To Justin Mackie, owner of Mackie Ranch Airfield (UT91), airport ownership is a way of sharing his perspective of flying with other aviators and supporting aviation in Utah. 

Mackie is a private pilot who began flying at 15 but stopped shortly thereafter in favor of riding motorcycles. No matter how busy he was with that lifestyle, he always hoped to return to the skies. 

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“I stopped flying when I was about 17 years old and left aviation for a different direction in life,” Mackie said. “I raced motorcycles and was in that business but always wanted to get back to flying—it just wasn’t in the cards time and money wise. In 2016 I picked it back up and really got into backcountry flying and the STOL stuff. I finished my ticket and started getting more into it.”

As many pilots do, especially those who enjoy flying off the beaten path, Mackie wondered where else he could plant the tires of his highly modified 182. He thought a seemingly unusable section on his 160-acre property would be the perfect place. 

“This ranch has been in my family since 1966, and it’s an original Mormon homestead[from] back in the 1850s,” Mackie said. “I’ve owned it going on 15 years and live here in the summertime. We have [an] all-natural, grass-fed beef operation here, and there’s always been this part of the ranch that was just a waste of dirt, if you will. There was a spot that was just covered in sagebrush and juniper trees up on this bluff on the other side of the waterway. I always wondered what I would do with it, until I got back into aviation and bought an airplane.”

Building an airstrip of his own started to make more sense once Mackie began considering the effort it takes to get to the ranch from Henderson, Nevada, where he spends most of the year.

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“I own a private equity firm, and it’s a three-hour drive to my ranch from my home in Vegas,” he said. “Once you own an airplane, you start thinking real quick, ‘Why am I driving?’ So, I started scheming about how this would all work once I got a plane—now I am on my fourth—and finished the airstrip in the spring of 2021.”

The more Mackie considered building an airstrip, the more he felt like the ranch was a perfect place for one. He did have some concerns, though. 

“There were some things to figure out, as far as our ranch is in a low point in the surrounding mountain range,” he said. “We are in a horseshoe-shaped section of land in a 3,500-acre private valley, where there’s only one road into this valley up a canyon from the nearest town, Enterprise, Utah. So, there is rising terrain all the way around us, and there are some drainage areas that I had to sort out where the runway is.

“I hired two local guys and we just went to it. It took us about four weeks to build the runway, which is 2,450 feet long by 70 feet wide with a groomed native dirt surface and a 3-acre parking apron. And so there is no manure, hoofprints, or cows on the runway when you want to use it, I fenced off the entire area.”

Mackie credits several organizations with assistance during the creation of the airstrip and throughout its operation the last several years. 

“I got together with the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and the Utah Backcountry Pilots Association real early on,” he said. “One of my concerns was having a piece of private land with an airstrip that’s open to the public and the liability that comes with that. Most states today have a recreational use statute on the books, that if I make this open to the public, it’s not invitation only, no one’s paying to use it, and a few other things, then I have no risk of liability if somebody hurts themselves here. 

“I really want to convey the message of how important it is for people to use their private land to give back to the general aviation community and utilize the resources of the RAF and their local backcountry flying groups… Because of the amount of resources and lobbyists that exist in those organizations, I am able to do what I’m able to do here because I make it available to the public. I want landowners, or people with private strips, to know that they don’t let people fly in right now because they are scared.” 

Other publicly accessible airstrips inspired how Mackie wanted his strip to look like. A few in Idaho, specifically, served as inspiration for his efforts. 

“My goal, starting early on in my flying, was being a student of backcountry flying, high-density altitude, and all of the things that go along with safely operating in the mountains as a bush pilot,” he said. “I started spending six weeks or so a summer up in the Frank Church[-River of No Return] Wilderness [Area] in Idaho. I came to realize pretty quick that there’s a lot of people that show up in the backcountry without the necessary equipment or skills.” 

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In addition to the utility for his own use, Mackie hoped the airstrip would serve as a place where other pilots could dip their toes into backcountry flying.

“You could literally take a lawn chair to those [challenging backcountry strips], and it was like sitting at a boat ramp at the start of the summer, watching the train wreck all day long,” he said. “That became a big motivating factor for me and my airport. I decided it would be a place to go practice and refine my backcountry skills at an altitude that was meaningful but not a place that was scary, density altitude wise. There really wasn’t a lot of stuff in this area that anyone had built that was a great training grounds or a place that was made available to the public to hone their backcountry flying skills.” 

While Mackie Ranch Airfield is well suited for greenhorn pilots, there are, of course, operating challenges to be mindful of. 

“A normal day here is 70 to 80 degrees, which equates to a density altitude of about 7,000 to 8,000 feet,” Mackie said. “Completely surrounding us, there’s this big valley with peaks that are 7,500 to 8,200 feet high. If you can’t outclimb the ridges to the northeast of us, from Runway 05, you have a half mile to get over a ridgeline that’s 150 feet higher than the departure.”

One of Mackie’s friends, who had ample experience flying in and out of the airstrip, experienced an incident last summer where they impacted the face of a nearby mountain (but fortunately walked away unharmed). 

“So, it’s a challenging airport,” he said. “But at the same time, I get a lot of messages from local guys that this is their first off-airport experience and have had no issues. If you’re smart about it, it’s fine. For people that disregard the wind too much or disregard the high-density altitude, it can get sketchy real quick.” 

The post Utah Bluff of Juniper and Sagebrush Turned Into Backcountry Destination appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In October 2022, Stilson and his dad purchased 120 acres of land in southern Utah. From the outset, the intent was always to have a runway on the site.

“Location wise, we are about 10 minutes to the south of Beaver, Utah, up in the mountains [in the region of Fremont Indian State Park],” Stilson said. “We’ve named the land Fremont Ridge.”

The first priority for Stilson and his father—both pilots and joint owners of a Rans S-20 Raven—was establishing a place to land.

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“This chunk of the property which we got had a flat, open area on top of this mesa,” Stilson said. “It was just big enough to be able to put a decent-sized runway, and it took about a month to clear all the sagebrush, cut out the runway, and put down [grass] seed. We started the process in late 2022, and the grass started sprouting up in the spring of 2023. The runway and base stuff have been ready to go for a little bit, but there’s still so much left to do.”

Stilson is hoping to put the grass strip on the map, both figuratively and literally. He said an upcoming priority is to get the runway noted on sectionals, in addition to finalizing plans to make the airport a bucket-list place for other pilots. 

“We put two small container cabins up there and plan to add more,” he said. “There are a lot of other amenities still on the way. We also plan to have a parking area, so people can park their plane once landing. Then we are going to be doing things like installing a pickleball court. The goal is to eventually…create a little pond and have some fishing up there,” and add a large grass field for soccer.

“Then we have 20 acres off the end of the runway that we may potentially turn into an airpark. People could either rent a cabin or just come park their plane and stay for a night. We would like to make it something special and a great pit stop for pilots who might be traveling through or looking to adventure in southern Utah.”

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Stilson has slowly been letting the aviation community know about the airstrip. Even without amenities, the unique landing site has been eyed by a number of aviators as a place they want to visit. 

You may wonder: Can I fly into the airstrip? Once the airstrip is added to the sectional, Stilson plans to start allowing others to visit. 

According to Stilson, Utah’s laws make it an easier decision to open up the property for other pilots to enjoy.

“Utah has recreational laws that protect people who open their lands to people who want to recreate on them,” he said. “What I’ve been told is it’s almost smarter to rely on those laws than to try to create any sort of a liability waiver yourself, because these laws are already pretty bulletproof. The way to put it is, ‘land at your own discretion.’ If I put it on the pilot that they chose to land [here], then they take the liability.

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to make it very clear what some of the risks that come along with landing at this strip. I think most backcountry pilots will have no issue at all,” he said. “The airstrip sits at roughly 7,000 feet, and it can get up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit up there. There’s a lot of risk with part of the runway that is essentially a no-go-around for most airplanes.”

• READ MORE: Development Underway for New 400-Acre Fort Smith Metro Area Airpark

Stilson has been intentional about making the roughly 2,300-foot airstrip as safe as he can. 

“If you don’t have climb performance, it’s going to be really hard,” he said. “I recommend people land the opposite way, which is also a little more challenging because it’s slightly downhill. But at least you have a go-around option. [When landing] you have to hug some mountains and your base-to-final [turn] can be a little interesting, since you have to clear a couple of trees. We are working on doing what we can to make it a little safer, just because it’s somewhat technical.”

The fact that the airstrip sits on a mesa presents another challenge.

“You get that aircraft carrier landing from the winds that can potentially drop you down very quickly if you’re not careful,” Stilson said. “There are definitely a few technicalities to consider. But I think they are not going to be a huge deal, especially because we installed a [SayWeather] system and a windsock. This was a no-brainer for me because I need pilots to be able to get the wind direction and speed, as well as the density altitude.” 

In an attempt to help keep backcountry aviation alive, Stilson said he created this runway to spark a sense of adventure.

“Southern Utah is perhaps one of the most magical places to explore as a backcountry pilot. I’m an avid member of the Utah Backcountry Pilots Association and strive to be a good steward of the beautiful state we live in,” he said. “I hope our small airstrip opens the door to pilots who want to experience the southwest in a unique way.”

The post Perfect Spot: Building an Airstrip on Fremont Ridge appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

At the request of the state legislature, the Utah AAM Working Group, part of the Utah Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division, this week released a legislative report and study on the implementation of AAM services in regions such as the Salt Lake City metro area.

The Utah AAM Infrastructure and Regulatory Study is a 58-page framework—similar to the FAA’s Innovate28 and its previously released AAM blueprint—that identifies the benefits, limitations, assets, timelines, and funding mechanisms associated with the state’s adoption of these emerging services. It does not establish any new rules or regulations but simply provides guidance.

The Utah Legislature also called on researchers to review state laws and identify any changes that could be made to speed the development of the state’s AAM operations. But according to the report, Utah already has plenty of potential to support technologies like drones and air taxis.

“Through leadership foresight, from the legislature to state agencies, Utah has positioned itself to embrace AAM,” the report reads. “The state already has significant assets in place that could be utilized in early implementation of advanced air mobility.”

Researchers identified several positive effects AAM could have on the state, the two biggest being a reduction in carbon emissions—since many drones and air taxi designs are electric—and “clear and compelling” economic benefits.

The report suggests that AAM services would create the potential for thousands of high-paying jobs in vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, and vertiport operations. For example, Zipline—which operates drone delivery in Utah through a partnership with Intermountain Healthcare—hires FAA-certificated drone pilots directly out of high school and helps them to pay for college. Utah is also one of seven states where Walmart and delivery partner DroneUp are flying.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers could bring further employment opportunities. Two of the U.S.’s largest, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, have begun building production plants in Georgia and Ohio, respectively, far from their California headquarters. Both firms expect to produce hundreds of vehicles and thousands of lucrative jobs.

On the other hand, the biggest limitations of AAM may be safety and privacy concerns from Utah residents and impacts on local or migrating animals, according to the report.

Researchers believe that Utah has plenty of readily available assets that could serve the AAM industry with some slight modifications. They note, for example, that the Aeronautics Division is already assisting airports with electrification and vertiport installation. 

The report considers airports, unsurprisingly, to be “prime” locations for AAM operations. It lists South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Skypark Airport (KBTF), and Spanish Fork Airport (KSPK) as potential urban air mobility hubs, adding that local or rural airports could be turned into regional air mobility hubs or drone delivery service centers.

Based on data from the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the report also identifies potential sites for vertiports in communities without airports: underutilized parking garages. Shopping center parking lots, for example, could be transformed into landing pads by rearranging paint and lighting.

Utah’s “excellent” statewide fiber-optic and cellular network coverage should allow drones to easily broadcast data and communicate with remote pilots when flying beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS)—an FAA requirement.

The state’s electric grid, meanwhile, produces around 37,000 MWh of electricity per year to charge eVTOL or other electric aircraft. Utah relies on a shared grid system, which allows it to draw some additional power as demand increases. But its electric substations may require upgrades to support an influx of AAM aircraft. And at first, the state may need to build vertiports selectively based on the capacity of local facilities.

The Roadmap

The report examines what AAM operations in Utah may look like in various phases, zooming in to the next two to three years and zooming out decades from now.

“Everything does not have to be in place on day one,” the report reads. “The prudent approach is to follow a phased implementation plan that allows government and markets to grow one step at a time and adjust as appropriate to shifting market demands.”

Researchers broke down the plan into four segments based on “current industry projections.” The initial phase, which covers the next two to three years, will focus mainly on community outreach and public engagement. It will also involve the initial buildout of infrastructure, such as a statewide unmanned traffic management (UTM) system.

A UTM—and an Aerial Traffic Operations Center for the personnel managing it—is one of the “hard” infrastructure components Utah will need to add to its AAM ecosystem. Its creation, along with the improvement of cellular and internet broadcast receivers, will be one of the more challenging tasks the state faces.

In addition, Utah will require “soft” infrastructure improvements: more personnel, man hours, and expertise to name a few. The designing of aerial corridors, adaptation of land-use planning, and development of AAM policies are also on the agenda.

Phase two of the plan, expected to last three to five years, is primarily aimed at expanding UTM capacity and building the initial vertiport sites, with continued local outreach and engagement. Matt Maass, director of Utah’s aeronautics division, told the Salt Lake Tribune that 2028—which would fall under this stage—could mark the entry of AAM services such as electric air taxis.

The third stage is planned to last seven to 15 years. By this point, Utah hopes to have comprehensive UTM services, including a fully operational Aerial Traffic Operations Center. Vertiport infrastructure and operations should be at a “commercially viable” level, providing capacity for daily commutes.

The final phase, which could stretch from anywhere between 15 and 30 years, will tie everything together. By then, the state should have a fully integrated electric- and hydrogen-hybrid aviation and ground transportation system. This network would connect urban and rural communities statewide, the report predicts.

To get there—or to even advance beyond phase one—Utah will need plenty of funding. As things stand, municipalities looking to add vertiport infrastructure can apply for loans from the state. They can also issue general or revenue-obligated bonds if they expect to make money from those sites. And through a pair of recent House bills, federal financing is now becoming available. More is expected when the FAA is reauthorized.

“Mechanisms to acquire the money needed to pay for the new technologies are already in place, and more funding is anticipated from the federal government,” the report reads. “Most importantly, Utah’s preparation allows the state the flexibility to start at a methodical, yet efficient, pace.”

Researchers suggest the state might consider issuing bonds, appropriating general revenues, or using green revolving funds to help finance AAM projects. Potential funding mechanisms could also include fees (such as for landing, airspace usage, or permitting) and sales or excise taxes (such as on aircraft sales or facility charges).

How Utah Could Get AAM Laws on the Books

Though the report is not meant to create any new AAM rules, the researchers do suggest a few initial steps legislators could take to get the regulatory ball rolling.

For example, they point out that Utah Senate Bill 166, passed last year, defines the term “AAM system” and calls for state preemption of local AAM laws. Legislators could consider adding definitions such as “aerial transit corridor,” “vertiport,” or “UTM” to the rule, the report suggests.

To address property rights concerns, Utah could establish avigation easements, which would essentially give the state the rights to use airspace above private property, with the owner’s permission. The creation of an AAM Program Office and formal processes for licensing vertiports and registering AAM aircraft could also clear up things.

Researchers also say the state should consider requiring all municipalities to add the terms “drone package delivery” and “aerial taxi operations” to their approved conditional use permit lists. This would provide a basis for early AAM entrants to operate legally. Enacting zoning language for takeoff and landing sites and “vertiport overlay zones” could help municipalities further prepare for the birth of a new sector.

“Advanced air mobility is an entirely new transportation system and presents new opportunities and challenges never before encountered by departments of transportation,” the report concludes. “However, national-scale solutions for the entirety of the system do not need to be resolved prior to Utah implementing the first steps and phases toward active operations.”

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The post Utah Provides Blueprint of How AAM Operations Might Look at State Level appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Those who have contributed to the millions of views on his memorable YouTube videos know that Patey’s aviation adventures often begin in his home state of Utah. Now, a new line on his aviation resume is hangar developer, as he has joined forces with fellow pilots to bring more than 138 new hangars and a new FBO building to his home airport. 

Chain of Events

This project was the result of an unfortunate evolution at airports in the local area, according to Patey.

“We started to see a unique and unfortunate chain of events, which was the bigger airports squeezing out general aviation all throughout Utah,” Patey said. “They closed down a great general aviation airport in St. George, Utah, moved it into a bigger location, and shut down all of the small hangars. It was basically a complete removal of an airport to become a more commercial-centric facility. Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC) started to become a little more challenging [to work with], as if they were trying to be more commercial only. We started also seeing that with South Valley Regional Airport (U42), which is primarily only general aviation, where they stopped allowing people to build their own hangars and only allowed the airport to build and rent space.

“That doesn’t feel as much of a home, family community, since you can only rent and not own part of the field. And as that started to happen, we started watching and saw it happening all across the country. The little guys are getting squeezed out, the grassroots people with passion.”

To be a welcoming place for these pilots, as well as positively impact the growing demand for hangar space at his longtime home airport, Patey banded with three of his friends and fellow aviators: Troy Mason, Ryan Gledhill, and Grant Collard. 

Mason provided more detail about the hangar shortage and why the four decided to do something about it. 

“We kept talking about how we need more hangars here,” Mason said. “In the state of Utah, there isn’t a hangar available for sale—anywhere. In fact, if you want to take your brand-new airplane and tie it down outside, there is something like a 300-person waiting list. And who wants to put a brand-new plane outside? There are no hangars available.” 

As a result, the foursome decided that Spanish Fork Municipal Airport/Woodhouse Field (KSPK) would benefit from additional hangar space. Patey explained that this facility has supported his aviation dreams since day one and would be a great place to invest for the future. 

“We have been on this field since the day we learned to fly, both my wife and I,” Patey said. “Woodhouse Field is one of the oldest airports in Utah. It’s a generational family airport, and the original guy who opened it, one of the Woodhouses, was the first to bring aviation to the area. He learned to fix airplanes and also taught his son to fly, who taught his son to fly, and so on. And still today, multigenerations later, there is still a Woodhouse doing small aircraft engine repair and maintenance on our field.

“And fortunately, whether it was luck or foresight, when they were doing the initial development, they only allowed development on one side of the field. This left the other side for future generations. We feel like we are the next generation. We are in the hub of the biggest building area in the state, just outside of Salt Lake City [and just south of Provo], and are in the center of all of these airports where general aviation is being pushed out. And we feel very fortunate to be the next generation here, as we learned to fly at Spanish Fork, built our hangars at Spanish Fork, and started to build all our crazy planes that we like to build here at Spanish Fork.” 

There was some work with cities (one eventually relinquished its rights to the airport) that had to be accomplished first before the hangar project got off the ground. There was a considerable amount of discussion needed and Patey’s twin brother, Mark, jumped in to help. Over the course of several years, Mark Patey worked tirelessly to share the group’s vision with the city’s board, allowing it to understand the benefit of such a large-scale project at the airport.

The city of Spanish Fork is now the project’s biggest advocate and is working hand in hand with the four partners to ensure the more than 138-hangar development at the Patey Aviation Business Park is successful.

Dirt Work to Begin

“The city has been so supportive,” Mason said. “When we brought this project idea to them, they said, ‘Yeah, that sounds great. Submit us a plan!’ So that’s kind of how it started. We submitted a plan to them, and they loved it. In fact, they didn’t give us a wide enough space next to the runway, initially. They called us back and said, ‘We heard you. Develop the site plan and tell us what you want.’ That’s what we’ve done.

“The city has been fantastic every step of the way. Every time we need something, they’re accommodating. For example, the typical airport lease is like 15 or 20 years, and the hangars that we are going to build are nice. They aren’t sheds. These are beautiful buildings, and the bigger ones are going to cost, easy, two and a half or three million dollars. Anyway, we went to the city and said that customers for these will have to get loans for these hangars, and 15 or 20 years doesn’t give our customer the ability to get a loan. Their response was, ‘Well, Troy, this is where you are going to find out what great partners we are.’ They gave us a 50-year lease. Fifty years! What city is giving 50-year airport leases right now? That’s what we’ve been able to secure for our customers and the airport.”

Gledhill provided insight into the project’s general timeline, including the date that dirt work is expected to begin.  

“What we are hoping [is] we will be able to submit for a building permit, do our architecture, engineering, and everything else to submit for a building permit in June,” Gledhill said. “Unless there are some things with the Army Corps [of Engineers] that we need to work out for wetlands mitigation, we are hoping to break ground sometime [in] early August. If there are some mitigations that we have to go through, we will push that out three months. There will be several different phases. We anticipate the first phase taking about nine months or so. The other phases will start before that phase is totally complete, but I wouldn’t anticipate actual move-ins until the middle of next year.”

The development project doesn’t just include three sizes of hangars but also an FBO building set to rival any across the country, the group contends. This video, produced by Knighton Architecture, showcases a fly-through of the airport property, including the planned FBO building and rows of hangars—with hangar sizes ranging from 48 feet by 48 feet, all the way to 95 feet by 120 feet. 

A Destination Stop

“I think that the two main things we took into consideration when designing the site plan is making it an aviator’s airport and something that the community is proud of,” Gledhill said. “This is going to be a destination stop…. There will be reasonable fuel prices and amenities, which there are not a lot of at the field right now. People will want to come here. And by getting the community involved, it doesn’t [hopefully] turn into a Santa Monica (California], where people are trying to force the airport out.

“If everything goes the way that we are envisioning, the restaurant will be the dining destination in the city—and maybe even south county.

“There will be several different viewing areas that are front and center in the FBO. You hear a lot about how people got into aviation. They’ll tell stories about how when they were younger their mom or dad would take them to the airport on Saturday mornings for breakfast and watch the planes take off. We are creating some perfect spots for that to happen here. We are also talking about doing walls and tributes to people that made aviation great, including some locals here that are a big part of aviation history. This will be something the community is proud of.” 

This sense of belonging among visitors to the airport will be further developed with people coming together. Collard understands the importance of that, as well as what elements foster such an environment. 

“I am an apartment developer, and we have seen kind of a sea change in terms of what people want in a community,” Collard said. “In the past, it was just, ‘I want my place to live. I don’t want to see anybody.’ Today, communities are being set up around amenities where you are meant to bump into each other. That’s really what we want to bring to the airport. We want to bring a community [feel] and be a place where people can congregate. It will be a place you go to on the weekend and see people hanging out, not just preflighting their airplane and taking off. It will truly be a place to spend a lot of time.

“And that’s one of those things as a relatively new pilot I’ve appreciated most about aviation is that it brings together a really interesting mix of people that are aviation geeks. It’s a happy thing [for me] anytime that happens.”

The group has a unique metric for success in mind for the project. Rather than focus entirely on dollars and cents, Patey Aviation Business Park’s impact will largely be measured by the vibrance of the interactions at the airport. 

“Here’s the shortest summary of whether or not we succeed,” Mike Patey said. “If we come to the airport and we find that half of the people there showed up, even though they are not going flying, we built the right FBO.”

The post Utah Development Project Takes Aim at GA Hangar Shortage appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The couple’s development plans to turn the private airport into a residential fly-in community are unique for several reasons, starting with the fact it will be only the second of its kind in Utah, according to Pringle.

“We’ve had several people ask whether [fly-in communities] are common,” Alina Pringle said. “We tell them that it’s common across the United States, but in Utah there is only one other active airpark, and that’s down in the southern part of the state. So, in Utah we are basically going to be No. 2. It’s exciting! We are an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City, have a lot of ATV/UTV [all-terrain vehicle/utility terrain vehicle] trails right in our backyard and are about an hour away from the ski resorts.” 

The airport itself has been around for some time. Mark Pringle first broke ground at the facility in 2002. At first, there were six hangars and a gravel runway. Since then, 12 additional hangars have been built, along with a paved runway.

Not only will the airpark’s next phase include the residential component, but significant investment is also going into the aviation community’s central feature. 

“Our runway is currently pretty short—it’s 2,600-foot long,” said Alina. “Smaller aircraft and light sport aircraft that Mark has built for years [as the owner of Rocky Mountain Kitplanes], and some larger aircraft are open to come in as well. But it does limit it a bit. We have the plans done to lengthen and widen the runway, and it will be a 5,200-foot-long runway that’s about 60 feet wide.” 

For those who love to land on grass, like so many of the West Desert Aviators club do, the airpark will cater to that as well. They are working to have the only grass runway in the state, Alina noted. Additionally, West Desert is only an hour from backcountry flying, and the aviation ecosystem in Utah is quite conducive to that type of flying. 

“Here, you’re about an hour away from the remote strips,” she said. “Utah is a great supporter of backcountry flying. So, we have a flight school that is located here on the field already, West Desert Flight, that teaches primary training, as well taildragger endorsements and backcountry training.” 

When Mark Pringle asked the owner of West Desert Flight about some of the close Utah airstrips that he recommends, he jokingly responded, “Those are secrets you have to come and take my course [to learn].” But he followed up by noting that several of the best places to fly to in the area include Cedar Mountain, Mexican Mountain, Ibex, Mineral Canyon, and Happy Canyon.

With thoughts returning to West Desert Airpark, Alina outlined her and Mark’s current plans for the airport’s future, as well as the on-field residential subdivision. 

“We’ve worked hand in hand with Fairfield Town to show that we want the same thing as them,” she said. “And about three years ago we hit pay dirt, then went door-to-door to make sure everyone was on board with an airpark. We have had the land for the runway and the residential development, but it was just last June that the town approved the new rezone that allows for residential development here.

“We have about 30 acres, which we will develop into residential. We are looking at having 26 lots with a clubhouse. So far, we are still forming our [homeowners association] rules. But basically we don’t want there to be too many rules—just enough to keep everybody friends. We will have a certain required size for the home, but it won’t be huge. 

“We also currently have 28 hangar buildings here at the airport and are adding on rental hangars, as well as owned hangars now. We are full with a wait list, and so are all of the other airports in Utah. In fact, one of the closest airports to us is on a three- to seven-year wait list, depending on the airplane that you have.” 

With a longer runway, Alina anticipates there being an even larger group of potential residents from which to draw. 

“We anticipate there being a wide range of owners here at West Desert Airpark, which is what we prefer,” she said. “Our biggest focus is going to be, ‘Do you love aviation?’ Whether that’s flying a Mooney, an aerobatic aircraft, or whether it’s a STOL Rans or a Cub. I want the questions and conversations to be about where you went, what you flew, and how fun it is.” 

The hope is for the development’s clubhouse to be a natural place for neighbors to talk with one another, enjoying some hangar flying and good fun. 

“Our plans currently include a clubhouse,” Alina said. “There is no water out here. It’s the desert and it’s West Desert Airpark, right? And there are no recreation centers around. So, the idea is to have a gathering area at the approach end of the runway with a patio where you can watch the planes land. There will be a little pool. Itt won’t be huge but somewhere where we have a water feature. Having a pool, possibly a hot tub, and a patio at the clubhouse is what we are thinking.” 

In closing, she pointed out there’s a question frequently asked by aviators: How soon can I move in?

“If everything goes according to plan, the new runway will be functional by summer of 2024,” Alina said. “And that’s about the same time that we are looking at residential construction, about a year out, although we will start selling subdivided lots sooner. The smallest that we have subdivided so far is a little over three quarters of an acre, and the rest are a little over an acre.”

The post Remote Desert Airfield Turns Its Focus to Residential Living appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The proposed ordinance, which would amend Title 17 of the Grand County General Ordinances to prohibit aircraft takeoffs and landings outside of approved aircraft takeoff and landing areas, reads “No person shall takeoff or land an aircraft except at an approved aircraft takeoff and landing area.”

An approved aircraft takeoff and landing area is defined as a location or facility that has been explicitly approved, by the appropriate local, state, or federal land managing entity for takeoffs and landings of the type of aircraft in question.

The ordinance defines aircraft as motorized airborne vehicles, including fixed-wing airplanes, helicopters, motorized paragliders, and ultralight aircraft. The ordinance does not included unmanned aerial vehicles, nor does it apply to temporary and occasional takeoffs and landings for aviation activities which are conducted by or on behalf of governmental entities, for medical rescue or emergency purposes, during agricultural purposes, or for seismic or other oil, gas, or mineral exploration, for the purpose of maintaining and repairing public utility facilities, for permitted commercial filming or construction purposes at backcountry airstrips for historically established uses, or for emergency or safety landings.

Great Public Attention

The number of people who filled the meeting room to speak out against the proposed ordinance and in favor of backcountry flying was a pleasant surprise to Utah pilot Roy Evans II.

Evans is the president of the Utah Backcountry Pilots Association, a group with a mission focused on the preservation and protection of Utah’s backcountry airstrips. He said the group learned of the proposed ordinance last weekend, and many made the effort to attend the December 6 commissioner meeting to speak out against it. 

“There were some 50 to 70 physically in attendance at the meeting to express their concerns, and there were another 30 to 40 online via Zoom and YouTube. We heard there were over 400 written comments submitted to the commissioners as well,” he said. “We were all there to address and avoid overreaching ordinance that could prohibit or restrict backcountry flying severely.”

The proposal would impact around 25 backcountry strips in the area that are popular with pilots, according to Evans, who added that he was surprised by the number of people who are not pilots who also spoke against the proposed ordinance.

“These were backcountry recreation enthusiasts who perceive the ordinance as a degradation of freedom,” he explained.

The land is owned and managed by multiple entities including county, state, tribal, and federal government with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding the lion’s share consisting of 1.8 million acres on the Colorado Plateau. The area is popular for hiking, biking, BASE jumping, horse-back riding, river rafting, off-road motorized ground vehicles, and of course, aircraft.

BLM did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment.

Grand County Commissioner Mary McGann told FLYING that the proposed ordinance “is not meant to keep people from flying in the backcountry as it allows takeoffs and landings from established airstrips.” Rather, it is an attempt to “get in front of aircraft noise complaints” which, she said, the commissioners get at a rate of three or four a month.

“That comes out to about 48 a year, which is a lot as this isn’t a very populated area,” she said. “Most of the complaints are from Spanish Valley and Castle Valley.”

McGann said the noise complaints are often related to helicopters that are dropping BASE jumpers off on top of large rock formations or from the low-flying aircraft that are doing electric company powerline patrols. The rock formations amplify the noise of any motorized vehicle, she said, adding that at the present time most of the noise complaints are generated by the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). “We wanted to take a proactive approach to address aircraft noise, and we will be working with different aviation groups to do that,” she said.

Flying Is a Privilege 

After more than an hour of testimony, the commissioners decided to table the issue to give them time to gather more information from the stakeholders in order to craft a letter to the BLM. Input from aviation groups, such as the nonprofit Utah Backcountry Pilots Association and the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), will figure prominently.

The RAF’s mission is conservation and protection of backcountry airstrips all over the country.

“This is a great opportunity for communication,” said RAF president John McKenna. “We have the opportunity to step up and not be the subject of the complaint.”

McKenna urged all pilots to be good neighbors and recognize that their airplane is creating noise, and it’s up to us to manage them wisely and with consideration.

“We have a responsibility, and we share the resources with other users,” he said. “We should be mindful and courteous to other users and realize that flying is a privilege.”

The post Utah Pilots Object to Proposed Ordinance Targeting Backcountry Flying appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

These military aircraft, which are woven into our country’s DNA, dazzle and delight us at museums, airshows, fly-ins, and other places. Even with the emphasis on these aircraft, their capabilities, and their stories, there has historically been less attention on where these birds once roosted. 

The Historic Wendover Airfield Museum (KENV) in Utah exists to help share, as well as preserve physical assets that are deeply rooted in one of America’s most trying times. James Petersen, the museum’s founder and president, provided an overview of the airfield’s extensive history.

“This is the largest and most original remaining World War II Army Air Force training base in the country,” Petersen said. “We have just under 90 of the original 668 buildings still standing. This is the only airfield that was part of the Manhattan Project. A total of 150 prototype atomic bombs (none with nuclear material) were assembled and tested from this base. The 509th Composite group trained here.  The conventional training resulted in 20 [Boeing] B-17 [Flying Fortress] and [Consolidated] B-24 [Liberator] bomb groups being trained here [for] the USAAF [U.S. Army Air Forces] phase II training.”

This and other aspects ultimately led to the museum’s published contention that, “The importance of this site to our national history is not surpassed by any other airfield in the country.” And it is this historical importance that both inspires the airfield volunteers and benefactors, as well as provides lift to the museum in its efforts toward educating aviation- and non-aviation enthusiasts alike about its past. 

The Museum’s ‘Mona Lisa’

The airfield’s original buildings are naturally points of emphasis on daily tours. Some of the highlights visited during those guided airfield circuits are a squadron maintenance hangar, restored fire station, Norden Bombsight building, B-29 hangar, and the atomic bomb loading bay. Among others, a few additional noteworthy untouched, restored, or in restoration buildings onsite are the control tower, airman’s dining hall, barracks, squadron operations buildings, munitions bunkers, hospital buildings, and bombsight storage vault.

The labor of love to get these buildings up to the stage that they are at now and show them to the general public has been nothing short of impressive. To this end, Petersen advised what it has taken to bring the B-29 hangar back to its former glory, which arguably is the museum’s Mona Lisa.

“There is, of course, a much bigger story than just a few words. However, about $1.5 million has been spent at this point. Projects have been to remove asbestos from the boilers, roof, and big hangar doors. The building has been sheathed in new corrugated metal to replicate the original. The side offices have been straightened and stabilized with new shear walls. All the windows have been replicated as original and replaced. The hangar doors have been removed, bent metal replaced, and refurbished. New restrooms are just about complete.”

Even with all the work that has already occurred, there are still quite a few items left to finish on the 54,000-square-foot hangar, Petersen added. “However, the complete electrical service, interior wiring, and lighting needs to be done. Insulation, sprinkler system, interior wall finishes, minor interior concrete repair, and refurbishing the offices and lower-level maintenance shops needs to be started and completed. Outside, some concrete ramps need replacing, the parking area graded and paved, and visitor walkways and amenities need to be completed. The estimated cost (at the new construction rates) is estimated at around $2.5 million. The hangar, however, is in use at this time.”

Rare Visitors

While the airfield itself doesn’t presently host as many aircraft on a full-time basis as other museums across the country, Wendover does occasionally get a visitor that helps to further bring together past and present. An example of this is B-29 Doc, which stopped by on a recent tour of the Western United States. 

During its time at the museum, the four-engined bomber was able to spend an evening where another well-known Boeing-made Superfortress was once housed. During its stop at Wendover, Doc was the first B-29 in the Enola Gay Hangar since the 1950s and it was the first time in more than two decades that a B-29 flew in. (FIFI visited in 2001.) 

As one experiences flying aboard World War II-era aircraft, like Doc and others, there is something to be said about the intersection of learning about a topic and being where that subject once was. The setting at the museum allows for that, Landon Wilkey, the museum’s curator, helped to explain. 

“Flying into Wendover is interesting enough as one wonders what all of the hangars, structures, and assorted sites around the area are. Once a pilot departs with a better understanding of our story, they will realize they are seeing a sight not so far removed from what the bomber pilots and crews of the 1940s were seeing as they flew intensive training missions day after day in preparation for combat.”

He continued, “By visiting Historic Wendover Airfield, you literally have a chance to ‘walk where they walked.’ This is a place to connect with those intrepid flyers of World War II and important events in aviation history.

The museum’s leadership expects that the emphasis on preserving historical aviation real estate will draw in pilots from near and far, both those choosing KENV as a final destination or a stopover. 

Wilkey emphasized, “The museum is a good ‘cross country’ stop. Pilots can easily access the museum buildings, once exiting the ramp. There are five casinos which offer a variety of restaurants and gaming opportunities. We are also adjacent to the world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats which can be viewed from the air or via a short trip just outside of town.”

The post Wendover Airfield Museum a Treasure Trove of History appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

No serious injuries were reported during the incident, military officials said.

The incident occurred around 9:25 a.m. near Snowbird Ski Resort in the Mineral Basin area Tuesday morning when downwash from helicopter blades churned up a cloud of fresh snow, obscuring visibility, according to a military spokesperson.

“As they landed, the snow kicked up and the aircraft probably lost sight of the ground,” Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jared Jones, aviation public affairs officer for Utah Army National Guard, said during a press conference.

The Black Hawk crews were conducting regular winter training when they attempted to make the landing about 150 yards away from the resort area at the approved site, which Jones described as large and fairly level.

“We know that there were portions of the [main] rotor blade that separated from the helicopter and struck the second helicopter,” which then landed quickly, Jones said. 

No fuel leaked during the incident, he said, and the crew was able to walk away from the accident site, and take a resort tram down the mountain to seek medical attention.

“It was a blessing that everyone was OK,” Jones said.

Here is a video of the Blackhawks crashing while we were riding down Mineral Basin around 9:30 am. Military buddy I was riding with recognized the Hawks coming in to land. So far sounds like everyone was ok from what we’ve heard. Thankfully! Video cred: Tom Carney #snowbird pic.twitter.com/JKTAqndqdE

— Cory Inman (@IM_Inman) February 22, 2022

One witness told The Salt Lake Tribune that he saw people “within feet” of the accident site. “It was close; it was a pretty scary event,” he told the newspaper.

The accident is rare for the National Guard flight crews, Jones said.

The unit routinely conducts summer and winter mountainous training that involves dust and snow conditions, including full white-out conditions, he said.

“Snow at this time of year is very common and usually celebrated,” Jones said. “The crew trains to land in snowy conditions,” or ice, he said. “It’s a normal thing.”

Immediately after the incident, Army National Guard maintenance test pilots assessed the damage and following an investigation, the aircraft will be removed as soon as possible, he said.

“In combat, there are places that you have to land sometimes that are that difficult,” he said.

“We are grateful that no one was seriously injured thanks to the quick reaction and training of both command pilots,” Maj. Matthew Green, commander, 2nd GSAB said, KUTV reported. “Right now, our top priority is taking care of both crews.”

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