Need an eclipse viewing destination? Open invite!

FastEddieB

FastEddieB

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Oct 14, 2013
Messages
11,543
Location
Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA
Display Name
Display name:
Fast Eddie B
We’re three weeks out!

If anyone is looking for a destination in the eclipse zone, we have property in the path of totality in Lenoir City, TN.


33080293065_c773dfd93c_z.jpg



It’s 3.3 acres along an airstrip. Big T Airport (80TN) for my pilot friends, though flying in is not an option. Just a few miles off I-75 and US321.

Karen and I are inviting anyone who’d like to come a place from which to view the eclipse. Should be an unobstructed view from the runway, weather permitting, of course.

What we have:

Space for camping - tent or RV. Should be enough parking for cars, motorcycles or RVs.
City water.

Power - but just two 20A outlets on a temp pole. Should be enough to charge electronic devices but not to power an RV.

PortaPotty



What we don’t have:


Any kind of RV hookups - plan on boondocking for a day or two if you have an RV.


Not far away is a Petro gas station with dump facilities for $5, and an Ace Hardware that can fill propane tanks.



Caution: no telling what traffic will be like. Might be a good idea to plan an arrival at least a day or two early.

Anyway, if this sounds like a good idea, let me know at FastEddieB@mac.com if you plan on coming and I’ll send directions.
 
Dang, that is a very nice offer but as much as I would love to take you up on it, it won't work for me. :( I am way south of the full-eclipse line and on the 21st, I will be way north of it. Passing through it twice, at inopportune times. Oh well.
Y'all have fun!
 
FastEddieB said:
We’re three weeks out!

If anyone is looking for a destination in the eclipse zone, we have property in the path of totality in Lenoir City, TN.


33080293065_c773dfd93c_z.jpg



It’s 3.3 acres along an airstrip. Big T Airport (80TN) for my pilot friends, though flying in is not an option. Just a few miles off I-75 and US321.

Karen and I are inviting anyone who’d like to come a place from which to view the eclipse. Should be an unobstructed view from the runway, weather permitting, of course.

What we have:

Space for camping - tent or RV. Should be enough parking for cars, motorcycles or RVs.
City water.

Power - but just two 20A outlets on a temp pole. Should be enough to charge electronic devices but not to power an RV.

PortaPotty



What we don’t have:


Any kind of RV hookups - plan on boondocking for a day or two if you have an RV.


Not far away is a Petro gas station with dump facilities for $5, and an Ace Hardware that can fill propane tanks.



Caution: no telling what traffic will be like. Might be a good idea to plan an arrival at least a day or two early.

Anyway, if this sounds like a good idea, let me know at FastEddieB@mac.com if you plan on coming and I’ll send directions.
Click to expand...


hmm... I might take ya up on this. Weather permitting, I'll be staying the in the Kodak/Sevierville area that weekend.
 
no flying because of runway length?
 
I'm actually going to be towing a GIGANTIC banner over your field right at eclipse time, so you may not even see it!
 
FastEddieB said:
...If anyone thinks they'd be comfortable landing there, I can ask the airport owner to authorize a landing.
...
Click to expand...

I mean, if YOU can do it..............






I KID, I kid.....
 
Nice take off, sitting in ground effect with the stall horn going. Is that 2700 or 1700? Either way, I won't be making it down. Was just curious.
 
Nice of you to offer this Eddie. If it was a bit closer I'd join you. I'll be viewing from S Cleveland, TN that day.
 
FastEddieB said:
It's 2,700' and grass. Approach and landing shown here:


If anyone thinks they'd be comfortable landing there, I can ask the airport owner to authorize a landing.

Let me know via the email in to OP.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what the concern is. IIRC 6Y9 is 2600 feet and many people have landed there. I've taken off from a 2300' runway in my 177RG that is about 2/3 grass and 1/3 paved, but from the grass side and been airborne by the time I reached the pavement. Unless there are serious density altitude issues or the ground is soft, I'd feel comfortable landing and taking off from there.

BTW thanks for the offer... unfortunately I want to see this either from the air or the ground, and won't be finalizing my destination plans until the last few days to avoid a rainout (or cloud-out).
 
I'd invite folks to KFDW for a little party, but I have to work that day. Our main office will be closing early because of predicted highway traffic congestion. Lucky b@st@rds.
 
I'd jump on that s*** in a heartbeat, but a two thousand mile road trek with a tent in the trunk for what is at most a five minute event (okay, I know guys that make trans Pacific trips to Thailand for five minute events) seems rather anticlimactic.

"It went dark."

"Now it's light again."

"What are we going to do with the rest of this beer?"

(Okay, question was admittedly rhetorical.)
 
Final bump!

Just a few days out. Right now about a dozen or so people planning to come, so room for more. The more the merrier!

Plan to arrive with plenty of gas - there are fears that stations in and around the zone of totality may run out at some point.

And, yes, I misspoke/misremembered. 80TN is nominally 1,700' - actually close to 2,000' if you include the upslope at the end.
 
hmm.. I'm actually going to be nearby(Robbinsville, NC). We were planning on going to Tellico Plains(no specific place) to watch the eclipse. This is not far...
 
Had a nice turnout - quick guess between 25 and 30, including some folks from this site.

Perfectly clear skies, and the runway provided a nice view.

Video'd the folks watching, and will post to YouTube in a few days.

A few of us establishing our nerd cerds:

36723032445_dd540f71a3.jpg
 
Last edited:
FastEddieB said:
Had a nice turnout - quick guess between 25 and 30, including some folks from this site.

Perfectly clear skies, and the runway provided a nice view.

Video'd the folks watching, and will post to YouTube in a few days.

A few of us establishing our nerd cerds:

36723032445_dd540f71a3.jpg
Click to expand...

Had such a great time. Thank you again!

So, uh... question... how permanent were those "temporary" tattoos? o_O
 
FastEddieB said:
You're very welcome! A pleasure meeting you and your lovely family.

Pretty sure those tattoos were the new "Perma-Henna". Hope you like yours!
Click to expand...

Apparently olive oil mixed with exfoliation soap does the trick!

So, funny story... I wrote up the following blog on my experience from the day - https://skyalive.blog/2017/08/24/birthday-eclipse/ - and sent it to a good friend of mine, Mike Radomsky. He almost immediately blew up my phone saying that he knew you from back in your Cirrus flyin' days (he was president of COPA at the time). Anyway, he wanted me to tell you "hi!" :)
 
Cool writeup!

Glad you came and everyone had a good time.

Mike Radomsky even visited me once in S FL and we flew together. Nice guy.

"It's a small world -but I wouldn't want to have to paint it!" - Steven Wright
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
Apparently olive oil mixed with exfoliation soap does the trick!

So, funny story... I wrote up the following blog on my experience from the day - https://skyalive.blog/2017/08/24/birthday-eclipse/ - and sent it to a good friend of mine, Mike Radomsky. He almost immediately blew up my phone saying that he knew you from back in your Cirrus flyin' days (he was president of COPA at the time). Anyway, he wanted me to tell you "hi!" :)
Click to expand...
Nice write up. Curmudgeons, read that.
 
I didn't open this thread until earlier today since I live on the other side of the country and already had an eclipse destination in Idaho. Glad to see that everyone had a great time!
 
Good to hear you folks found a good place to view. I was on public land and the folks around me were not particularly mindful of the damage they were doing or the length of time it will take the environment to recover...and I'm typing this as one who works in the energy sector, a.k.a. an earth raper.
 
FastEddieB said:
Here's a little 4 minute video of the time right around totality:

Click to expand...

Great video. Too bad it doesn't capture the way the eclipse actually looked to the eye, but love that you can hear the critters come out and see the stars and such! Of course I'm the only lush drinking a beer ;)
 
There were a number of planes that flew into both Farmington and Perryville airports in Missouri. I didn't go out to the airport to talk to people, I went to a party with some friends. The whole event was extremely high on the awesome scale. I now understand why people go around the world to see them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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