Fly Out Destinations
Fun day trips
We are looking forward to more fun day trips in 2024!
Contact Barry Halsted
In 2024, we are tentatively planning trips each month to a variety of great destinations.
July is the first of two months where people planning to enter EAA Chapter 430’s Poker Run can stamp their entry forms with Washington Pilots Association Passport Stamps, available at a group of qualifying airports. At least four aircraft in our group stamped their entry forms at Concrete, and at least two also stamped their forms at the nearby Darrington airport. The Poker Run ends at Chapter 430’s meeting on August 26, so there is still plenty of time for participants to collect stamps from five of the listed fifteen airports. There are some nice prizes, and the first prize is cash, based on the number of entrants. So please join in the fun and include your passengers! The more entrants, the bigger the first prize!
Summer is not over! We’ll have more weather like today’s so please join us at our future 2023 flyouts. Those Poker Run participants attending the fly-out will be given a bonus card when the Poker Run cards are drawn at the meeting, so don’t miss that one!
Tacoma Narrows Flyout
The morning of March 14 presented us with clear skies and little wind. Visibility on the way to the Tacoma Narrows airport in Gig Harbor was perfect for our flyout – all the mountains were brilliant white with the recent snow. Four airplanes brought Richard and Mary Ann Howell, Cenk Özer with Linda-Ann Priddle, Ray Ballantyne with Barry Halsted, Tim Alentiev, and one car brought Sid and Tricia Vandiver! Tim was the first to arrive in his RV-10 (as usual) and the rest of us were close behind. We all enjoyed a nice lunch and watched numerous airplanes land and take off runway 35.Following lunch we got together by the RV-4 that Cenk purchased recently for more photos, then left for our various destinations. For those of us flying, the skies were just as clear as earlier and the water and mountain views will remain with us for a long time! Barry
January 2024 Flyout
Forks Flyout November 2023
We had a great flyout to Forks for our November flyout today. The weather included some clouds between Port Angeles and Forks, just enough to make the trip interesting. Some flew in beneath the clouds from the Sequim area, and some flew on top. The clouds disappeared north of Forks, so the airport was beneath clear skies. Tim Alentiev had no clouds at all on his flight which began south of Seattle.
By Wednesday afternoon 7 people had advised they planned on coming. By the time I phoned the restaurant Thursday morning that number had increased. When I told the restaurant that 14-15 of us were going to descend on them the response was “Holy S***”! The final count was 18: Ray and Lisa Ballantyne, Richard and Mary Ann Howell, Ken Brown, Dave Woodcock and Jay Pearlman, Dave Gardner, Ernie Hansen, Jeff Smith, Tim Alentiev (from Kent), Mike and Laura Friend (Bremerton chapter 406), Joel Mapes and Mark Donahue (also from 406), and I (Barry) brought a friend from our airstrip. Gunner Rogers (who lives in Forks) joined us. Airplanes making the trip included two Cubs, a Stinson, a Glastar, several RVs (6A, 8, 8A, 9, 9A) a Sling, and Saffire. Most of these aircraft arrived within a few moments of each other; I can’t imagine the airport there was ever busier!
I believe all of us had good meals at Blakeslee’s Bar and Grill; I had their signature hamburger and won’t need dinner tonight. We were seated at three tables in a room to ourselves, I think. By the noise we generated I’m sure there was plenty of socializing going on. We all left the airport the way we arrived, and how fun is that! Good weather, good food, good people. Altogether a really cool flyout.
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Our flyout called for meeting at the Concrete Mears Field sign in front of the field’s Pilot Lounge at noon. The Concrete Fly-In included a pancake breakfast and at least one of our group attended. Between noon and a few minutes after, our guys and gals gathered: Ken and Skip Brown, Dave and Barbara Boerighter, Todd and Sheila Taylor, Steve and Maria Emley, Bill and Dot Shepherd, Bud Davies, Barry and Tracy Halsted, and guests Tim Alentiev and Terry Smith. The field was quite active with airplanes coming and going and with people looking at cars and aircraft eating, and listening to live music. Seating was somewhat limited and the group split up somewhat for lunch, but we ran into each other during the rest of our time there.
The May flyout to Skagit Landing at the Skagit Regional Airport drew 8 aircraft and 11 hungry flyers. It is important to make reservations at this restaurant and we did so, paving the way for our reception. Early morning weather produced some low clouds and fog, but nothing was left but a few scattered clouds by the time of our flights. The lunchtime temperature was 65º and skies were clear.
Participants on this flyout included Ray Balantyne, Richard Howell, Ernie & Jeanne Hansen, Dave Gardner, Bud Davies, Jeff Smith, Marlo Jones, Tim Alentiev & Friend Tom Thurber, and Barry Halsted. Tim, by the way, often flies his RV-10 from Norman Grier Airport to our lunches. Marlo flew his PA-11 from Auburn. It’s nice to see guests on these outings.
Skagit Regional Airport is the home of the Heritage Flight Museum. On our last visit to this airport the flyout invitation mentioned those interested could stop by the museum after lunch, but unfortunately it was closed that day. Today’s flyout made no mention of the museum, and naturally it was open. With no advance notice, no one took the opportunity to head over following lunch. Maybe next time we can make a group tour there. Museum or not, all of our group had a nice flight and lunch, and plenty of socializing took place. What could be a better way to enjoy flying our own aircraft?
Other Recent Trips:
2022 Fly outs:
Flyout Reports From 2021
March 17 Fly Out to Forks:
This flyout was so much fun! The flyout to Forks saw the arrival of nine airplanes with 19 smiling restaurant patrons. They were (in no particular order) Bill and Dot Shepard (in Bill’s Super Aero), Ken and Skip Brown in their RV-9), Ernie Hansen and Joan (in Ernie’s Smith Cub), Richard and Mary Ann Howell (in their Cherokee), Andy Sallee, Emily Westcot and Crystal Stout (in Emily’s C-172), Dave Woodcock (on floats, sometimes – Husky), Harry Cook (in his PA-22), Brendon Carmody and friend (in Brendon’s Cherokee), Bud Davies (in his C-150), Jay Pearlman (in his RV-6A) and Tracy and me in Saffire. Although this was not an official EAA event, most of the participants were EAA Chapter 430 members.
April 14 Flyout to Whidbey:
The flyout saw a bunch of us enjoying the outside eating area at Whidbey Air Park’s Mukilteo Coffee Roasters. It was a beautiful day with what turned out to be very little wind, although the approach from the south had its common bunch and wiggles. Attendees included Ray Ballantyne and his son Dan from Colorado in Dan’s Glasaire Sportsman, Dave and Joan Miller (RV-14), Dave Gardner (Stinson), Harry Cook (Piper Pacer), Jay Pearlman (RV-6A), Bud Davies (C-152), and Tracy and me in the PA-11. Seven aircraft, ten people.
Assuming the spring flowers bloom and the weather holds, next month’s flyout will include a flight over the Skagit Valley’s tulips and lunch in Friday Harbor. More on that later!
More flyout photos:
North To Alaska Adventure Story