mark manda

mark manda

Well Known Member
I just made room reservations for fri and sat night. Everett. I get off work thurs. morn. so my dad said he'd do some flying.

Figured we would stay in Aurora, OR since I've been there, on thurs. and then fly in and make Arlington on Fri. sometime.

Just hope we see some RV's and also have no regrets of only being there fri. p.m. Sat and then half day on sunday.

Flying from Bakersfield,CA in a C-182.

any other threads out there? do we need a rental car? Where are GA parked? What am I missing?

thanks.
 
Here's the basics...

Friday & Saturday are the largest days with the most planes. Of course that's always weather depending. Sunday starts to clear out fairly fast.

GA parking is across the main taxiway from show parking, but right in the thick of things. There will be plenty of RV's on any day you come. They have their own parking area called the "RV corral" down at the south end of the flight line.

You will need a rental to get to hotels offsite or camp with your plane on the field. There is food on site...

Another easy option for a place to stay on your way up is Albany OR. They have a motel right on the field with a taxiway and parking in front of it.
 
How ya getting around

Arlington to Everett is a pretty good 15-minute/mile drive. I had my RV based at (AWO) Arlington for many years and lived in the area for 15 years. This transport issue might be a little hic-up in the plan?

There are NO rental cars, as far as I know, at Arlington airport. If the hotel will shuttle you all the better. Other wise taxi service is marginal and expensive and public transport is almost nonexistent.

As far as the fly-in, if the weather is good, it is the best show around. Not too large and not too small. Still has that small flyin feel, but is a good size show. Chance is if the weather is good there will be over a hundred RV's come and go all weekend. When I was AWO there where 20 RV's based on the field alone. The Blackjack RV group will no doubt do their formation flybys since several are based at AWO.


There are all kinds of planes. Military planes do not dominate the air show, like Oshkosh. Nice classics and antiques show up also. There is a good amount of vendors but nothing like Air venture or Sun N fun. However I got a deal on my Aero classic seats, which are the best. They are just down in Oregon.

If you want to take a evening or morning flight to the San Juan Islands I recommend Friday Harbor first. A quick walk into town has lots of shops, restaurant and a beautiful harbor with boats, sea planes and the large car ferries gliding in and out. The scenery is spectacular. Other island/airports are Orcas Island and Roach Harbor. Roach is historic and has an Inn that former US president Teddy Roosevelt stayed at and a nice Harbor. All these airports are within a 15-20 minute walk to town. Flight time from Arlington is about 20 minutes one way.

If you want something fun to do, take the bus to the east side of the airport (free shuttle bus goes from the show side, west side, to the "airport" hanger side of the airport) and get off at the Taildraggers restaurant greasy spoon (or what ever it is called now). Walk down to the Southeast hangers and get along the taxi way and the approach end of the runway (Landing north with good weather, which I hope you have). This is a low-key airport. The show of all the arriving aircraft trying to land Saturday morning is FUN to watch. Also after the show everyone departs and it is fun to watch the Conga line. The bus stops running during the airshow and of couse the airport closes to arrivals and departures during the airshow. Arrival on Friday should be no problem. Saturday morning, watch out it is a Zoo.

There is a nice restaurant just off the field. Again get to the East side of the field and walk south to the two-lane road (hwy531), take a right and walk down a few blocks west. The restaurant is just west of the approach end runway (34). It is a real restaurant, has a patio you can see the airport and has pretty girls serving good food and beer, not over priced like the typical over priced "fair" food you get on site.

Just down the street is "smoky point". A 1/2-3/4 mile down hwy 531 (small two lane road running E-W just south of the airport) there is smoky point blvd (near the I-5 intersection). At this intersection of 531 and smoky point blvd, for all you folks camping, there are three large strip malls, groceries and food.


Nighttime activities are pretty limited at the show site. They might have a plane doing some firework aerobatics, hot air balloons will light up, may be a band will play under the tent and some old movies shown (drive in style) for entertainment.

On the way up or down try to fly over Mount Saint Hellens.

If you go out to eat in Everett get to the waterfront and go to one of the many nice seafood restaurants. Great views and good food.

Enjoy George
(PS No longer live in the area so I can't offer you any hospitality)
 
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Man, you guys are getting me excited! I'll definitely look up Albany,OR I would much prefer an airport with a motel right there. Just don't know any.

Maybe we'll need to stop just inside WA or another hour past Van's. I'll flt plan for 130kts. 3 hr. legs.

I plan on flying around Mt. st. helens. at homecoming we flew up to it and came back. No big deal. and then we were informed that you need to fly around the BACK of it to see the damage.

Probably won't the plane up on Sat. night but will look for seafood in Everett. Looking forward to seeing the coast line. Never been up there.

I know santa Maria, Ca, St george Ut that's it.

I figured all the closer motels would be booked so I went for Everett. The motel says they have a shuttle. Cars are avail. according to website thru Enterprise. but if we arrive late fri. I figure shuttle for two nights only is acceptable. I hope.

I could stay home and go to Cable airport's fly-in but crave something different and NOT making OSH this year.

thanks for input. mark
 
Albany, OR

I stay in Albany about twice per month for business. I always stay at the Comfort Inn and Suites, which is right on the north end of the runway of Albany's airport. I thought I would mention that, just in case you wanted to pre-book a hotel. Nice, cheap, and a 5-minute walk from your plane tie-down.
 
Sound or Ocean

mark manda said:
Probably won't the plane up on Sat. night but will look for seafood in Everett. Looking forward to seeing the coastline. Never been up there. Mark
Click to expand...
Small point Mark, I know what you mean, but it is not the coastline per se. The actual coast is about 100 nautical miles west thru the ?Straits of Juan de Fuca?. You will actually be on the Puget Sound (pronounced Pew-jit). It is just Everett Bay shore line, but it is nice. Also a drive over to Paine Field you can drive by the Factory and see the flight line. Very Impressive. Another place to eat is just down from Paine Field/Boeing factory called Mukilteo (muck-cull-tee-o). It is on the water and has two very nice Seafood restaurants.

If you really want the view, take time (about 45 min no traffic) to drive to down town Seattle, to Pike's Place market and Fisherman's pier. The view of Elliot bay and the Olympic Mountains to the west is awesome. Too many restaurants to choose from. Like I said the fly-in dies after the show late after noon everyday. There is plenty of daylight to take a local flight or take a drive. The air traffic is pretty mellow after the air show rush to go for a sight seeing flight. If you don't want to fly, you have plenty of time to drive to Seattle if you get a car. It is a straight shot down I-5.

As far as the coast the North West Washington coast is very rocky and rugged, which is beautiful in its own way. It would be out of your way to fly over the Olympic peninsula on your way home. Fly Safe and enjoy,
George
 
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gmcjetpilot said:
On the way up or down try to fly over Mount Saint Hellens.
Click to expand...

Or maybe just fly near it. There is still a TFR in effect over Mt. St. Helens. Also, it is a national park/monument/something, so increased minimum altitudes are in effect (1500' AGL? 2000'? I used to have that memorized...)

I'll be up at Arlington on Wednesday (I know... a slow day) and probably Saturday.

Dave
 
Okay, have reservations in Albany (although thirty miles short of Van's). Attempting to get to Van's by 3:00pm for the last possible tour. Then to backtrack to Albany comfort inn for the night.

Have a full size rental car reserved for pick up and drop off in the Fly-in. Enterprise. So we'll drive to Everett. will try east side of field for food, sounds like the kind of place like the white restaurant out the gate and across the st. at the north forty at OSH.

Would like to eat seafood "on the waterfront," how's that? ;) and on the way out, wx depending how about a big loop over the islands and then V495 south.

Notam says something about not allowing routes to the west of ARL. ?

And then looking for interesting stops on the way home. Maybe Eureka,CA?

I know a guy(via the web) that recently retired from Boeing up there. I'd like to see that field. possibility.

thanks again for info. mark
 
The Chinese restaurant at Redding yesterday was great! Albany at sunset, nothing like it; little laid back airport and sure enough, walked to our room outside the gate. even got a jacuzzi in the suite.

The trip to ARL today..... 2 hrs. of actual at 10,0. IFR. ARE WE THERE YET? finally dropped down and made the visual approach OVC around 2,000 ft. on a slick rwy 16 at ARL. About 20 rvs.

Just had an incredible seafood dinner at the Everett port wharf.

Occasional light showers and low ceilings today made ARL a damp low key, no airshow affair. Looking forward to tomorrow.

mark
 
Thanks

Enjoyed the pics, don't apologize about the pics, they where great; you know we want to see the detailed pictures. That Rocket was crazy nice.
 
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