WOW have you seen this Reklaw video

I know it's a popular fly in event for many... but I think I'll stick with ground transport... to many opportunities for things to go all wrong and bend metal.
 
I've always wondered what thoughts the property owners had, with regards to liability.
Maybe they are fine but these days...
I think I saw a waiver but you can't get pilots to sign them before they arrive.
And it's obviously not an impromptu event.
@Scott@ktyr give cue time pls; that's a 14min video
 
More zoom climbs than I can handle!

Based on the video it kinda looks like a dangerous place, that helicopter could have been real bad!
 
What a hot mess lol. I've heard of the event when I was stationed in NW Louisiana but never attended. It seems like a weird spin off of a ATV/4 wheeling type gathering. A bit too mouthbreathing pedestrian "tough mudder" for my taste, but hey it takes all kinds. Everybody stay safe out there.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I've always wondered what thoughts the property owners had, with regards to liability.
Maybe they are fine but these days...
I think I saw a waiver but you can't get pilots to sign them before they arrive.
And it's obviously not an impromptu event.
@Scott@ktyr give cue time pls; that's a 14min video
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There are several events during the video. Also plus 1 on @Volitation post :)
 
I’m a professional pilot who lives nearby this event. My wife and I attended a couple of years ago, we drove. I don’t do grass runways, I don’t even like short paved runways unless I know the airport well.

We were both appalled by the “Wild Wild West” atmosphere and stayed for about an hour. Saw way too much craziness in a very short period of time. I have no desire to be a witness to anything bad.

First of all, the “runway” is reasonably wide, maybe 150 to 200 feet, with tall trees on both sides (see video). Cross winds must be real “sporty”. There are airplanes back taxiing down one side while other planes are landing and taking off on the other side, AT THE SAME TIME. Meanwhile, people are walking across the runway and many are drinking beer, check out the video. There is a guy showing off the tree branches while holding a bottle of Shiner!

Folks are camped on both sides of the runway and are constantly running back and forth across it in between aircraft landing and taking off. To make matters worse, there is a hump in the center of the runway which makes it difficult to see the far end. Not too bad if you have a radio as the “tower” can help a bit, but if you are trying to cross the runway on foot it’s another matter.

And then there are the high speed “fly bys” down the runway, below the trees, with hard “pull ups” through the center while other planes are crossing over the field to enter the pattern.

Amazingly, I don’t know of any serious mishaps that have occured, ever. Seems to always be a bit of bent metal though. Darwin seems to have not discovered this place!
 
TigerGene said:
And then there are the high speed “fly bys” down the runway, below the trees, with hard “pull ups” through the center while other planes are crossing over the field to enter the pattern.
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https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20141027X63155

Someone also busted this one up. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=150399
8133049436_aa68067baf_b.jpg



 
And yet, there are very few crashes with around 600 planes average. They seem to average about one accident per year. One went into the pond, one flipped over, one almost went into the pond, etc. Each of those was the only issue each year.

You can't blame the event for a helicopter flying into a tree. I saw the Starduster biplane above crash and it was 100% his fault. He kept diving for the runway, so dramatically that we thought it was a low pass. Then when he landed well beyond half way down the runway and started downhill, he panicked and locked up the brake and flipped. Either he or his passenger had broken leg, but they both survived. He would die while flying a Fisher Celebrity in high winds, doing aerobatics, when the top wing came off.
 
TigerGene said:
I’m a professional pilot who lives nearby this event. My wife and I attended a couple of years ago, we drove. I don’t do grass runways, I don’t even like short paved runways unless I know the airport well.

We were both appalled by the “Wild Wild West” atmosphere and stayed for about an hour. Saw way too much craziness in a very short period of time. I have no desire to be a witness to anything bad.

First of all, the “runway” is reasonably wide, maybe 150 to 200 feet, with tall trees on both sides (see video). Cross winds must be real “sporty”. There are airplanes back taxiing down one side while other planes are landing and taking off on the other side, AT THE SAME TIME. Meanwhile, people are walking across the runway and many are drinking beer, check out the video. There is a guy showing off the tree branches while holding a bottle of Shiner!

Folks are camped on both sides of the runway and are constantly running back and forth across it in between aircraft landing and taking off. To make matters worse, there is a hump in the center of the runway which makes it difficult to see the far end. Not too bad if you have a radio as the “tower” can help a bit, but if you are trying to cross the runway on foot it’s another matter.

And then there are the high speed “fly bys” down the runway, below the trees, with hard “pull ups” through the center while other planes are crossing over the field to enter the pattern.

Amazingly, I don’t know of any serious mishaps that have occured, ever. Seems to always be a bit of bent metal though. Darwin seems to have not discovered this place!
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Seems like a lot of fun to me. I'm not sure why it's a big deal if aircraft are taxiing/taking off simultaneously as long as it's understood which side of the runway is being used for takeoff and taxi operations. Not sure why walking across the runway with a beer is of concern unless they are doing it while aircraft are on takeoff roll/landing. Maybe with a bit more organization, it is the stuff that GA needs. Just people out having fun, camping, drinking, etc.
 
I don't see any problems with it either. Even if a show is run as strict as can be there will still be accidents. There are a lot of pilots and only a few good ones. Pretty much all grass fields have airplanes taxing on the edge and taking off down the center. Most all fly in events allow alcohol and some even serve it.
 
Everyone has their own level of comfort in aviation. I must admit my comfort level is vastly different at 62 than it was at 22. Might be that I’m much older, might be the memory of friends lost to aviation, or maybe the realization of just how fast things can go horribly wrong.

I will admit that when I was there the weather was perfect, everyone was in high spirits and having a great time.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Seems like a lot of fun to me. I'm not sure why it's a big deal if aircraft are taxiing/taking off simultaneously as long as it's understood which side of the runway is being used for takeoff and taxi operations. Not sure why walking across the runway with a beer is of concern unless they are doing it while aircraft are on takeoff roll/landing. Maybe with a bit more organization, it is the stuff that GA needs. Just people out having fun, camping, drinking, etc.
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I've gone probably 5 out of the last 7 years. This year, I felt it wouldn't be wise to take a biplane into a muddy field and after seeing some of the pics, I'm glad I didn't.

If you haven't been, it's a blast. I always tell people that I like to get there as early on Friday morning as possible and stay through Sunday morning. I avoid the heaviest congestion. It is a bit rowdy with low passes happening while you're landing, and lots of low passes! When the Starduster flipped a few years ago, they closed the runway until they could get it moved. When it opened back up, I counted 18 planes on final!

As far as organization, they don't want it. The general public is not invited, so you expect pilots to follow some common sense rules. They tell people to only cross the runway at the tower, but they cross where ever they want. They will cross in front of you when you're landing or taking off, then some of them will give you dirty looks.

It's also a hard strip to see from the air since it's surrounded by tall pine trees. Instead of flying up high and locating the airport first, you'll see people fly almost to the runway, spot it, and make a hard turn into downwind.

Yet, as I mentioned before, it all seems to work out. Any of the accidents I've seen could have been at any airport and were all pilots flying outside of their comfort level.
 
Wow. Just wow. Looked like that one Cessna in the beginning May have had a little prop strike blasting through that mud. F that noise!!
 
Scott@KTYR said:
I am amazed no one got hurt

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Aside from the oops with the helicopter, everything looked good to me, heck if I had the normal land gear on my plane I’d love to go
 
Lowflynjack said:
As far as organization, they don't want it. The general public is not invited, so you expect pilots to follow some common sense rules. They tell people to only cross the runway at the tower, but they cross where ever they want. They will cross in front of you when you're landing or taking off, then some of them will give you dirty looks
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Just to be clear, when I said "organization", I was thinking more along the lines of, all landings on left side of runway, all taxiing aircraft on right side of the runway, etc. Not organization as in bringing in vendors and rigid structure to the event. As long as everyone is playing by some basic common sense rules, I'd think there's no reason more events could be just like it.
 
RoscoeT said:
What's with these Cessna drivers landing at cruise speed on a muddy strip with no aft yoke on rollout.
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Yeah there was a 172 with wheel pants that I thought was going to bury the nose wheel into the ground with no full-aft yoke to keep the pressure off as much as possible. Looked like a good way to crack the wheel pant if nothing else.
 
James331 said:
Aside from the oops with the helicopter, everything looked good to me, heck if I had the normal land gear on my plane I’d love to go
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Some spots looked wet enough for floats. :)
 
Too reckless an event for me!

I'd have overflown the field and gone home based on it's condition alone.
 
I kind of felt at home while watching the video. The folks didn't have nearly the craziness as when my friends get together.

I used to live near Recklaw. I never knew of this airport until lately, but I lived there before the runway was built.

Only craziness I saw was the folks that didn't know how to do a soft field landing. When the mains touch on tricycle gear that yoke should be full back. If the plane lifts off the ground, then too fast.
 
I'll be honest, first I've heard of this place but when I read @hindsight2020 's description I knew I'd like it. Looked at a few videos and I'm just disappointed I didn't know about it sooner. I had the time off and everything...would have went this year. For sure going to try to make it next year! @OkieFlyer you with me or what?? We can throw some cammo on @eman1200 or draw a deer skull tattoo on him and make it a POA party. :)
 
Radar Contact said:
I'll be honest, first I've heard of this place but when I read @hindsight2020 's description I knew I'd like it. Looked at a few videos and I'm just disappointed I didn't know about it sooner. I had the time off and everything...would have went this year. For sure going to try to make it next year! @OkieFlyer you with me or what?? We can throw some cammo on @eman1200 or draw a deer skull tattoo on him and make it a POA party. :)
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I got me some chewin tobaccer and some double aught, let's party YEEEHAWWWW!!
 
It's great something like this can exist. Enjoy it while it lasts, someone will screw it up.
 
Zeldman said:
Only craziness I saw was the folks that didn't know how to do a soft field landing. When the mains touch on tricycle gear that yoke should be full back. If the plane lifts off the ground, then too fast.
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I noticed a few landings where pilots underestimated the effect of the mud on touchdown. The airplane was immediately and significantly slowed, and wanted to stand on its nose.

It looked a little too sporty for me.

But of course, I've never landed on a grass strip with 10" deep muddy ruts. Maybe the adrenaline rush is the attraction. :D
 
3393RP said:
But of course, I've never landed on a grass strip with 10" deep muddy ruts. Maybe the adrenaline rush is the attraction. :D
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I haven't even landed on a dry grass strip, much less a muddy one....:lol: I have landed on everything else but grass. Knowing how soggy the ground can get in that part of the state, I would want to walk the runway before attempting to land. But if that is not possible I would want to do a low flyover followed by dragging one wheel lightly on the surface, and probably not land where I see deep muddy tracks.

I agree, I think a few folks underestimated the muddy parts. And too many little bitty tires. At least I saw a few planes with semi tundra tires on. I loved the low flybys.

When I lived near there it was called REE claw.
 
Looks like fun! I watched the video, didn't see anything egregious - - low passes were down the runway, and with severe VFR, sunny, unlimited vis, why sholdn't a pedestrian cross the active? Looks like a non-issue to me.
 
Sundancer said:
Looks like fun! I watched the video, didn't see anything egregious - - low passes were down the runway, and with severe VFR, sunny, unlimited vis, why sholdn't a pedestrian cross the active? Looks like a non-issue to me.
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It's not bad, but you have to accept it for what it is or don't go. A lot of people talk bad about it, but most of us are happy they don't attend!

People crossing the runway is an issue there, but they've tried to stop it and nobody listens. The runway has a big hill in the middle, so as you line up to take off, you can't see anyone on the other side of the hill. People walk out in front of you when you're taking off, or landing, and sometimes they're dragging their dogs or kids behind them. I've seen some close calls.
 
Zeldman said:
When I lived near there it was called REE claw.
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It's pronounced "Wreck Law" and it's Reklaw, not Recklaw as it's commonly mis-spelled. It's Walker spelled backwards, named after the lady who donated the land for the town. Another town nearby is Lucas spelled backwards... Sacul, TX.

Reklaw_Texas_townsite_sign.jpg
 
Radar Contact said:
I'll be honest, first I've heard of this place but when I read @hindsight2020 's description I knew I'd like it. Looked at a few videos and I'm just disappointed I didn't know about it sooner. I had the time off and everything...would have went this year. For sure going to try to make it next year! @OkieFlyer you with me or what?? We can throw some cammo on @eman1200 or draw a deer skull tattoo on him and make it a POA party. :)
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Looks like my kind of folks!

Mooneys aint got no prop clearance. Might have to pick up @eman1200 at the nearest tarmac strip.
 
Interesting way of trimming the branches.
 
Lowflynjack said:
It's pronounced "Wreck Law" and it's Reklaw, not Recklaw as it's commonly mis-spelled. It's Walker spelled backwards, named after the lady who donated the land for the town. Another town nearby is Lucas spelled backwards... Sacul, TX.
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I was just going by how the locals pronounced it when I lived in the area. But that was back in '77, '78 when I was there fixin' flats on log trucks. I had to go in to Sacul a few times to fix flats, and it looked pretty much abandoned back then.

Times are a changin'...
 
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