Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Good Morning Fellow Jet Pilots!

I live in St. Petersburg, and fly my jets at SPARKS, here in St. Pete, and fly at Cape Coral, Ocala, and Sarasota. I am getting tired of the 100 mile drive each direction to CC and Ocala fields. I have flown at Boca/Delray, and SE. Florida, great jet fields, but no longer care to live South of Ft. Myers, and NOT on the SE. Coast of Florida. I am in the process of finding the best long term jet field with PAVED Runway of 600 feet in Florida to move closer to the location. I have simply out grown SPARKS, due to it's small airspace, facing South into the Sun, and short runway with obsticles. Small trainer jets and I used to fly my Flash out of SPARKS, but have sold it and replaced it with a CARF Viper. I can't fly my 1/8th scale F-18 at SPARKS, but have flown it at both Cape Coral and Ocala. Sarasota has a nice facility, great runway, faces North, but here again, a very small airspace, and other issues that I prefer not to go into, so not an option. The problem with CC and Ocala fields, IMHO, is the stablitily of the jets at both fields. CC flys over a Parkway and other roads with traffic under it on the downwind, so not sure how long that will last, if the neighborhoods ever come back there. Ocala, IMHO for the scale jets is only a right to left traffic, due to the forest at the West end of the field. Trainer jets and light wing loaded jets can fly both directions. So, I am curious to other's experiences at the other jet fields in Florida ONLY.

Please do not make this about Club bashing, field bashing, management bashing, etc. I am truly asking for options, as we all know, flying jets is becoming more restrictive.

Thank you for your time and consideration on answering this Forum. Dan

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Venice has a nice field, runway etc. and as far as I know, airspace is not as restricted.

Ian B

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

I thought Venice was grass? Am I wrong? Wow! Just checked it out, and didn't even know the field exsisted! Thanks Ian! Kind of funny that someone from England knows the fields here better then someone who lives here.....lol.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Dan glad you brought this up. Not sure the last time you drove up to Ocala but we had someone crash a shokjet and the lipos caught on fire and made a pretty good size fire at the feild. The fire dept had to put it out. So needless to say thier is a big movement to ban jets now.So I also might be looking for a new place to fly :(

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Yes, I heard that, but didn't want to bring that up as another reason that Ocala isn't stable enough to move my life. Talk of the Polo field doesn't help either?

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Move down to Cape Kennedy.... Nobody useing that place anymore...Lots of pavement there. Unrestricted to the moon...:)


Good Luck,

Danno

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

I went to Venice a couple of weeks ago to have a look and found some orange and yellow flags and a snow fence very close to the western end of the runway. Was sad as the site has lots of potential. However flying to the west was not one of them. Not a jet only site either and did not look as if they would mix well. What is needed is a brand new start up jet only club. There seems to be quite a large number of jet jockeys in Florida now so may be if we all got together it could happen.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Sometimes, they have those orange fences for over runs, for guys who land hot......hehe.....no matter the plane. Would love to hear from a local Venice Jet guy of the truth.


Intentions of this forum: Best Jet Friendly flying field ( faces North, or there abouts, prevailing paved runway of 600 feet or more, LARGE airspace, etc) that is ONLY in Florida! Not going to move North again......lol. I would love to hear from the JAX and PanHandle areas too. Maybe even Sebring area, down route #27?? North of the Lake, but South of Lake Wales. Etc.

Thanks Guys!! Just from this today, I have already learned about a field that I thought was grass. That is a great suggestion about starting our own private Club. I have heard of those in S. and Latin America. Issue is, if you don't move close enough, someone still has to drive, and Florida is around 400 miles long......not very wide, other then the PanHandle to JAX 10 route.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Go to your Post # 1... you can edit the title from there;)

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Thanks! It worked.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

No problem...when you find a field let us know if Snow Birds can come and visit!:D:D:D

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Absolutely!! You would be welcome to come down!! I will start the BBQ! Would be great to have a jet event!! Now we are talking about a whole new set of requirements of the field. Need to have over night camping, camp fires, drinking after hours, night flying, etc for the fun outing. I have been a CD for a few Big Birds and War Birds. It might be fun to CD a Jet event. Trouble is, I don't think anyone is traveling much right now to events. The past couple jet events that I went to, were kind of slow with only about 10 pilots. But, you would always be welcome as my guest.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Tangerine Field, the home of RCACF near Apopka has a 750' by 50' paved runway that runs north and south and is approximately 50 acres in size.Jets fly there weekly. Check www.rcacf.com.
DM

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Thank you for your suggestion! I have not flown at Apopka, or even been there. I have flown at Deland, which doesn't allow jets. It is a nice area over there, but truly don't want to live that close to the maze of Orlando, tourist, Disney, etc. Truly becomes unenjoyable as a native to deal with that tourist mess. I am more of a country guy, and heading back to that root of homestead.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Look anywhere north of Apopka and you can find beautiful countryside.
DM</p>

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

that field is pretty far outside of orlando I don't think you'll be in the mess ... it's more like country side sticks ... to me anyways


my current field in Tampa Doest NOT allow jets 8 ( sorry

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Hey Zach...None of the fields in Hillsborough county allow jets. If you are flying at TRACS, it isn't an optimal field either. I will have to go over to look around there and maybe fly there too. I have been over in that area a little, but still truly don't want to deal with ORL traffic and mess.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Dan I have flown at Apopka and loved it. Its one of the best feilds in Florida. Dues are kinda steep if I remember right though. And they where not sure if they where keeping the feild last time I herd. Would love to hear if they are keeping the feild. Its about the same drive from my house to Ocala or Apopka.

I looked into the feild in Lakeland (600 foot paved) but they dont seem friendly to turbines. $200 a year membership then if you fly jets its an extra $50 a year charge and you can only fly after 12:00 on the weekends.

It seems as turbine pilots we are hated :(

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

You asked about Jets in Jacksonville, maybe I can help.

Gateway RC has what you're looking for, a large paved runway and lots of over flight area. They may be at some point in the future displaced by the VA but they have been talking about that for years and it hasn't happened yet.

In addition, the "jet club" has the use of a Navy runway on the weekends. That's a little more complicated, you have to meet at a set time and security comes and opens the gate and lets everyone in, and they often don't know if they have the field until mid week but its 8k feet of paved bliss.

I suggest you contact Keith Sievers if you want detailed information.

We fly jets at our club but the approaches arent for the feint of heart if you know what I mean :)

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

I thought there were no fields in the Lakeland area, other then when Tiano holds something for them? My worry about Apopka, is when BVM passes, will it still be a viable field?

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

sad thing Tampa .. was jet friendly at one point in time .. but they had some drama a club member went to the county and , proclamed how dangrus jets where yada yada yada ... and now .. the lease states no jets or even no smokeing ... but right next to the field the city dump has a methaine Toruch .. burning all day long things hudge too you can see it at night from I4 .... i consider it to be hippicrital but thats my 2 cents .. ..

the tampa club prez when asked about jets main stance is how many club members would even fly them .. if he pushed to get the " ok " and techincal has a point I don't know of but one club meber that would spend the money and fly them... vast majorty wouldn't buy them .. and a few would be jelous ... kinda sad ... but hopefully in future more clubs and more jets become aviable to all modelers state wide ..




( side note ) Don't think Apopka feild would die out they have shulmen and other jet jocks there don't they ?

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Apopka had a land issue that they lease. They where looking for a new feild last time I herd. If they are over all that and all is good I might look into joining thier if things get ugly at Ocala. But for now I am going to battle it out at Ocala. I love the feild and the dues are cheap. Just a few olf farts that cause problems.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

This anti turbine thing is gaining steam all over the country almost all fields have restrictions that are imposed on turbines but not on other
typs of models. I think it's time for some clubs that cater to turbines to be chartered.

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Gentlemen, I sure appreciate you guys chiming in on this conversation. Right now, it looks like I have three fields that I haven't flown at or even knew about, like Venice. I will also contact Keith S. in JAX and appreciate your suggestion with him to make an appointment to go up there and fly. I hope to fly at all of these fields in the next couple months. This is also going to take awhile in the transition, due to getting my home ready for sale, and then, even though I am willing to let it go at market price for the area, I am still taking a big financial hit to do this move. Bought on the high side, but sold previous house on the high side, so with current market prices, there are other great deals here in Florida.

Yes, jets are envied and appreciated by some. Others' think we are crazy to put that much $$ into the air, or they think are just too fast, dangerous, or just plain jeolous of the fact that we can do it, and they are not able to fly them, or afford them.

Need one of you guy's who have some extra $$ to play with, buy us a hundred acres and make it a private field and jet charter. Guess they do that in S. America.

Again, guys, I sure appreciate your help on this subject. Dan

RE: Best Stable Jet Friendly Fields in Florida
 

Please give me a heads up if you make the trip up here, I don't fly turbines but I love to take pictures.