Cactus Fly-In 2016 (Casa Grande, AZ)

[liveslow]

Cactus Fly-In at Casa Grande, AZ this year is March 4-5. Short Wings will be highlighted this year, see below from the AZ SWPC Chapter (Cliff is the organizer). More the merrier, we had a great time last year and will try to make it there again. Hope to see ya'll there. Justin

AZ SWPC Chapter members and friends:

Cactus State Flyin 2016, www.cactusflyin (http://www.cactusflyin.org).org (http://www.cactusflyin.org), Casa Grande, AZ, March 4-5, 2016 is almost upon us. This is the kick off aviation event in Arizona each year sponsored and conducted by the Classic Airplane Association of Arizona. We have excellent weather (most of the time) and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets this time of year and every airplane owner and/or pilot whether classic or not is invited to bring their pretty airplanes out to show off and tell stories about.


This year Cactus State is inaugurating a new program to celebrate and promote a different individual airplane type/manufacturer every year and have chosen Short Wing Pipers for this first celebration. I am in organizing this and will have a row of parking set aside for we flyin Short Wings to group together. We will have a Short Wing Piper Club banner and a table for distributing some literature somewhere along this row.

What we need and I am encouraging you all participate in is to:
1. Come and Attend the event whether you fly, drive, walk or ride in on your skateboard.

2. FLY your Short Wing to Casa Grande and put it on display with other pretty Short Wings. No limit on the number of Short Wings allowed.
3. FLY your other than Short Wing to the show and be proud of your flying machine.
2. Volunteer to sit at the AZ SWPC hospitality table for a little while to schmooze with attendees and to hand out literature.

I know there are a lot of very pretty Short Wings in the chapter and we need to show case them and proselyte more owners and club members.

Please mark your calendar and place this with your highest priority on joining us. There are some Short Wing owners whose email address I do not have. Please forward this announcement/invitation to those you do not see in my address list above.

[Brian]

I will plan to attend this year. I know there is a huge ramp there. Do we need to bring our own tie down anchors? What's the options for lodging nearby? Casa Grand's a bit isolated from nearby towns as I recall. I've refueled there many times but never overnighted.

[liveslow]

The ramp has chains for tie down.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Casa Grande and most of the people staying there were for the fly-in. They also ran a shuttle every morning to the airport which was well used. The hotel bar and restaurant in the evenings were full of pilots telling lies. This link has the hotel options and special rates: http://www.cactusflyin.org/lodging/

Hope to see ya there.

[SuperPacer]

Hope to be there, should be a great time, need to gather as many Short Wings a possible. Facility is great for this kind of event, except the camping is marginal! Recommend the hotel plan!

John
Arizona Pacer

[Rik]

I think I'll try and talk my buddie to fly his Tripacer along with mine! Flight of two from KMHV :)

[Brian]

Just booked Holiday Inn for Fri Night March 4th. Looking forward to it !

[pa20]

KCGZ on your ForeFlight or AirNav dial....
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KCGZ

[Pacerfgoe]

I think it might be a good idea to pick a meeting spot and a time so all the members from this board can get together and introduce themselves. If I remember correctly the terminal is right out on the ramp and has a few picnic tables to sit and visit.

[SuperPacer]

Forrest & All,

Meeting in front of the Main Terminal Building is a great idea. They always park a couple of really cool aircraft in that location. I plan to arrive about 1000 on Friday so maybe 1200 noon on Friday and even Saturday would be a plan. Hope to see as many Short Wingers as possible during the Cactus Fly In!!

John
Arizona Pacer

[liveslow]

Looks like we will be able to make it. Will fly in on Friday and booked at the Holiday Inn. Will try to make it at the terminal by noon John. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

[SuperPacer]

Great Justin, See you there. We will depart Cottonwood (P52) about 0800 Friday and expect to arrive about 0930 at Casa Grande. Will be a flight of two, Pacer & Tri-Pacer. Hope to meet up with a bunch of Short Wing folks.

John
Arizona Pacer
801 499-0413

[Steve Pierce]

I am looking at making Casa Grand this year. Anybody else want to fly out from Texas? Any updates on who else can make it?

[rsrguy3]

Hypothtically.... if I get my maintenance done and can fly down, what's the best way to cross the big crack? Also, what dangers are there for me to consider with regard to flying into an airport with a ton of other air traffic.

[andya]

crossing south of Hurricane, UT over the west end of the Bar 10 field by the river above 9000 is the simpliest, once you cross the river you
can go direct DVT and use the transition across PHX

[SuperPacer]

I have flown the route from Ogden to Cottonwood via Bryce Canyon (fuel stop) for the past 5 years and find it works well. This route is due south of Ogden, and extending past Cottonwood to Casa Grande it shows to be right at 500 nautical miles, modified a bit as you skirt around to the east of the Phoenix Class B . Cottonwood would also be a good fuel stop with our fuel at $3.35 per gal. The crossing of the Grand Canyon would be on the east end using "Zuni" corridor as shown on the "Special Grand Canyon Terminal Chart". I believe the south bound VFR traffic is at 10,500 msl, but you should verify that. In any case, the trip would be typically 2 hour legs to Bryce Canyon and then Cottonwood with the final leg to Casa Grand about 1 hour 20 minutes in a typical Short wing.
Hope to see you there,

John
Arizona Pacer
801 499-0413

[rsrguy3]

Just don't know if my tripe will do 10,500 close to gross. We'll just have to see how it performs with a fresh round of maintenance.

[SuperPacer]

Cool on the nose bleed altitudes! Then Andy's route would work better, with the in route altitudes more like 8,500 msl (<2,500 agl) until you get to the western end of the canyon that Andy mentioned. The corridor altitudes for VFR traffic are high to keep us out of the Canyon Tour operators who fly down in the canyon and along the rims. Best to monitor their Comm chatter to keep aware of their traffic. Hope to see you at Cactus.
john

[Pacerfgoe]

I just arrived in AZ tonight, so it looks like I'm going to the show with you guys and gals. Really looking forward to meeting some of the shortwing crowd, and taking in some of the events.

[SuperPacer]

Good to Hear, Forrest!! See you at the Terminal!!

John

[Brian]

Sorry but I won't be able to make it. KEMT's ramp and access taxi ways from the hangars to the runway were all graded up a couple weeks ago and now soft fill dirt is going back down. They won't allow powered taxi operations during this construction and towing a tail wheel across soft dirt is difficult and risky. Hope you guys have a great time. Looks like the WX will be hot and sunny over there this weekend.

[Steve Pierce]

I can't make it either. Been trying to get an airplane in here for a few months for some work and the stars finally aligned. You guys have fun.

[SuperPacer]

Brian & Steve, You will be missed at the Cactus Fly In, will get lots of photos & Post for all to review.

Brian, maybe you need some of those "Bush Wheels" for the soft dirt!!

See you next time,

John

[Steve Pierce]

Thanks John, wish I could be there but this work thing keeps getting in the way.

[liveslow]

Thought you guys may enjoy a photo of the 5 shortwings that showed up at Cactus this year. Nice turnout and was great to see everyone.

10122

[Steve Pierce]

Thanks for the picture Justin. Sorry I couldn't make it. Maybe next year.

[Jim Hann]

Looking good guys!