Gaston's & Sprint Cell service

alindsay

alindsay

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Display name:
Allan
I'm planning to fly to Austin TX from NW IL (10C) and Gaston's is about the half way point. My wife likes the idea of flying to TX if we break it up and don't push too hard. I also like to fly fish.

Now for the problem..I might have to connect to work while on this trip and I have a Sprint modem card but need to know if Gaston's has good Sprint coverage.

Anyone from the flyin's have any experience they could share?

Also, planning to go around Oct 18th weather permitting. Anything I need to be aware of when landing at Gaston's?

Any help is appreciated.

Allan Lindsay
1979 Warrior II
 
Gaston's is a black hole for Verizon. Three years ago it was a black hole for Sprint.
 
Thy have internet in the rooms. No need for your card.
 
Skypilotcfii said:
Consider
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KBPK
Safer and they have fuel - instrument approach.
It used to be a 5 minute ride to Gastons and they used to pick you up.
3M0 Notes
According to the A/FD, pilots are instructed to land on runway 24 and to takeoff on runway 6. Local pilots told investigators that the normal departure procedure is to takeoff from runway 6, then turn northeast and fly down a valley that paralleled the runway, instead of flying along the White River, which has steep bluffs along the river edge and high power lines that cross the river. Review of comments placed on AirNav's website (www.airnav.com) revealed two cautions regarding the airport area. One of the cautions warned of the "high wires on left base when landing on [runway] 24." The other caution recommended studying the airport area because there is steep hill on the east side of the airport and power lines.
Click to expand...

As one who has flown into Gastons twice, it's all a non-event.
 
As someone who's been in there 3 times, and landed once when it was night, it's a quintuple non-event.

I kept wondering where these power lines everyone was talking about were. I never see em, cause they are under me on downwind.
 
Gaston's is a scenic place to land, but not at all dangerous. I have flown there three years in a row in Bonanzas, in hot weather, with no issues at all. If you are flying in cooler weather, it crosses over from "no big deal" to "absolutely nothing to worry about."

Look at the list of attendees on the Gastonsflyin.com web site; all sorts of planes, in and out for three days straight in the hot summer, with zero problems. Even an Anderson-Greenwood AG-14.

If you are modestly competent as a pilot, and reasonably prudent, you will have no trouble.

And (as mentioned above) Gatson's has complimentary high-ish speed Internet in each room, an ethernet drop.
 
yea for me gastons is one of those places where the cell phone is off, so sorry no help here.

and its so easy to land there a caveman could do it.
 
To the point - NO, Spint gets NO service whatsoever at Gastons. According to our coverage map, neither does T-Mobile, but I remember someone having service there...
 
My AT&T phone worked fine at 3M0.

Unfortunately.
 
Cingular, now AT&T worked fine, but it was expensise, guess it wasn't there territory back then.

As far a flying in an out of Gaston, it's fun, nice long wide runway. We did it in a 150 hp Warrior a couple of years ago when it was hotter than he*&*&(*, errrrrr, I mean the D.A. was quite high. ;) I planned for 1/2 tanks of fuel, there was no wind, and I followed Dianna's instructions. :yes: Fuel was avaiable at 3MO.
 
SkyHog said:
To the point - NO, Spint gets NO service whatsoever at Gastons.
Click to expand...
That is no longer true. Two years ago I got no Sprint service, but last June I got a signal just fine. I even got my departure weather briefing while leaning on my wing -- and I wasn't on hold for more than 5 seconds.
 
I have Sprint and I was able to take/make calls while on the flight line. I don't remember if I was roaming as I have a no roaming plan...but I do remember talking on the phone
 
If you land short you might be hauled off on a flatbed trailer.

If you land long you might end up in the swimming pool.

Other than that, not much.

Oh, and the "goal post" on the approach end.

And, it's a grass runway.

And only 3200' long.

With trees on both sides.

Mountains all around.

It's a real bear of a runway.

A teddy bear.


alindsay said:
. Anything I need to be aware of when landing at Gaston's?
Click to expand...
 
Ken Ibold said:
That is no longer true. Two years ago I got no Sprint service, but last June I got a signal just fine. I even got my departure weather briefing while leaning on my wing -- and I wasn't on hold for more than 5 seconds.
Click to expand...

FlyNE said:
I have Sprint and I was able to take/make calls while on the flight line. I don't remember if I was roaming as I have a no roaming plan...but I do remember talking on the phone
Click to expand...

Weird, even this last June I still had Sprint, and I don't think I got any service at all. Then again, I might have just turned it off when I arrived.
 
Ken Ibold said:
That is no longer true. Two years ago I got no Sprint service, but last June I got a signal just fine. I even got my departure weather briefing while leaning on my wing -- and I wasn't on hold for more than 5 seconds.
Click to expand...

FlyNE said:
I have Sprint and I was able to take/make calls while on the flight line. I don't remember if I was roaming as I have a no roaming plan...but I do remember talking on the phone
Click to expand...

Weird, even this last June I still had Sprint, and I don't think I got any service at all. Then again, I might have just turned it off when I arrived.
 
Ken Ibold said:
That is no longer true. Two years ago I got no Sprint service, but last June I got a signal just fine. I even got my departure weather briefing while leaning on my wing -- and I wasn't on hold for more than 5 seconds.
Click to expand...

FlyNE said:
I have Sprint and I was able to take/make calls while on the flight line. I don't remember if I was roaming as I have a no roaming plan...but I do remember talking on the phone
Click to expand...

Weird, even this last June I still had Sprint, and I don't think I got any service at all. Then again, I might have just turned it off when I arrived.
 
bbchien said:
Gaston's is a black hole for Verizon. ...
Click to expand...

Not true if you go to the tree outside cabin 14 and stand on the parking barrier keeping one hand on the tree and craining you head to the left you will beable to get one bar for enough time to dial get one ring and then get the call dropped. B)
 
Thanks for all the info, this really helps.

Now I need the weather to cooperate.

Allan
 
FYI--I got signal at Gaston's with Verizon and Tmobile. It wasn't the best signal and was almost unusable inside the cabin. But it did work well enough outside.

The landing is no big deal.

Here is a video of Gaston's which includes some landings, takeoffs, etc.

http://www.jesseangell.com/gastons07.html
 
jesse said:
FYI--I got signal at Gaston's with Verizon and Tmobile. It wasn't the best signal and was almost unusable inside the cabin. But it did work well enough outside.

The landing is no big deal.

Here is a video of Gaston's which includes some landings, takeoffs, etc.

http://www.jesseangell.com/gastons07.html
Click to expand...

And, of course, the best landing ever captured on film at Gastons:
http://www.gastonsflyin.com/video/nicks_landing.wmv (sorry for the leech, I am currently without webspace I think....I'll fix that here shortly).
 
Last edited:
jesse said:
Here is a video of Gaston's which includes some landings, takeoffs, etc.

http://www.jesseangell.com/gastons07.html
Click to expand...

Nice video - looked like everyone had a great time.

Another question - what about go arounds? Looks like you land 24 and take off on 6 because of High Tension wires.

Also, is it pretty obvious the route to take when departing?

See attached.

Allan
 

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alindsay said:
Nice video - looked like everyone had a great time.

Another question - what about go arounds? Looks like you land 24 and take off on 6 because of High Tension wires.

Also, is it pretty obvious the route to take when departing?

See attached.

Allan
Click to expand...

While I don't recommend going against the flow, I don't understand the warnings. The high tension wires are inside trees. Honestly, if you're going to hit the wires, its not a big deal, because you'd have already hit the trees before you hit the wires.

And the trees ain't that tall...
 
a go around is fine on 24, as long as you dont wait until you are at the end of the runway to make the decision. just like any other runway with obstacles at the end.
 
Allan,

I take students there frequently. Here is what I've observed from watching first-timers come into Gaston's:

On downwind if you're 1,000' above the field you're only about 500' above the ridge below you. Lots of pilots are uncomfortable with this and will fly a much higher downwind leg, putting them 1,300' - 1,500' above the field.

There is a bluff along the river to the right of the base leg. This also makes many pilots uncomfortable and they tend to stay away from it, turning a base leg much sooner than they would otherwise.

There are a couple of trees at the approach end of the runway (the goalposts) that many pilots are uncomfortable flying between, they want to be above the tops of the trees when they pass.

So here's the outcome... You start from a downwind leg that's much too high, then shorten the pattern (and your chance to get rid of that altitude) by turning base too soon. The temptation is to put the nose down and dive toward the runway, but not the end of the runway because you want to be above the trees that are there. Too high and too fast will eat up a lot of runway. We watched a C172 lock up the brakes and skid almost to the end of the runway last year (not one of our fly-in folks) because he did exactly this.

Fly normal patterns, normal airspeeds, and take it between the trees at the end of the runway. And don't hesitate to initiate a go-around early in the landing if it's not looking good.

I'll be anxious to hear what you think of the place.
 
gibbons said:
<snip>

So here's the outcome... You start from a downwind leg that's much too high, then shorten the pattern (and your chance to get rid of that altitude) by turning base too soon. The temptation is to put the nose down and dive toward the runway, but not the end of the runway because you want to be above the trees that are there. Too high and too fast will eat up a lot of runway. We watched a C172 lock up the brakes and skid almost to the end of the runway last year (not one of our fly-in folks) because he did exactly this.

</snip>
Click to expand...

I remember that guy! He was heading right for the people learning how to fly fish in the field across from the runway. He was hauling a**.
 
FlyNE said:
I remember that guy! He was heading right for the people learning how to fly fish in the field across from the runway. He was hauling a**.
Click to expand...

yea we were wondering if we were going to have a bunch of sliced up grandmas on our hands :(
 
In the Seneca, I need to be between Scylla and Charybdis for the landing to work. 90 mph decaying to 80 is just a bit fast to be even ten feet high.
It works out fine, but because of this I would NEVER do it at night. Trees are NOT our friends.
 
Greg in his 195 on short final remembers that guy's departure, too...

gibbons said:
Allan,

I take students there frequently. Here is what I've observed from watching first-timers come into Gaston's:

On downwind if you're 1,000' above the field you're only about 500' above the ridge below you. Lots of pilots are uncomfortable with this and will fly a much higher downwind leg, putting them 1,300' - 1,500' above the field.

There is a bluff along the river to the right of the base leg. This also makes many pilots uncomfortable and they tend to stay away from it, turning a base leg much sooner than they would otherwise.

There are a couple of trees at the approach end of the runway (the goalposts) that many pilots are uncomfortable flying between, they want to be above the tops of the trees when they pass.

So here's the outcome... You start from a downwind leg that's much too high, then shorten the pattern (and your chance to get rid of that altitude) by turning base too soon. The temptation is to put the nose down and dive toward the runway, but not the end of the runway because you want to be above the trees that are there. Too high and too fast will eat up a lot of runway. We watched a C172 lock up the brakes and skid almost to the end of the runway last year (not one of our fly-in folks) because he did exactly this.

Fly normal patterns, normal airspeeds, and take it between the trees at the end of the runway. And don't hesitate to initiate a go-around early in the landing if it's not looking good.

I'll be anxious to hear what you think of the place.
Click to expand...
 
Also xposted on the red board.

I finally made it!

x-cntry from 10C (Galt in NW IL) to KGTU (Georgetown TX just north of Austin). 12 hrs total trip time.

I convinced my wife to fly GA and we were going to stop halfway at Gastons but the weather prevented us from leaving last Thur and Gastons didn't have any rooms avail Fri or Sat. Instead, we left early Sat and made a couple of stops to break the trip up into 3 legs.

Pretty uneventful first leg except for the winds. Not bumpy when cruising (8500') but slowed us down. Was a little rough for the pattern and the crosswind was 15 kts. I had planned for KVIH because of the multiple runways. As I announced for 22, I was told it was closed - didn't I check NOTAMS? I did, but obviously I missed this. Landing on 13 with 15 kt xwind went OK. xwinds don't really bother me but with a packed plane, it handles a little differently. Closed the flight plan and fueled up.

I noticed what I forgot at home - our lunch! We had snacks so that would have to do.

Second leg to KRPX was nice but still had a strong headwind. As slow as 65 kts GS at times...wife noticed and snickered we could have driven faster. Not really, but she had to poke at me - ha. Strong head wind caused us to be later than planned - FSS had called the field and was worried about us. Good to know that flght plans work. I did have to fly around some protected / restricted space by Ft. Smith. I didn't look at the exact space but just complied by flying direct to the Ft. Smth vortec and then direct to KPRX.

All along the way, I filed VFR flight plans (and a mock IFR since I'm training for IR) and requested flight following. Good response each time I called FSS so I'm not sure what all the fuss is about with LM (Kidding!). From now on, I'll do this on all x-cntry trips since it is so easy. I did extend the time with FSS on the last leg to KGTU since the winds were still strong.

Last leg was a little exciting when I opened my flight plan. FSS made mention of more restricted and protected space that was active and to stay clear. I knew the President's Crawford place was close but pre-flight planning had me east of this. I got flight following and as I got closer to Crawford, I confirmed with the controller I was clear of the airspace.

Problems on the trip: The Garmin 430 did flash bright a couple of times while I got closer to KGTU and I thought ut-oh but nothing bad happened. I do wonder what is going on though. My passenger seat sunk. Wife must have pushed the button to lower the seat and once we stopped, I got it back so she could see over the glareshield.

Forgot lunch - had snacks and a bears worth of hibernation material so I wasn't going to die but it is nice to keep the body on track.

Lessons learned: 1) LOOK CLOSER at NOTAMS. RWY 22/4 was closed at KVIH and I missed that.

2) Call FSS when the trip is taking longer than planned. It's easy and only takes a minute. 2a) Don't worry about how long it takes unless fuel is imacted. Plan for the unexpected and adapt.

3) checklist for items to bring - would have had lunch if I had a checklist - my wife actually suggested this - cool.

4) Learn how to tie down a plane. I haven't tied a plane down in years and forgot how. I need to get back to KGTU and have a linesman check my ropes. I carry my own ropes too.

5) File flight plans and use flight following. Leaving CHI, it was too busy to get service from CHI but I was on their freq and as I got towards KPIA, they were happy to help.

My wife and I did think this was a long trip and since it was uneventful, we were even bored at times. Wife did use the charts and keep track of us while the GPS was tracking us. It was cool watching her navigate and she had some good questions on the chart. She also helped with writing down squawk codes and freq changes. She's a good co-pilot - I'm a lucky guy.

Now hoping the return trip can be filled with tailwinds. Looking to return Wed or Thur and if the weather isn't good towards CHI, I'll try to head to Omaha where my in-laws live. If I have to return over a few days, fine by me.

Blue Skies and tailwinds,

Allan
 
Good write up Allan. Glad you and the Mrs. made it to TX safely.

Are you going to try stopping at Gaston's on the way back?
 
Great trip. X-C's are the real value of getting your certificate imho. (ok, there's a lot of other things you can do with one, but it's my o, ok..:) ).

If you time the return right, you could stop by for the Greater Midwest Fly-in in AMES (AMW) on Saturday. ;)
 
Your approach through the trees should look like this.
 

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Well, we made it home from TX. 14 hrs total trip time. This time I remembered lunch but the winds were worse.

I decided to forgo Gastons since the winds were from the North at 15 gusting much higher. I broke the trip up into 4 legs to ensure I had fuel and a huge safety margin since he winds were head-on and high.

Left KGTU with a 12kt headwind. As I got to KPRX and when I started to descend, I noticed the chop. Chop turned to bad turbulence down to 2000 msl. The winds were 18 gusting to 31. Luckily I picked airports with multiple runways and the wind was straight down one of the runways.

I checked weather again and checked charts to break the trip into ~200 mile legs. KHRO was my next stop.

Took off with full fuel and on climb out, it was real rough. I was trying to climb until out of the turb. At 9000 feet, I all of a sudden started to descend at 500 fpm even though I had full throttle. Seemed like I was behind the power curve so I nosed down and was happy with 7500 and light chop. At one point I had a GS of 37 kts. ouch

Landing at KHRO was uneventful since he winds were right down the runway and it was real wide. Fueled up and on our way again for KUIN.

As I got closer to Quincy (KUIN) the winds started to slow down to 10 kts. From KUIN to 10C, I actually hit GS of 91 kts - woohooo.

Needless to say, I never made it to Gaston's. The winds would have made landing there a tough challenge. Crazy in my book.

Thank you all for your replies. I'm sure my wife and I will try for Gaston's some other time since I love to Fly fish. Even though we spent many hours in the Warrior, my wife is still up to adventures and said she would go on more trips - maybe I'll need to break them up more, but she is up to it!

Blue Skies and Tailwinds,

Allan Lindsay
 
alindsay said:
Thank you all for your replies. I'm sure my wife and I will try for Gaston's some other time since I love to Fly fish.
Click to expand...

Allan,
Join us in June, you and your wife will have more fun than should be legal
 
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