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Sun'nFun fly-out hotels

DanH

Legacy Member
Mentor
Thinking of doing something different this year....flying out of KLAL each evening to some other central Florida airport with handy accommodations...a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, whatever. Must be 40 airports within 15 minutes. Even Cedar Key is only 30 minutes by speedy RV.

How about it? Anyone care to suggest airports with beds close by?
 
Trade

I bet if you offer to share some fiberglassing techniques, there'll be plenty of builders who will pick you up and give you a place to stay!!!:rolleyes:
 
Great idea Dan! Turbo Eddie flies to the show every morning and back home every night. Either fling wing or RV. I followed him couple times... :)

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;)


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That's a really good idea. How hard is it to get in and out of Lakeland each day? In the AM arriving might not be bad (I'm an early bird), but seems a short window to get out when the airshow ends....
 
Without doing much research, a few that come to mind:

KOCF (Ocala)
KLEE (Leesburg)
KBKV (Brooksville)
KISM (Kissimmee - mucho Disney hotels)
KTIX (Titusville - cool air museum on the field)
KMLB (Melbourne - lots of small hotels around there)
KZPH (ZephyrHills - don't know what kind of hotels around there but it's one of those old training fields with great runways in a very interesting small town)
KVDF (Tampa Exec - near I75/I4/I275 so lots of hotels nearby)
KSPG (Whitted Field in St. Pete - near Interstate 275/175 and Tropicana Field)
KSRQ (Sarasota)


Some of these are > 15 mins, most less than 30 from KLAL (KTIX requires some maneuvering through/under/around Orlando Class B)

Jesse Saint is at Dunellon (X35) and he offers some accommodations, but I don't know if there's much nearby in terms of other services
 
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:D
That's a really good idea. How hard is it to get in and out of Lakeland each day? In the AM arriving might not be bad (I'm an early bird), but seems a short window to get out when the airshow ends....

Flying in before 9:00 you usually sequence in without a hold around Lake Parker.
I usually fly in on Thursday & Friday.

Departures from HB transient area is very quick especially when using 09. You get to cut the line.
 
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My friends and I often fly in to Zephyrhills. Good airport, plenty of parking, rental cars available (call in advance), many hotels and good restaurants. We usually stay at the Microtel. No charge for parking at KZPH if you buy fuel, IIRC.

The drive in to Lakeland in the morning takes maybe 25-30 minutes and with your rental car there, you can leave any time and take in some of the other airports and sights in the area. Plant City is also excellent and even closer---the Van's factory guys fly out of Plant City for their demo flight program. They have a constant stream of RV's coming and going all day, every day.
 
That's a really good idea. How hard is it to get in and out of Lakeland each day? In the AM arriving might not be bad (I'm an early bird), but seems a short window to get out when the airshow ends....

In theory, there's a two hour window each evening, 5:30 to 7:30. Typically evening arrivals can push the deadline, but not departures. They release the departures before opening the approach from the Lake Parker hold. It all goes out the window given a T-storm or bent airplane, so I'll probably throw a tent in the baggage hole.

My buddy Stan and I will probably land about 1400Z Tuesday, spend two nights, and head back to Alabama Thursday evening. Got truck business Monday and Friday. Ms Patti and my sister staked out next Saturday and Sunday for the Dogwood Festival in Atlanta, and old married guys know you never **** off your wife and your sister at the same time.

What I'm looking for here is something like the hotel at Watertown WI, just south of OSH.....a Holiday Inn Express 300 paces from the tiedown.
 
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Sun

River Ranch the hotel is walking distance from the tiedowns. No idea what the place is like these days, haven't been there in ages.
 
flying in and out is half the fun. arrive early leave early. the wx has been supendous. pm me and we can talk about turbo hotel for part of the week if that works for you. ;)
 
I am looking for a place to stay Thursday night. Planning to leave Indy at 4pm. Arrive around 9:00. Cant get into lal then so I was planning to land at winter haven or something, maybe find a couch in the fbo or sleep under the wing, or tent.
 
I spent some time last night searching hotels around airports, the criteria being a moderate walk with bags, no rental car. Now I know why the natives have not been offering suggestions. It seems there are very few mid-Florida public airports with a hotel on site.

Sarasota has a Hilton Gardens across from Dolphin Aviation. There's a Holiday Inn and a Hampton on the perimeter, but on the opposite side of the airport.

Whitted has a Hilton 3 blocks up the street.

Boca has the most convenient hotel, a Fairfield midway between the two FBOs.

Last, Winter Haven has what looks like an old dumpy place on the north airport perimeter.

Oops, almost forgot River Ranch, the dude ranch resort.

The most common lodging at Florida airports? Hands down, it's the county jail or the animal shelter ;)

All things considered, a fly-out to a hotel doesn't look so practical after all. For the price of a Hilton, some fuel, and FBO fees, I can just commute back to 08A and sleep in my own bed.
 
whitted

Highly recommend Hilton near Whitted. It may say 3 blocks, but the hotel is very close to the FBO. The FBO has a great restaurant on site. The entire waterfront area is walkable.
 
River Ranch

Is another option (2RR). A few experimental tied down there this morning.
 
Or land at Bent Willies 52FA just 10 RV minutes from SnF and Bill Whidden the owner will hook you up with his cousin. He is a sheriff and always has a bunk in a county jail. Just don't swim in his pond he has a 20 feet alligator pet there. Those cows are pet food :D

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Highly recommend Hilton near Whitted. It may say 3 blocks, but the hotel is very close to the FBO. The FBO has a great restaurant on site. The entire waterfront area is walkable.

I agree.
If you base at Whitted, there are several hotels plus countless local restaurants/bars along the downtown area. All within a short walking distance.
The comute in the morning back to LAL would be very short. 15 RV mins?

It's a beautiful airport.
 
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Bent willies open for biz

Vlad
The gator is 9' long not 20☺️
My Brother is the sheriff , but not in Polk county. He is sheriff about 100 miles south in Labelle X14.

Cows are not on runway so anyone that wants to "camp" at bent willies and fly in and out to sun n fun everyday is welcome.

For now the amenities are limited. There's a porta potty and firewood. Bring your own tent and tie downs. Enjoy!
 
Highly recommend Hilton near Whitted. It may say 3 blocks, but the hotel is very close to the FBO. The FBO has a great restaurant on site. The entire waterfront area is walkable.

Thanks Carol. Sounds like the hot ticket if I can get Patti to S&F next year. In recent times the only camping destination she has been excited about is Triple Tree. You know how nice the facilities are there.
 
The X35 RV Hotel is available. Give me a call and I can make sure there is hangar and car available and the RV Hotel (while unattended since the Fam is camping at the show) is open and available.
 
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