How to Land at Gastons Airport (3M0) in Lakeview, Arkansas

[@kevinbaslee3262]

Been there many times and it's amazing. The only tip I would have is that if you even think you need to go around do it. This isn't the place to wait until you are running out of runway to go around. There are power lines, trees, and rising terrain to the SW that could be an issue if you wait too long, hence the reason you land runway 24 and takeoff on 06. As mentioned in the video, it will feel very tight coming through the trees the first time or two you land there, but in reality there is plenty of room.

[@petemoore8923]

I’ve NEVER had a bad day trout fishing that area. Even as a non pilot (but I come from a family of aviators and know the lingo) I was always curious about that airport. Great video!

[@jims3276]

Wow - long time since you’ve posted a video!

[@al.waterloo]

I know! More to come!

[@barbarae.allison2114]

Just added this one to the list for the Baron. Thanks Al.

[@al.waterloo]

Enjoy it!

[@9pm_sunrise]

This is actually close enough to where i live to just hop in the plane, get lunch to go, go home, and my food still be warm. Definitely going to have to try it out.

[@pcairbum]

Great video, always like watching aircraft landing at Gastons from my Brothers house in the Video at the about 40 second mark with the circle driveway and green roofed outbuilding.

[@noisepuppet]

Went to Gaston's for Mother's Day brunch and watched the planes. It made me think restaurants with their own airfield must be a thing and I just never heard about it. 😊

[@DustMite-s5u]

Hi Alan hope you are well and enjoying life long time no see.philip is still interested in learning awesome landing buddy.brilliant little vlog hope to meet you again some day Phil 🍀👍.

[@al.waterloo]

Thanks, you too!

[@jeffobrien1836]

Thanks for the video. Making my first trip there tomorrow!

[@Pilotamps]

Awesome! How was it!

[@al.waterloo]

How was it!?

[@jeffobrien1836]

It was a great experience! I fly a little Cessna 150 so it was slow to come up out of there on takeoff. The view and approach was probably the best landing experience I’ve had so far.

[@jimmydulin928]

@@jeffobrien1836 Energy management like staying in low ground effect until cruise airspeed (don't let between the trees scare you) is more critical in low powered airplanes. Vx or Vy, never appropriate on long runways, causes the outcome of the maneuver to always be in doubt.

[@reavercon]

I have fished the White at Flippin, downstream of Gaston's , for the last 20+ years. Such a wonderful place.

[@AlphaEchoFoxtrot]

Hey! Long time no see!

[@randybrooks727]

Usually nice to fly directly over the airport to see any other plane movement efore depending and approaching the runway

[@jimmydulin928]

Great video Al. Making a descending left base (to land to the west) over the river gives us airspeed from potential energy of altitude to prevent stall. Thus a 1 g turn of whatever bank angle. Good energy management. Since down drainage egress is a major consideration, takeoff to the east seems safer to me even with some tailwind. If we use the soft field takeoff technique, which is actually the best short field technique because of extra free ground effect energy, we can easily make cruise airspeed level in low ground effect before pitch up. Yes, the bluff is high. Zoom reserve airspeed, enough airspeed to be able to maneuver quickly without stall, will enable us to turn over the field where the big wire with lots of flags attaches to the first pole (or second) on the ground after descending the bluff. With Vy over the bluff, the outcome of the maneuver is always in doubt. Down drainage over what we call a "bottom field" in river country, with zoom reserve airspeed (save it by not pitching up immediately), is never in doubt.

[@tommcdonald6597]

Well done

[@al.waterloo]

Thanks Tom!

[@griffinbaum8635]

Way to go Al, great video

[@al.waterloo]

Glad you enjoyed it Griffin!

[@wrphelan]

Great to see you back on YT!!

[@al.waterloo]

Thank you!

[@firepilot109]

I'm based at KBPK, right beside Gastons. Please everyone monitor 123.00 on your second radio because, KFLP, KBPK, and the Valley are all on that frequency and for some stupid reason Gaston's on its own frequency and there have been lots of near misses. With that being said, Gastons always fun to land at, but guess since fly over it all the time I take it for granted!

[@jimmydulin928]

Yes, good point. Here is another benefit of having zoom reserve airspeed rather than Vy on takeoff. Vx or Vy, almost never appropriate even on remote fields like Gastons, is not zoom reserve airspeed. Engine failure or surprise traffic will make the outcome of any maneuver at Vx or Vy in doubt. When low, airspeed and not altitude is life. Also traffic is easier to see and avoid from the lower perch with the sky as background. Maneuvering where horizontal space is limited requires a low altitude point of view rather than a high altitude point of view, mentally as well as physically. Stall here is fatal.

[@firepilot109]

@@jimmydulin928 Yea, and most of the time we gain little altitude and then turn out right and follow the river to gain altitude instead of flying over the hill!! People weigh their planes down there in summer and get in trouble with over weight and have had quite a few incidents there. We always tell people if going be heave just have your passengers shuttle to KBPK about 6 miles up the road and meet them there to pick up and take off on the 5k ft runway!! Gastons always happy to shuttle people.

[@jimmydulin928]

@@firepilot109 All good points. Down drainage egress, from many years at high DA with low powered and tired engines, has always been default for me. Only once out of the woods, do headings and climbs become considerations.

[@jaredbrown4179]

lol second radio… lolllll

[@hotrodray6802]

Flown in many times. Live local. Drove in Saturday. Why so low on final?

[@tbone1212]

Great place, have flown in many times.BTW the approach to final should always be on 24, as ther power lines close to 06.

[@justincase5272]

Roger, and taking off on 06. If it looks like you'll have difficulty clearing the hill, a gentle turn to the right once you're above the trees will put you over the river.

[@flyrx]

Been there many a time in UH-1s or UH-60s!

[@jbryant520]

Great job on the Video! Thanks

[@al.waterloo]

Thank you!

[@navyhmc8302]

A true IFR approach: "I follow Roads, Rivers or Railroads". In this case, rivers.

[@hlwade]

Hey Al, can you post the vid of getting out of there?

[@al.waterloo]

Definitely. Next time I’m down there I’ll do it!

[@CoconutPete]

I think I've been there before

[@shabott45]

Home sweat home!

[@tomrinehart3022]

Landed there many times

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

It always seems that your first part of the approach is way too tight between those trees

[@jimmydulin928]

Tailwheel pilots, who are walking the rudder quickly and tightly, bracketing the centerline (big middle between trees in this case), see it more comfortably because they are always ahead of the airplane for longitudinal alignment. Try this trick to feel, actually to be, much more in control. It is like riding a bike or balancing a broom on our hand. Quick, tight, and continuous dynamic proactive rudder movement makes the outcome never in doubt. Watch a crop duster video with a camera pointed at the rudder. He is constantly walking the rudder pedals (the rudder is moving constantly) to exactly drive down a particular crop row (keep the light bar centered when there is no row). Practice on short final to your airport by exactly bracketing the centerline extended and then the centerline when on the surface. With a nose geared airplane, we are just taking the slack out of the cables or push pull tubs to the nose wheel when on the surface. Do not use the steering wheel (aileron) except to set wing for crosswind. Walking the rudder, absolutely not allowing any turn, automatically keeps the wing level (or set in side slip.)