Gastons 2012 - Don't miss it

jcosse said:
Thanks, Dean. Yeah, with full fuel and the wife and I, usually don't have much left for baggage, around 25#. Won't be much in the way of souvenoir shopping! After 40+ years of marriage, we've got enough "stuff." :wink2:

We haven't flown in that area before, but just looking at the sectional I don't see a lot of high altitude issues around Gaston -- of course with a town named Mountain Home I might be missing something. Are there density altitude issues to contend with in the Gaston area? Sounds like when you flew there in your 150 you took off with partial fuel and filled up at Mountain Home, which appears to be about 4 nm away?
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Gaston's is one way in and one way out and on the way out there is an Ozark Mountain you have to clear. It looks closer than it is, but there is no reason to try and climb over it in a 150, plus if something does go wrong, the river is your best option until you get some altitude. Mountain Home has always been my fuel stop when in that area, and is an option if you don't want to land at Gaston's. DA in June is around 3000-3500, haze is almost IFR, the last year I did the fly-in I had to climb to 8500 before I got out of it, and that takes some time in a 150.:D
 
Thanks, Dean, I figured there must be a mountain somewhere in the vicinity. :rolleyes:

Wife's been wanting to make a small trip, so probably sometime this Summer when time's available and weather is good we'll wander down that way and stay overnight. I like a challenge!
 
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I'm a newby here! Just got back from having a fun filled weekend at Gaston's with the SuperCub.Org guys. (They welcome all planes not just cubs.) They had a poker run, breakfast flyin at Cotter, and Car show/shortfield takeoff-landings at Flippin along with other area airports activities. All in all there was somewhere around 100 plus in attendence. I got gas at Flippin for $5.52/gal selfserve. I will be in attendence with you guys for the first time. Gaston's is a great place, looking forward to meeting everyone. If you have any questions shoot me an email. Jody Jones
 
jonesflyer said:
I'm a newby here! Just got back from having a fun filled weekend at Gaston's with the SuperCub.Org guys. (They welcome all planes not just cubs.) They had a poker run, breakfast flyin at Cotter, and Car show/shortfield takeoff-landings at Flippin along with other area airports activities. All in all there was somewhere around 100 plus in attendence. I got gas at Flippin for $5.52/gal selfserve. I will be in attendence with you guys for the first time. Gaston's is a great place, looking forward to meeting everyone. If you have any questions shoot me an email. Jody Jones
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Looking forward to meeting you!
 
Gastons X-C is now my deadline for a transponder repair/replacement... ROFL... sheesh...
 
I'm hoping to attend this year. I am supposed to work that weekend, but I think I can get out of it and fly in on Saturday morning. Does anyone still need a ride? I'll be flying up from New Orleans.
 
EvilEagle said:
I'm hoping to attend this year. I am supposed to work that weekend, but I think I can get out of it and fly in on Saturday morning. Does anyone still need a ride? I'll be flying up from New Orleans.
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Good to see someone else from New Orleans is coming! YAY!
 
I'm curious. With so many folks flying in to Gastons, where does everyone stay? I doubt the resort can handle that many.
 
jcosse said:
I'm curious. With so many folks flying in to Gastons, where does everyone stay? I doubt the resort can handle that many.
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You'd be surprised. There are about 80 "cabins", more like individual motel units, that sleep as many as twelve people.
 
On-call duty swapped with co-worker, boss happy... getting transponder (hopefully) fixed today...

Life is good! Gaston's here we come! (GRIN!)

Wichita is right on the flight path to Gaston's (close enough), so Karen will get to have lunch at Stearman Field on Thursday, too!

Wheee!
 
denverpilot said:
On-call duty swapped with co-worker, boss happy... getting transponder (hopefully) fixed today...

Life is good! Gaston's here we come! (GRIN!)

Wichita is right on the flight path to Gaston's (close enough), so Karen will get to have lunch at Stearman Field on Thursday, too!

Wheee!
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we'll see how work goes i might try to meet you. With any luck I'll be soaring on Sunday when you're coming back but you might consider stopping by Beaumont on the way back to eat at the hotel there. Leah and I have done that on Gaston's return trips. It's tasty and fun to taxi through town.
 
denverpilot said:
On-call duty swapped with co-worker, boss happy... getting transponder (hopefully) fixed today...

Life is good! Gaston's here we come! (GRIN!)

Wichita is right on the flight path to Gaston's (close enough), so Karen will get to have lunch at Stearman Field on Thursday, too!

Wheee!
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Looking forward to finally meeting you in person, Nate.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Looking forward to finally meeting you in person, Nate.
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Me two!

Too bad it's not this weekend. Highs in the upper 70's & low 80's. Right now next weekend looks like it's going to be about 10 degrees warmer...maybe that'll change.
 
It's always exhaustingly hot at Gastons during the planned weekend. It's why the Windwood gathering exists....

I suppose it was entertaining to watch the overloaded Cherokee 140s stagger off the grass....but it is NOT entertaining to watch the overloaded Lance(s) augur into the trees....


If anyone has any doubts, land at BPK and have the van come and get your pax, then fly down to the strip. Reverse the process to get out.
 
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bbchien said:
It's always exhaustingly hot at Gastons during the planned weekend.
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I gotta say, I agree w/ EdFred on this one. It would make a lot of sense to swap the Gaston's and 6Y9 fly-in dates. The probability for better weather would significantly increase at both...especially if Gaston's was held a few weeks after Labor Day.

But I'm just along for the ride on both.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Looking forward to finally meeting you in person, Nate.
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Same here! Everyone really...

I may have to uhh... Work... A little on Friday. We'll see. Debate over when a particular DB update is going to occur. Right now it looks like Monday at 01:30. (Ugh! Ha.)

IT is so glamorous. ;)
 
denverpilot said:
Same here! Everyone really...

I may have to uhh... Work... A little on Friday. We'll see. Debate over when a particular DB update is going to occur. Right now it looks like Monday at 01:30. (Ugh! Ha.)

IT is so glamorous. ;)
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Yeah, a couple of years ago Leslie was holed up in the cabin at Gaston's working on a project while I was over enjoying the pizza party. I think that was the year that Will Hawkins was there.
 
gprellwitz said:
Yeah, a couple of years ago Leslie was holed up in the cabin at Gaston's working on a project while I was over enjoying the pizza party. I think that was the year that Will Hawkins was there.
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Wasn't she working on a project at 6Y9 last year too?
 
Please post PIREPs. Wish I could have made it this year. Looking forward to hearing how y'all do. Maybe next year for me. Dave
 
I guess I will be one of the newbies showing up! I completely forgot about the fly-in until this morning. :mad2:

I will be driving up from Little Rock on Saturday for the day. I have thought about flying up to BPK or FLP, but haven't figured out how to get over to the resort. My flight school doesn't allow soft field operations so I would have to fly into a local hard surface airport.

We flight train in bush aircraft, but can't use them for that purpose! :nonod::idea:
 
Gaston's runway isn't soft at all ;)

Gaston's will send a van over to get you from mountain home or flippin, OR often one of the fly-in pilots will come get you if you call up on the radio
 
ARFlyer said:
I guess I will be one of the newbies showing up! I completely forgot about the fly-in until this morning. :mad2:

I will be driving up from Little Rock on Saturday for the day. I have thought about flying up to BPK or FLP, but haven't figured out how to get over to the resort. My flight school doesn't allow soft field operations so I would have to fly into a local hard surface airport.

We flight train in bush aircraft, but can't use them for that purpose! :nonod::idea:
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What Tony said! Fly into BPK.. Call Gaston's CTAF, raise someone on the radio (we're usually monitoring on handhelds), and somebody will drive or fly over to pick you up.
 
ARFlyer said:
I guess I will be one of the newbies showing up! I completely forgot about the fly-in until this morning. :mad2:

I will be driving up from Little Rock on Saturday for the day. I have thought about flying up to BPK or FLP, but haven't figured out how to get over to the resort. My flight school doesn't allow soft field operations so I would have to fly into a local hard surface airport.

We flight train in bush aircraft, but can't use them for that purpose! :nonod::idea:
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If you call Gastons they will come pick you up with the van from either BPK or FLP. BPK is preferred.
 
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tonycondon said:
Gaston's runway isn't soft at all ;)

Gaston's will send a van over to get you from mountain home or flippin, OR often one of the fly-in pilots will come get you if you call up on the radio
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:yeahthat:

Go for it you'll have a blast, Jesse has done a great job at keeping this event going and the folks that show up are either great people or very entertaining.:D But usually both.
 
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AdamZ said:
:yeahthat:

Go for it you'll have a blast, Jesse has done a great job at keeping this event going and the folks that show up are either great people for very entertaining.:D
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Well depending on what Mike's cabin goes for I might come up Friday and stay until Saturday or Sunday. If it is out of my price range I will come up early Saturday and stay for the day. I will have to call the school and see how long I can keep our Arrow or if I have to take a Maule. So I cant tell you what I will be flying for another day or so. It will either be a red/white Arrow, a gray Maule, or a white Maule. I will take you guys up on your gracious offers and park at BPK.
 
AR I'll tell you I've only been once but from what I've seen and heard you can almost always find a couch, empty bed or spot on the floor in someones cabin and share the cost.
 
A better entry to 3M0 would be to make a wildlife clearing pass to signal your arrival
 
Looks like we do not have a lame excuse thread. People seem post them here so here is mine.

I have to fly to work in Houston on June 4 for at least 1 week maybe 2. I was planning on working in Missouri so I could drive down for the weekend.
I was looking forward to seeing people I know again plus meeting all the new people.
Everyone have fun and do not drink too much Crown or Grant’s margaritas :D
 
timwinters said:
I gotta say, I agree w/ EdFred on this one. It would make a lot of sense to swap the Gaston's and 6Y9 fly-in dates. The probability for better weather would significantly increase at both...especially if Gaston's was held a few weeks after Labor Day.
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While we don't find the heat intolerable, being from Texas these past 13 years, we'd totally support a date swap to get more seasonable / reasonable temps at both events. Ed and Jesse, please consider this for 2014 dates!
 
DavidWhite said:
A better entry to 3M0 would be to make a wildlife clearing pass to signal your arrival
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What is the proper procedure for this at Gastons? Just trying to make sure I don't say hello to the high voltage lines coming from Bull Shoals.
 
ARFlyer said:
What is the proper procedure for this at Gastons? Just trying to make sure I don't say hello to the high voltage lines coming from Bull Shoals.
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I personally wouldn't do a low pass at Gaston's. Not because of the power lines but rather because of the one way nature of the field. A plane departing NORDO
on 06 could really ruin the day of someone doing a low pass on 24.

But that's just me.

At 6Y9, it's a different story, wildlife clearing passes are mandatory. Well...unless you have a skunked dog in the backseat. ;)

As far as the standard landing procedure at Gaston's is concerned, there's a "3M0 approach plate" posted somewhere here but I couldn't find it. If anyone knows where it's at, it might be a good idea to re-post it in this thread for the Newbies.
 
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ARFlyer said:
Hey I will be happy to take your cabin for Friday and Saturday night. I will also PM you.

I plan on coming up with a friend Friday afternoon and leaving Sunday. I still don't know which aircraft yet.
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SOLD! THANKS.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
 
mikea said:
SOLD! THANKS.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
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Have you been able to find your cabin information or do I just need to call up to Gaston's? No hurry, just trying to get everything in order. :D

It looks like I might have 2 guests coming along. My friend is trying to get another young pilot friend to come. The girls might have another girl pilot joining them next weekend.

Does anyone know about how many are coming this year? 20-25?
 
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Quick Gaston's question...

In some videos it looks like they have little concrete tie-downs. In others folks are staked down.

Bring the tie-down kit?
 
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