Best weekend x-c's

[SIG600]

Ok.... I see you guys go to all the same places. I've yet to see one that I haven't been drunk at yet (except Hill, decent skiing near by?).

Anyone going to Scottsdale make sure you hit the Martini Ranch. Some of the best talent I've ever seen ANYWHERE (and made for one story telling night).

 

[Mongoose69]

St. Patty's Day weekend

Try Savannah Georgia on St. Patty's Day weekend. The Guard (reserve?) has a CRTC there with ACMI land/water ranges and great debrief facilities. Riverwalk on St. Patty's Day was second only to New Orleans.

Cheers,
-Mongoose

 

[Huggyu2]

More thoughts: if at North Island on a Friday, stop by the World Famous I-Bar, just down the street from Base Ops. The T-Line guys will give you a ride. The Aviator Ale is good,... and quite strong.
Want to hit the Northwest? Boeing Field (KBFI) is great. They gave us a van for the night, we stayed downtown. The Seattle Museum of Flight in on the field; there's a good "aviation store" with books, shirts, and other pilot stuff; about 20 minutes away from KBFI, on the west side of Puget Sound is a great restaurant called Salty's. Sits right on the water and has a great view. If just doing a gas-and-go, we'll grab the courtesy car and do lunch there (minus the cocktails).
Also, we did Whidbey Island. We canx'd a scuba trip, but ended up driving to the town about 20 minutes away. It's real small, but had a couple of good bars and restaurants. The VFR leg from Boeing Field to Whidbey is a blast.
Like museums? Spend the night a Midland, Texas, and spend a few hours the next day in the Confederate Air Force Museum.
Ft Worth Alliance: they'll give you a free rental car for the night. The Worthington (a Marriott-branded hotel) gives the gov't rate. Last time I was there, the NY Yankees were staying there. It is walking distance from EVERYTHING, including Flying Saucer (hundreds of beers), Razoo's Cajun, Billy Miner's, and one of those Brazilian Meat Houses where you drop about $40 and crawl away in a food coma. About a dozen other good restaurants that I can't remember the names of.
Ellington: reserve a "VOQ" room early from the FBO, if you're on a budget. A very nice setup, and they've got a bar. Head down to Kemah's boardwalk (about 25 minutes) and grab seafood. There are some good nightclubs on Nasa Road 1, but the FBO girls can point you in the right direction.
NASA gives a public tour at Johnson Space Center (about 15 minutes away), but if you work it early using the "military pilot" angle, you can probably get more "behind the scenes".

 

[Fury220]

Oh yeah...I'll echo the Ellington words...best FBO *ANYWHERE*.

Call them before you T/O, and they'll order you pizza for free. Grab the pizza, then head to the "Briefing Room" (read: home theater) to chill with a movie (do they still have the playboy channel?).

If you get stuck there, they'll take care of you. I make it my normal Friday night stop on the way to KVPS and my other stops in the FL panhandle.


Also, Alliance in Ft Worth is the HEAT! Owned by Ross Perot, they'll take care of you! The "talent" at the desk is typically first-rate, to say the least...


I did an out and back to C-springs once...didn't have the time to check out much in town, but we had lunch. Check out a place called "SOLOs" which is close to the civ side of the field. It's a restaurant built around an OLD USAF refuler (can't remember which one), and you can eat in the old fuselage. I have pictures of me at the controls in the old cockpit. The food is good, and the talent is always ready to go the extra mile for dudes in bags (sts).

 

[SpoolDaddy]

My spelling will be out to lunch, but here goes:

1. Land Utapaou, layover Pattaya Beach, Thailand, pack your durex.
2. Osan special, GI Joes, I don't remeber anything else, but it was great! (Actually, I do remember the MP's busting my buddy Frag for being "out and about" past curfew, though I successfully lured his already paid for lady of the night to the keg party we had going on the roof of our hotel while Frag was put in cuffs and hauled away. I even bought her breakfast, thanks Frag!)

Domestic just lacks the appeal of the international or "national" league when on a cross country but if you must:
1. Mammoth Mountain, you can stop there, just don't land heavy or take a full bag of gas for takeoff.
2. Same goes for Hailey, Idaho (Sun Valley). Beware of overzealous reporters writing soft porn articles describing your takeoff and then getting them sindicated and therefore printed in the early bird. That cost me a week of flying, and I was the OpsO.
3. Whidbey Island or Burlington... and then journey north to Canada, God bless the Ladies of the North!

Six Clear and SF, SpoolDaddy

 

[SIG600]

If you get stuck there, they'll take care of you. I make it my normal Friday night stop on the way to KVPS and my other stops in the FL panhandle.

Were you at KVPS Super Bowl weekend? Stopped through there for gas and there were a few T-38's on the ramp.

2. Same goes for Hailey, Idaho (Sun Valley). Beware of overzealous reporters writing soft porn articles describing your takeoff and then getting them sindicated and therefore printed in the early bird. That cost me a week of flying, and I was the OpsO.

Alright story time.

 

[DaveGriffin]

If one of the AF guys gets a chance to check out a F-22 for the weekend, make sure you don't drive it across 180 long.

 

[talondriver]

...Beware of overzealous reporters writing soft porn articles describing your takeoff and then getting them sindicated and therefore printed in the early bird. That cost me a week of flying, and I was the OpsO...

Also, be aware of the retired col or even msgt watching your pulls in the pattern and feeling the need to use what military authority they still believe is entitled to them.

Unfortunately, anytime this happens, you're guilty 'til proven innocent.

Should this flow into another thread?? "Good deal XCs shot down due to alleged buffoonery"

 

[AA717driver]

The Sherry in MIA is still open and, despite the rumors, the front desk says they will stay as they are.

Martinair, Lan Chile and some other tasty delights await. I get pool reports from my non-furloughed buddy when he lays over there. Poolside pop machines that dispense beer. When the bar closes, they just walk away with the cash drawer. Honor system prevails...

It's ugly--I've rarely gotten to bed before 0400. Several hoppin' bars nearby.

I know AWA used to stay there, too. (That explains a lot.) Have fun. TC

 

[bssthound]

AA717driver reports:

Poolside pop machines that dispense beer. When the bar closes, they just walk away with the cash drawer. Honor system prevails...

It's ugly--I've rarely gotten to bed before 0400. Several hoppin' bars nearby.

As the world changes for the worse the places that take you back through a time warp are so much more precious. Back when I was a Lt . . . . .