Next weekend the wife and I are taking a road trip up to Hot Springs and then maybe go North or find something to do elsewhere for a few days. Looking to buy some avgas if you guys know any Maulers in the area.....

Come on up!!

If the timing is right we can do some sight seeing... Byrd's, Trigger Gap, Gaston's, Sugar Creek. Send me a PM if you want to coordinate.

Snaproll - is that your plane I see on a couple of the pages in this month's AOPA Pilot magazine in the article about AR backcountry flying/biking? Looks like fun either way and now definitely on my list of future weekend getaways.

We had a couple of Maules there for that campout, both M5's. There's also a nice video for AOPA online subscribers.

Here's an overview video of Trigger Gap from the Airfield.Guide: https://vimeo.com/240896679

And here's another great place to play when you come up... Banks Ranch has four grass runways on 2,000 acres. The longest is 1,350', the shortest 750'. The short one has a 10% grade. Tons of fun.
https://vimeo.com/245647853

We'd love to see more Maules up here so make plans to come up.
www.Airfield.Guide

snaproll wrote:
We'd love to see more Maules up here so make plans to come up.
www.Airfield.Guide

Very nice! Will let you know when I make plans to head up and maybe we can convince some of the other TX/OK guys/gals to join in as well.

ðŸ‘￾

Our airport (KVBT) has a new FAA approved parallel grass runway opening next spring/summer. We also have a new flight center opening about the same time.

Maybe I should start thinking about a Maule fly-in to help christen the new facilities. Makes sense that one of the few backcountry planes you can put two mountain bikes in should be at home here. We've got Chrystal Bridges and are working on a backcountry strip trail system called "FlyOz".

If there is any interest I'll start thinking about putting something together.

Sounds like a good time if I ever find another airplane.

Yep, sounds good, I'd come up for that.

Just in case any of the members here have never heard of or met Chip, please let me enlighten you all. Chip invited me up to Bentonville under the guise of letting me buy some avgas and perhaps going for a spin in his beautiful M5. When we arrived, after discovering that my wife had never flown in a small plane he decided we would take a tour of Northern Arkansas in a 182 instead. He took us up, gave us a great tour and pointed out all of the sights, including all of the backcountry airstrips that he had set out to map and bring together for all of the grass roots aviators in the area. He is not only a great ambassador for his part of the State, but for aviation in general - and just an all-around great person. I was very humbled by the way we were treated and think about it almost every day. I also can't fail to mention that he took me for a spin in his like-new M5, the first Maule I have ever flown in. I haven't really flown in 20 years other than an hour or less every year at the annual EAA fly-ins, but Chip gave me some right seat time in his Maule and it was great. He never did let me buy him any avgas. I think I'll send him some Omaha steaks for Christmas.....

Oh and my wife loved the 182 so much she has decided we should buy one. Sigh.

pilot wrote: Oh and my wife loved the 182 so much she has decided we should buy one. Sigh.

Darn the bad luck!

Pilot; Although I realize it is good "therapy", you need to quit farting around with your airplane parts and make one of them fly! It would be a hoot to meet up at the Arkansas Maule gathering or Texas Maule gatherings with you in one of your completed projects! Set a goal and pursue it to completion... We're easy to catch up to; we have to get avgas somewhere...