Flight to Martinsville, VA (KMTV)

WakeNCAgent

WakeNCAgent

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Louis
Okay, so after lots of recommendations on a good short x-c out of KRDU (Raleigh) I've decided to visit Martinsville, VA. I've been told that the view is especially nice being at the edge of the foothills. I'll be flying there and back on Thursday morning, weather permitting. It's been pretty lousy for VFR flying for the past ten days, so it'll be nice to get out again. Oh, and I also decided to sack my Jeppesen Mobile Flightdeck VFR app and signed up for Foreflight. This will be my first chance to use it, so I'm looking forward to it. If anyone has any suggestions or feedback on the destination I'd like to hear it. Thanks.
 
WakeNCAgent said:
Okay, so after lots of recommendations on a good short x-c out of KRDU (Raleigh) I've decided to visit Martinsville, VA. I've been told that the view is especially nice being at the edge of the foothills. I'll be flying there and back on Thursday morning, weather permitting. It's been pretty lousy for VFR flying for the past ten days, so it'll be nice to get out again. Oh, and I also decided to sack my Jeppesen Mobile Flightdeck VFR app and signed up for Foreflight. This will be my first chance to use it, so I'm looking forward to it. If anyone has any suggestions or feedback on the destination I'd like to hear it. Thanks.
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Have a good time and fly safe........

And....... Don't use the hendrix missed approach procedure..:redface:
 
I go into Martinsville several times a month. Self serve fuel (though often the FBO guy will come out to help you pump) and it's the cheapest in the immediate area. It is in the foot hills in a small depression that sometimes causes odd wind shifts (not uncommon to see the socks at opposite ends of the runway pointing in different directions) but the runway is long, wide, and in good condition.

The restaurant had closed up again recently (they even put it on the AWOS) however talking to the airport folks they think they have a new tenant for it lined up so it may be open again soon. Real friendly place other than that. Just avoid it when it's race weekend at Martinsville.
 
Remember to download the charts for offline use on Foreflight.

Parking is to the right of the FBO with the airplane facing the runway. Watch out for your propwash as it spills back into the restaurant parking lot. Parking lot is not heavily used though, just make sure no old ladies are walking back there before you blast out of your space.
 
flyingron said:
The restaurant had closed up again recently (they even put it on the AWOS) however talking to the airport folks they think they have a new tenant for it lined up so it may be open again soon. Real friendly place other than that. Just avoid it when it's race weekend at Martinsville.
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How recently? I'll have to check the logbook for the date, but it was open about a month ago.

Edit, last time I was there... July 7th
 
dell30rb said:
How recently? I'll have to check the logbook for the date, but it was open about a month ago.

Edit, last time I was there... July 7th
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Yes, more recently than that. It disappeared around Labor Day I think. I was last there two weeks ago and thats when they said they thought they had found a new operator for the restaurant.
 
dell30rb said:
Remember to download the charts for offline use on Foreflight.

Parking is to the right of the FBO with the airplane facing the runway.
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Thanks for the information. I'm still getting familiar with Foreflight, having had all but two days, so how do I verify that the chart data has been downloaded?
 
flyingron said:
Self serve fuel (though often the FBO guy will come out to help you pump) and it's the cheapest in the immediate area.

It is in the foot hills in a small depression that sometimes causes odd wind shifts (not uncommon to see the socks at opposite ends of the runway pointing in different directions) but the runway is long, wide, and in good condition.

Just avoid it when it's race weekend at Martinsville.
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Great information to know. Thanks, Ron! When I mentioned to my neighbor that I was flying up he asked if I could take him in two weeks for a race so he could avoid the 2+hour drive. I guess that will be a no. At least for now.
 
If you want to go in during the race, I'd call the airport first to make arrangements. They did make more parking space on the west end of the field, but it's still likely to be tight. The speedway actually looks to be closer (and a more direct drive) to SIF.
 
flyingron said:
Yes, more recently than that. It disappeared around Labor Day I think. I was last there two weeks ago and thats when they said they thought they had found a new operator for the restaurant.
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That place is perpetually out of business.
 
dell30rb said:
That place is perpetually out of business.
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Yep, this was the third incarnation of it since I've been flying through about five years. The restaurant business isn't the easiest thing to make a go at and the airport isn't exactly a prime location.
 
No need to respond, Ren. I checked my app and sure enough I had only downloaded the NC charts. I owe you a debt of gratitude.
 
I was born in Martinsville. Never really been back but I'm going to add it to my list of places to fly to. Checking the stats of the airport it looks almost identical to the airport I fly from (KLRO). I've wondered if KLRO could support some kind of restaurant. There currently isn't a space for one so just a pipe dream.
 
I flew in there about 6 months ago from RDU as well. The restaurant wasn't anything special in my opinion. I have also heard the rumors of new ownership and a comeback though. MTV wasn't quite as far into the foothills as I expected it to be but still a nice area to flyover.
 
Dan, welcome to POA. Think I recognize the airplane, if I recall correctly - met you at the SOP fly-in a few weeks ago.

Restaurant was mediocre at best.. but it was on-airport

SUT is a good fly-in destination for lunch. Eat at the dead end saloon, less than 5 minute drive from the airport and they have more than one crew car.
 
Well, the flight to Martinsville was great. I got a huge surprise when I arrived and there were a couple hundred people outside of the terminal building. I didn't see it mentioned in the NOTAMS but there was a Warbird event going on and a B-17 Flying Fortress was holding short while I was on final.

True to the posts the restaurant was closed but the folks at the terminal building were very nice. They even escorted me to the air boss so that I could depart between air displays. Imagine how difficult it was concentrating on a preflight when a P-51 Mustang is doing high speed passes just above you!

There were also B-24 and B-25's present, so it made my first cross-country in 20 years a memorable return to general aviation.

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