just have a snarky culture.

 

[Half Fast]

I flew to the pig roast at Williston a couple of months ago. The place was jammed, the ramp filled and closed, and they were parking planes in the grass on both sides of the taxiway. I don’t recall there being a NOTAM for that, either. I don’t think NOTAMs are a given for these (relatively) small events at little non-towered airports.

 

[Half Fast]

I also have trouble with directions east south west etc.

Try glancing at your DG prior to the radio call. Where you are is at the bottom, where you’re going is at the top.

 

[WDD]

In this new era, we must respect each others individual truth. My “east” may not be your “east”. You must recognize your unconscious Cardinal Ordinal bias.

 

[TCABM]

… I thought this is odd, I didn't see any information about this anywhere. I even checked the NOTAMS and nothing…

Facebook is your friend. Here’s a tip: make a call to the FBO the day before and ask if there’s any events, closures, or such going on you need to be aware of.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...LLJUFk3qw&m_entstream_source=timeline&paipv=0

 

[francisco collazos]

So I tend to be pretty anal about my location relative to an airport. I always look and double check my location relative to the airport. I think this time I just mumbled off the opposite that I was thinking. Especially here in Florida I always note that my west is facing the water (at least on the west coast). I make it a point to not be "that guy" so I ended up eating humble pie. I didn't want to be the guy who ended up flying across the departure end of the runway or worse yet, the guy who landed via the wrong pattern and then proceeded to taxi all around the class D airport without contacting the tower. Man they were not happy but were nice enough to explain it to him.

 

[jimhorner]

Facebook is your friend. Here’s a tip: make a call to the FBO the day before and ask if there’s any events, closures, or such going on you need to be aware of.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...LLJUFk3qw&m_entstream_source=timeline&paipv=0

Very good tip about calling the airport management or perhaps an FBO (if there is one) ahead of time. One needs to be lucky sometimes, however, to actually have someone pick up the phone at small airports.

Sorry, but facebook is rarely your friend. I, like many others, refuse to participate in facebook's business model of treating me as the product. So, when I clicked on the link, the below is what I see. If there's a planned event at a public airport which will cause ramp closures, I really don't believe there's an excuse for not NOTAMing that. Just saying that it's on facebook is not okay. NOTAMs are publicly accessible. Facebook is not.

 

[Half Fast]

Facebook is your friend. Here’s a tip: make a call to the FBO the day before and ask if there’s any events, closures, or such going on you need to be aware of.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...LLJUFk3qw&m_entstream_source=timeline&paipv=0

Not a particularly helpful friend. For Saturday 2/25 it lists “Touch a Truck” day. That wouldn’t necessarily lead me to expect a closed ramp or higher than usual airplane traffic.

 

[iamtheari]

Facebook is your friend. Here’s a tip: make a call to the FBO the day before and ask if there’s any events, closures, or such going on you need to be aware of.

While your advice is valid, it would be even better if the airport manager utilized the existing, centralized system to notify air missions about conditions that affect their flight, so that air crew who are performing such air missions can go to the centralized system they are required to utilize to obtain information about conditions that affect their flight.

The OP should file a NASA report. The airport management created a hazard to the flying public by hosting an event that, among other things, closed the ramp without filing a NOTAM.

Back to the flight itself, though: Good work flying with your son and showing him your willingness and ability to be flexible to deal with changes in plans with a safe and fun outcome. I was a little younger the first time Dad took me flying and those times in the airplane with Dad are exactly why I fly now.

 

[farangutan]

I like the little restaurant at X60, I'm glad it is still open. It's been a while since I've gone. Radio calls on some days it seems as if that part of my brain is on vacation. I fly a lot out of Zephyrhills and some weekends are a tricky bee hive with the flight schools, glider tows, and skydivers so I understand the part about being more afraid of others than my own flying. A little like riding motorcycles.

 

[Half Fast]

The airport management created a hazard to the flying public by hosting an event that, among other things, closed the ramp without filing a NOTAM.

It appears to have been a non-aviation event. Does the airport need any special permission to do that?

I will note that they also made their fuel unavailable to aircraft.

 

[francisco collazos]

So ironically I did not even here significant traffic at the airport until I had already landed so I think my timing was a little bad. Only after landing did I hear the two pair of mustangs entering the pattern for low flybys with left hand breaks. I think if I would have heard that I would have changed my plans. I remember checking the NOTAM thinking I missed something but nothing was there. I think filing a NASA report is a good idea and I will do that.

 

[WDD]

Another pov - you took your son to breakfast and an air show. He saw p51s!

 

[RyanB]

It appears to have been a non-aviation event. Does the airport need any special permission to do that?

Williston is a federally obligated airport, so it would have to be approved by permit from the controlling ADO office.

 

[Nick Geber]

Well as some of you know if am a fairly new pilot with about 180 hr and currently working on my IFR. Well I decided that I would take my 10 yr old to breakfast at X60 (williston, FL) for the first time this past saturday. They have a small little mon and pop restaurant there that I have been there a couple of times. So off we go which is about a 30min flight from KBKV and head north from the airport. I pick up the weather and switch to the unicom freq and start getting information about 20 mi out. At that time I hear some radio calls and since the winds are light and variable most of those calls are using the main runway 23. I'm keeping an eye out for traffic because X60 is a non controlled airport with 2 large rwy and 1 grass strip.

About 5 mi from the airport, I decide i'm going to use Rwy 23 and about that time I hear a helicopter flying over the field and he notes that he hears us and we are no factor..ok. Just as that happens I note that there is an airplane below us about 200 ft about that time I see him and the guy had taken off from the other rwy but luckily I saw him in time not to be a factor. I enter the left downwind and land and at that time see a huey flying across the field and I thought to myself.. sweet there's a huey here. As we roll past I note that there is some sort of FESTIVAL WITH AIRPLANES AND HELICOPTERs and the ramp is completely closed. I thought this is odd, I didn't see any information about this anywhere. I even checked the NOTAMS and nothing.

We weren't allowed to taxi into the ramp so we decide to head over to Ocala but now I am a little concerned because there is one guy going missed on RWY 23 and other airplane taking off from the other runway. I was also nice to see the formation of two p-51 doing midfield overhead passes to the left. Yikes!! I get my chance and off I go. I know those p-51's are fast so out we go.. I am looking at my backside and the gps as I hit 1k ft and see the two break up and to the left. Well that was interesting.

Head over to Ocala and misreport my position. I swear I didn't want to be that guy. I reported east instead of west and got the tower people irritated at me. I apologized and they had me fly over the field for a right pattern to 36. My son and I ate lunch and off we went back to brooksville. The day was really hazy and smoky with about 10mi visibility max. Called tower and made my request for landing but I must have stepped over the tower while they were talking to me and did not hear to report my turn into downwind and got yelled at by the tower. I apologized again and landed. Like an idiot, I asked the tower if I could get off at the next exit and he said I was cleared to the ramp but for some reason I didn't equate the ramp with just going back to the hanger so I asked if I could taxi back to the hanger and the tower guy said in an irritated voice... "this is the third time I cleared you to the ramp".. ok. Apologized again and my son said to me.."dad you sure get yelled at a lot but your landing are on point" I said .."you owe me $400 for this trip" and he shut up.

In retrospect I would have never gone to X60 if I knew there was a festival going on and I did not hear anything on the radio. Also got to keep working on my situational awareness to be a safer pilot. Ironically, flying doesn't scare me as much as other planes and traffic do.

Francisco, what a great post. I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that as a 180 hr pilot, you know all of the procedures and calls that were being made but you were distracted by having your son in the plane. I’m 100% sure that next time you fly with him you will be more focused and most likely have a flawless flight! A great example of how things can siphon our attention and have a negative impact on safety. I get VERY nervous when I have my 14 year old in the cockpit with me and have to make a real effort to stay focused. You are not alone!

 

[Half Fast]

Williston is a federally obligated airport, so it would have to be approved by permit from the controlling ADO office.

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Wanna bet they didn’t say mother-may-I?

 

[Skyrys62]

You maybe are already doing it, but also, if your son has interest in learning to fly, this is a great chance to debrief with him...what could have been done better, how to be more prepared, etc..

 

[WDD]

Take him up again - you don't want to leave him with the idea that flying is basically angry people on the radio.

 

[iamtheari]

Take him up again - you don't want to leave him with the idea that flying is basically angry people on the radio.

So, you're saying to go NORDO on the next flight.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

Well as some of you know if am a fairly new pilot with about 180 hr and currently working on my IFR. Well I decided that I would take my 10 yr old to breakfast at X60 (williston, FL) for the first time this past saturday. They have a small little mon and pop restaurant there that I have been there a couple of times. So off we go which is about a 30min flight from KBKV and head north from the airport. I pick up the weather and switch to the unicom freq and start getting information about 20 mi out. At that time I hear some radio calls and since the winds are light and variable most of those calls are using the main runway 23. I'm keeping an eye out for traffic because X60 is a non controlled airport with 2 large rwy and 1 grass strip.

About 5 mi from the airport, I decide i'm going to use Rwy 23 and about that time I hear a helicopter flying over the field and he notes that he hears us and we are no factor..ok. Just as that happens I note that there is an airplane below us about 200 ft about that time I see him and the guy had taken off from the other rwy but luckily I saw him in time not to be a factor. I enter the left downwind and land and at that time see a huey flying across the field and I thought to myself.. sweet there's a huey here. As we roll past I note that there is some sort of FESTIVAL WITH AIRPLANES AND HELICOPTERs and the ramp is completely closed. I thought this is odd, I didn't see any information about this anywhere. I even checked the NOTAMS and nothing.

We weren't allowed to taxi into the ramp so we decide to head over to Ocala but now I am a little concerned because there is one guy going missed on RWY 23 and other airplane taking off from the other runway. I was also nice to see the formation of two p-51 doing midfield overhead passes to the left. Yikes!! I get my chance and off I go. I know those p-51's are fast so out we go.. I am looking at my backside and the gps as I hit 1k ft and see the two break up and to the left. Well that was interesting.

Head over to Ocala and misreport my position. I swear I didn't want to be that guy. I reported east instead of west and got the tower people irritated at me. I apologized and they had me fly over the field for a right pattern to 36. My son and I ate lunch and off we went back to brooksville. The day was really hazy and smoky with about 10mi visibility max. Called tower and made my request for landing but I must have stepped over the tower while they were talking to me and did not hear to report my turn into downwind and got yelled at by the tower. I apologized again and landed. Like an idiot, I asked the tower if I could get off at the next exit and he said I was cleared to the ramp but for some reason I didn't equate the ramp with just going back to the hanger so I asked if I could taxi back to the hanger and the tower guy said in an irritated voice... "this is the third time I cleared you to the ramp".. ok. Apologized again and my son said to me.."dad you sure get yelled at a lot but your landing are on point" I said .."you owe me $400 for this trip" and he shut up.

In retrospect I would have never gone to X60 if I knew there was a festival going on and I did not hear anything on the radio. Also got to keep working on my situational awareness to be a safer pilot. Ironically, flying doesn't scare me as much as other planes and traffic do.

No one was injured so I'd say it's a successful flying day, though perhaps with some learning opportunities . Getting yelled at on the radio has a way of helping prevent you from making those same mistakes in the future!

I got lit up by chicago approach shortly after getting my PPL. It was the first time I picked up flight following with a non-pilot pax onboard and I got caught up in conversation like a total idiot. I turned the non-stop radio chatter volume down a bit so I could carry on a brief conversation with my family member. That was until I heard "42T how do you hear?". Once I responded with "42T, loud and clear" I promptly became the embarrassed recipient of a Chicago approach scolding. They'd been trying to pass me off to the next controller for like 2 minutes. It was well deserved. And to this day I have never made the mistake again of being a "chatty Kathy" when I'm on with a busy frequency

 

[guest user]

Take him up again - you don't want to leave him with the idea that flying is basically angry people on the radio.

I agree 1000% with this.

 

[francisco collazos]

LOl about the wanting to fly.. After takeoff he asked me if he could use his phone. I said what for and he said to play some games. I told him to help me look out side and enjoy the view. Ahh kids these days... anyways, I got pretty thick skin and it wasn't too bad. Ocala tower told me that they were busy and now was not the time to be misreporting positions (which I totally agreed with) well all I could do is to apologize and do my best. I do think they thought I was a noob since after entering downwind they had me report I saw two planes and I was number 3 in line. After reporting the second plane they asked me if I was sure. I said "yes I saw the one in short final and the other one was passing my wingtip as we talked".

 

[TCABM]

…
Sorry, but facebook is rarely your friend. I, like many others, refuse to participate in facebook's business model of treating me as the product. So, when I clicked on the link, the below is what I see. If there's a planned event at a public airport which will cause ramp closures, I really don't believe there's an excuse for not NOTAMing that. Just saying that it's on facebook is not okay. NOTAMs are publicly accessible. Facebook is not.

What I saw without logging in

 

[TCABM]

Not a particularly helpful friend. For Saturday 2/25 it lists “Touch a Truck” day. That wouldn’t necessarily lead me to expect a closed ramp or higher than usual airplane traffic.

See my post directly above. @iamtheari - you, too. Sticking your head head in the sand hoping for a NOTAM is choosing to voluntarily degrade your pre-flight planning.

ETA: a quick search of willisron mile for smiles indicates an airshow is part of the event.

 

[Half Fast]

See my post directly above. @iamtheari - you, too. Sticking your head head in the sand hoping for a NOTAM is choosing to voluntarily degrade your pre-flight planning.

ETA: a quick search of willisron mile for smiles indicates an airshow is part of the event.

So when I get a flight briefing, am I now required to search all forms of social media, even those for which I do not have an account? Baloney.

Gee, it sure would be nice if the FAA would create some sort of central repository, accessible by all pilots, where notices about things effecting an air mission could be placed....

 

[Racerx]

No one was injured so I'd say it's a successful flying day, though perhaps with some learning opportunities . Getting yelled at on the radio has a way of helping prevent you from making those same mistakes in the future!

I got lit up by chicago approach shortly after getting my PPL. It was the first time I picked up flight following with a non-pilot pax onboard and I got caught up in conversation like a total idiot. I turned the non-stop radio chatter volume down a bit so I could carry on a brief conversation with my family member. That was until I heard "42T how do you hear?". Once I responded with "42T, loud and clear" I promptly became the embarrassed recipient of a Chicago approach scolding. They'd been trying to pass me off to the next controller for like 2 minutes. It was well deserved. And to this day I have never made the mistake again of being a "chatty Kathy" when I'm on with a busy frequency

2 minutes...psh. I didn't respond for maybe 7 seconds after I got a handoff...I was tuning the radio before acknowledging...before they called again this time a little more annoyed.

 

[Racerx]

What I saw without logging in

And no where does it say fuel will be unavailable? I would contact the airport manager about notams before I filed a NASA. Depending on how they respond would dictate if I file one.

 

[Half Fast]

ETA: a quick search of willisron mile for smiles indicates an airshow is part of the event.

You’re telling me an uncontrolled field held an airshow without a TFR or a temporary tower?

 

[iamtheari]

See my post directly above. @iamtheari - you, too. Sticking your head head in the sand hoping for a NOTAM is choosing to voluntarily degrade your pre-flight planning.

ETA: a quick search of willisron mile for smiles indicates an airshow is part of the event.

I don't think that getting a full preflight briefing including NOTAMs constitutes sticking one's head in the sand. This is a situation where the airport sponsor apparently broke the law, the pilot followed the law, and the proposed solution is for pilots to add searches of social media and Chamber of Commerce websites for information about any possible reasons a public-use airport would be closed or otherwise unsafe despite its having broken the law by closing or being unsafe without filing a NOTAM.

But sure, let's go down the rabbit hole. I Googled "Williston Florida airport events." ("Williston airport closed" gets me a few pages of KXWA-related information first, although that could be a geographic variation in search results.) Opening the first three web results, I see:

Facebook page for the airport. It has a February 14 post that includes: "25 Feb: The Chamber is having it's 3rd Annual Miles of Smiles at the airport. This is a touch a truck type event focused towards kids. There will be all kinds of things to do that day" Nothing at all about the airport being closed to air traffic or otherwise operating differently from any other Saturday.

Web page for the airport. No information at all referring to February 25.

Web page for Williston, FL, listing upcoming events. Presumably, on and before February 25 it would have included the Smiles for Miles event, which says this after you click the link for more information: "Miles of Smiles is similar to “touch-a-truck” where children (and adults too!) can see, explore and touch vehicles of every kind – from aircraft to boats and logging trucks and everything in between. In addition to the vehicle exhibits, there are demonstrations, information booths, food vendors and children’s activities. Miles of Smiles helps fund the Harriett Downs Vo-Ag Memorial Scholarships the Chamber gives to graduating Williston seniors in May."

So let's assume that, after getting a full briefing and finding there are no NOTAMs and then feeling paranoid enough to Google about airport events that should have a NOTAM but don't, we find this Smiles for Miles thing and decide to Google that a bit more, typing in "Williston Miles of Smiles."

Now we find the Williston, FL, Chamber of Commerce website that shows a different March 25 event but maybe would have said something about the February 25 event if their web programmer had any respect for hyperlinks referring to the same information every time they are followed.

The next link goes to a Facebook event page. Its description of the event is: "
Fun for all ages. Demonstrations, “Touch a Truck style” exhibits, music, food, public safety vehicles and equipment of all kinds, fun, FUN, FUN!
$5 Admission. Children 5 and under free with a non-perishable food item donation.
$2 Parking (per vehicle)- benefitting local JROCT
$5 Kid Zone presented by Anytime Fun! Bounce houses and slides, popcorn, and crafts!
Food Trucks on site!!!! DB's Rolling Dough, Fat G's, Seafood and More, ice cream, Kona ice!
BRING YOUR OWN POWERWHEELS RACE AT NOON"

I actually haven't seen anything that says there is an air show or that the airport ramp or fuel facilities would be closed or otherwise affected by the event. If you search for "Williston Miles of Smiles Air Show" the first page of results on Google has no links that lead to anything about an air show in Florida, only air shows held at the KXWA airport in the wrong Williston.

Head fully extricated from the sand, why should the airport sponsor get a pass for hosting this type of event and effectively closing to air traffic without filing a NOTAM?

 

[Half Fast]

And another thing....

Williston’s CTAF is also a Unicom. I know for a fact there is a radio behind the front desk. Would it be that tough to advise an inbound aircraft that the ramp is closed?

 

[francisco collazos]

See my post directly above. @iamtheari - you, too. Sticking your head head in the sand hoping for a NOTAM is choosing to voluntarily degrade your pre-flight planning.

ETA: a quick search of willisron mile for smiles indicates an airshow is part of the event.

I think another lesson learned is to google search the airport that i'm flying into and not to rely on NOTAMs.

I get VERY nervous when I have my 14 year old in the cockpit with me and have to make a real effort to stay focused. You are not alone!

I think you nailed it well. I am extremely careful by nature and I said to myself I wouldn't take my kids up until I had over 200 hr but I realized that I was competent enough to do it. I have about 20hr in Instrument training and weirdly enough I feel more confident and less nervous with just staring at the gauges and looking at the glideslope needle at night then flying vfr during the day. Very weird I know.

 

[francisco collazos]

One thing I will add because I have never come across this before is that. As I taxied by the ramp there were cones that blocked each taxiway into the ramp. On the southern part of the airport is where the permanent planes parked and that is where the huey had landed. I figured that part of the airport was still opened so I proceeded to turn right and at that time one of the ground crew motioned me not to enter. I don't think the airport was closed to landing traffic because other planes were landing and departing but the ramp was definitely closed.

 

[iamtheari]

I think another lesson learned is to google search the airport that i'm flying into and not to rely on NOTAMs.

Contrary to any inferences that could be drawn from my posts above that NOTAMs should be enough, in my opinion it is hard to over-plan for a flight and, when in doubt, the telephone is a useful tool to obtain additional information. You also have to be ready to adjust your plans when you arrive, even if you called in advance and the situation on the ground has changed by the time you get there. That happened to me recently, regarding parking on the ramp when an air show was going to take place while I was parked there.

 

[MajorTurbulence]

Regarding the unofficial closing or occupation of various taxiways and ramps, having experienced this twice 10 or more years ago, I can’t help but think that it may be more troublesome to request a Notam be published for these types of unofficial events than it is to ask forgiveness afterward.

In one of my occurrences, I flew IFR into Gaithersburg KGAI. Not much incoming traffic that day but I was unfamiliar with the field and the parking/ fuel ramp was on the other side of taxiways right in front of the FBO building where there were many people gathered for some kind of event. There was no tower and No guidance from Unicom. I did not realize, at the time that there was a much more peripheral taxiway that could also connect to that ramp. However, I slowly, cautiously, and with perplexion taxied to the ramp. When entering the building, the FBO representative apologized for what had occurred.

The second event occurred at my home base where I left for the day only to return late afternoon to my tiedown. There were loads of folks with chairs that were milling about the ramp, and some drinking beverages, all in anticipation of the July 4 fireworks demonstration at the adjacent shopping center. Again no Notams and I don’t remember the tower/ground closing my ramp for traffic. There must have been some local dissemination of info about the gathering, but, since not from the local area, I never got that.

I often call ahead when concerned about fuel and facilities when on cross countries, but never considered calling for this type of unusual occurrence. I think it is too much for folks to use unofficial forums, like Facebook, for such information. The Notam system should work for these types of things.

 

[fasteddie]

Regarding the unofficial closing or occupation of various taxiways and ramps, having experienced this twice 10 or more years ago, I can’t help but think that it may be more troublesome to request a Notam be published for these types of unofficial events than it is to ask forgiveness afterward.

Honest question - how hard is it for an airport operator to file a NOTAM?