By Mike McCann
Luck was on our side for last Saturday’s flight to the Grand Canyon Airport. Weather at KGCN airport can often be windy and cold during late October, but the winds were calm and the outdoor temperatures perfect under clear and sunny skies as eleven aircraft, with twenty pilots and passengers, arrived as planned. One aircraft had a mechanical issue and cancelled prior to departure.
Grand Canyon Airport can be quite busy with the combination of fixed wing and helicopter tour operations, in addition to corporate jet and GA traffic. Helicopter tour flights often cross directly over the approach end of the runway - and fly under fixed wing aircraft on the downwind and base legs of the pattern. Tour controllers coordinate traffic seamlessly and made the arrival procedure straight forward for visiting GA aircraft.
We were prepared to make the one mile walk to the Plaza Bonita restaurant, but our new friend and FBO manager, Tristin, graciously gave everyone a ride to the restaurant in one of their 16 passenger GCA tour vans.
As you can see from all the smiling faces, everyone had a great breakfast and we all hung out at the restaurant for quite a while enjoying good conversation and getting to know each other.
After departure, some of the group went on to see Monument Valley and others flew the Grand Canyon Transition, which takes you over the Grand Canyon itself. Overall, it was a great day to be flying, and the Grand Canyon didn’t disappoint.
As always, feel free to contact me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and we'll look forward to seeing you.
Safe flying,
Mike