Provo municipal in Utah

[Jafar]

Anyone fly out of here very often? I'm just getting ready to resume training after a long hiatus and will be doing it almost exclusively out of Provo. From what I gather they have recently built a tower, but it isn't up and running yet. Something about no federal employees yet or something. Anyone know when the tower will be active at this place?

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

From what the CFIs I know back at UVSC tell me, maybe a year before it's active. The airport is still a hornets nest, and in my opinion a mid-air waiting to occur. Might want to consider 36U or KSLC for training unless you like having 6 Katanas on downwind with you.

 

[2000flyer]

From what the CFIs I know back at UVSC tell me, maybe a year before it's active. The airport is still a hornets nest, and in my opinion a mid-air waiting to occur. Might want to consider 36U or KSLC for training unless you like having 6 Katanas on downwind with you.

Provo is one of the beautiful airports to fly into, especially coming from the east over the mountains. However, I have to agree with Texan on having a full pattern. Of the three go-arounds I distinctly remember, two happened at Provo. On both occassions, I was within 1NM, on final, making full radio calls and had a trainer turn final inside of me. Now, while it makes for practice on my part, the issue I have is explaining to concerned passengers why we had to go around on short final.

 

[Jafar]

Yeah, its a gaggle. One of my first flights we were taking off from 31 winds were 8 kts right down the runway. Get about 200 feet off the runway and here's some knucklehead in a 182 doing an ILS down 13. No radio calls, nothing. I assume it was ILS, that's the only ILS runway down there and it looked like he was coming straight in, not from the pattern. Regardless, it was a little hair raising considering I had like 2 hours or something.

 

[avbug]

I dropped on a couple of fires near there this year, in the hills east of Provo. Operating in the fire environment is not without risk, but by far the spookiest part of each sortie was not the fire ground, but transiting provo's airspace.

I recall that airport from years ago back when it was a decent place, before many of the buildings were bulldozed, and all the flying plastic came in. In fact, I flew the first Katana to enter the United States...and I flew it at Provo.

I even knew some of the principals at the college there when they were hawking a four year program, long before they had one to hawk...and sporting a drug siezed unairworthy shorts on the ramp, telling new students that it was part of their multi engine training program and the airline transition they used, to lure fresh meat.

This summer when I was sent to those fires, I had two different visits by plastic airplanes bumbling along where they really shouldn't have been, and closer to me than they should have been. Sad that the field needs a tower now, and the truth is, that if they used flight instructors with half the intelligence of a dead rhino and a quarter the courtesy of a bleeding skink, they wouldn't need the tower at all. Signs of the times; a degrading industry, lowering bar in the flight training arena, and the urbanization of yet another decent place to fly. Sad indeed.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

I dropped on a couple of fires near there this year, in the hills east of Provo. Operating in the fire environment is not without risk, but by far the spookiest part of each sortie was not the fire ground, but transiting provo's airspace.

I recall that airport from years ago back when it was a decent place, before many of the buildings were bulldozed, and all the flying plastic came in. In fact, I flew the first Katana to enter the United States...and I flew it at Provo.

I even knew some of the principals at the college there when they were hawking a four year program, long before they had one to hawk...and sporting a drug siezed unairworthy shorts on the ramp, telling new students that it was part of their multi engine training program and the airline transition they used, to lure fresh meat.

This summer when I was sent to those fires, I had two different visits by plastic airplanes bumbling along where they really shouldn't have been, and closer to me than they should have been. Sad that the field needs a tower now, and the truth is, that if they used flight instructors with half the intelligence of a dead rhino and a quarter the courtesy of a bleeding skink, they wouldn't need the tower at all. Signs of the times; a degrading industry, lowering bar in the flight training arena, and the urbanization of yet another decent place to fly. Sad indeed.

You referring to the fires along the inside of the Provo Canyon, than began as "controlled burning"? If so, I remember that!

 

[avbug]

No, I'm not. A number of fires I've flown on in the past have been prescribed fire ("controlled burn" is more of a slang media term, and a misnomer), however.

The last couple of fires up there were above Payson, and in Spanish Fork Canyon. Very steep drops, one into canyons (as opposed to away from them). The fire above Payson was closer to the top, and one you probably wouldn't have seen much off (other than smoke); it wasn't so much in the public eye.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

What do you fly when dumping on fires?

 

[avbug]

Right at the moment a turbine dromader. Almost all the large air tankers are still out of work following the underhanded contract cancellations that took place on May 11th. I'm pretty much done for the year unless there are any special needs. This year, as in the past few, fire fighting has been concurrent with other duties.

Presently the largest number of aircraft operating as air tankers are in the Type IV category, or single engine air tankers (SEATs). A few heavy tankers are in use under state contracts in Oregon (DC-6) and Alaska (with the Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources utilizing some CL-215's. Seven P-3's are operating at a fevered pitch nation wide, and two P2V's have been returned to service on an instrumented test basis. Otherwise, most of the fleet are turbine Air Tractor AT-802F's, turbine and piston M-18 Dromaders, and the new Thrush 660 (just coming on-scene).

 

[Wankel7]

If you go to Provo there is a place you MUST got to eat. It is a sandwich shop in the Walmart shopping center. It is basicly due south of walmart about 1000' in a lil strip mall. They make their own bread and it is simply the BEST sandwhich I have ever had. Just, unreal!

 

[sheep44]

Would that be Gandolphos?

 

[Matterhorn]

Yeah, its a gaggle. One of my first flights we were taking off from 31 winds were 8 kts right down the runway. Get about 200 feet off the runway and here's some knucklehead in a 182 doing an ILS down 13. No radio calls, nothing. QUOTE]
Runway 13 seems to always be the active runway regardless of winds.
I can't count the number of times I've been cut off on final, downwind, the middle of the lake. Where is the "creek transition" anyway? What about "practice area charlie?" They just seem to do their own thing with no information out to non-PVU pilots. It's the only airport that truly scares me.
Jafar, are you dead set on training at PVU or are you willing to drive a bit. We have several of our students at BTF driving up from “happy valley” to train. Come check us out, we’d be happy to show you around.

 

[Lead Sled]

We have several of our students at BTF driving up from “happy valley” to train. Come check us out, we’d be happy to show you around.

Hey, I learned to fly at Bountiful Skypark in a 65 hp Aeronca 7AC. How are things there?
Lead Sled

 

[MarineGrunt]

]Where is the "creek transition" anyway? What about "practice area charlie?" They just seem to do their own thing with no information out to non-PVU pilots.

This has been brought up many times to the 'powers at be' at UVSC, but as far as I know it's remained unchanged for years.

If you fly into/out of PVU on a regular basis, I'd stop by their flight ops and see if you can pick up one of their procedures manuals.

 

[Jafar]

Where is the "creek transition" anyway?

This could best be described (without a map, anyway) as entering the pattern from the west side of the field over the lake on a 45 degree angle with runway 31. From what I've been told this terminology isn't being used anymore. I don't know how they are dealing with that now, but I'll soon find out, as I'll be flying out there next week.

 

[Matterhorn]

Jafar and Mgrunt, thanks for giving me a proper answer for my question. Over the years I’ve learned somewhat where to look out. My biggest problem is the idea that all the locals get special terms for their flight areas and no one else knows where they are. It is stupid to just tell pilots they have to come in and get a special map just so I know what you are talking about. (No offense to you Grunt, multiple pilots in the air have told me this.) Use the standard “I’m X number of miles” from the airport or FFU. Then us common folk will have a better understanding.


Sled, Skypark is doing awesome! Our school is great. I keep a staff of 20 CFIs; we currently have 23 airplanes and over 125 students.

 

[Lead Sled]

Sled, Skypark is doing awesome! Our school is great. I keep a staff of 20 CFIs; we currently have 23 airplanes and over 125 students.

That's great! Things sure have changed since I flew out of there in the mid-60's. I flew an Aeronca 7AC out of there for $4.00 wet. There used to be a diagonal grass runway that we use on ocassion. Is there still a waist-high steel pipe fence at the south airport boundry that has aircraft tire tracks on it? I was there when the guy riccocheted off it. He was the luckiest dude at Skypark.

Lead Sled

 

[MarineGrunt]

It is stupid to just tell pilots they have to come in and get a special map just so I know what you are talking about. (No offense to you Grunt, multiple pilots in the air have told me this.) Use the standard “I’m X number of miles” from the airport or FFU. Then us common folk will have a better understanding.

No offense taken. You stated my point though. Several local instructors and pilots have asked the 'powers at be' to use more common language so everyone can understand.... but they haven't changed their routine, and doubt they will, so to understand THEM, it would be a good idea to know where "X" checkpoint is. When I transmit, I use the method you mentioned.

 

[Matterhorn]

There used to be a diagonal grass runway that we use on ocassion. Is there still a waist-high steel pipe fence at the south airport boundry that has aircraft tire tracks on it? I was there when the guy riccocheted off it. He was the luckiest dude at Skypark.

Lead Sled

One of my students remembers the grass strip too. The pipe is still there - I'll have to check for tire damage. Theyre clearing the horse pasture at the south-west end for a taxiway and more hangers. FlexJet has actually had Lears in here a couple of times. If you're ever up this way stop in and introduce yourself.

 

[urflyingme?!]

its so effing crowded there... what a headache!

reminds me of compton muni!