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Grass strips in Texas and Oklahoma

Diana

Registered User
Southwest MO
It's time for me to plan another grass strip tour...this time of Texas and Oklahoma and I'm hoping that you all will have some good suggestions for me. The priority is a stop in Texas (by way of Tenkiller and Sulphur Springs) at the Fort Parker Flying Field for their fly-in on Oct. 6th.

http://www.fortparker.com/index.html

From there I will just wander around northern and eastern Texas (maybe spend one night at Cedar Mills in TX) and will eventually head up to visit friends near Oklahoma City area and then to Tulsa to visit friends and check out the Dog Iron Ranch among other Tulsa area grass strips before heading back to southwest Missouri to my own grass strip.

I'm looking for grass strips with character and/or characters. Fuel will be nice, food is optional since I can live on MRE's. A bathroom would be a bonus.:smile: I'll take along a tent, but prefer not to sleep in it, so a ride to town will always be appreciated. :smile: I welcome any suggestions you all might have. Thanks!

p.s. I don't have a SC but my tires are a little bit bigger than standard. ;-)
 
By the way, Mike, I plan to stop by OK18 on my way back to Twin Oaks. Hopefully you guys will be home. :)
 
    • Tenkiller Airpark 44M (at Lake Tenkiller is good but watch X-winds)
    • Dog Iron is a good stop and the museum/house is interesting but call first it's not on the chart - easy to find on the west side of Oolagah lake about 3 miles N of the power plant.
    • Pawnee (NW of Tulsa is a great SMOOTH stop but not much at the airport but the sign at the south end has a number to call for a ride into town for a really good meal)
    • Whitehorn Cover (just South of Mikes has a good floating restaurant if on a weekend) after landing you'll catch a golf cart ride from the locals
    • Colegate 085
    • Okema F81, just grass and little else.
    • Henryetta F10 paved but a very good fuel stop
    • Olkmulgee OKM is paved but lots of grass between the runway and taxiway for a really good fuel stop
    • Cushing (30 miles W of Tulsa) CUH has 3 grass strips
    • Tulsa Harvey Young 1H6 has good grass.
    • Cedar Mills 3T0 is on the Texas side of Lake Texhoma and is a great stop with cabins and such...


 
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By the way, Mike, I plan to stop by OK18 on my way back to Twin Oaks. Hopefully you guys will be home. :)

Good deal Diana it will be good to see you again, our hanger apartment in normally available and we normally cook a steak or take guests out for dinner. Make right traffic for 35 to stay away from the houses located south and west, left traffic for 17.

I highly recommend Cedar Mills on lake Texoma, you can camp under your wing (shower available) or get a cabin, nice restaurant & bar, one of our favorites. Not much at Dog Iron Ranch, watch for large gopher holes, especially off the runway, the have the annual Will Roger Fly-in there as it's cousin Will's old home place.
 
Wow, sounds like the kind of trip I would love to make someday. There are a number of grass strips located around the south Texas area, some of them basically abandoned and not even being used anymore, but still good strips just the same. There are several good grass strips right here in my county. A good one to go to, if you ever come to the Angleton, Tx area, is Bailes Field, 7R9 on the chart. Another one is 93XS, but there is nothing there, just the 2600 foot runway and that's about it. It is listed as Private, but Jimmy Sherdan, the owner, lets anybody land there who wants to, we do a lot of touch and go's there, I kept my Cub there until a couple of months ago. The Bailes Field is a really great one, especially if you go there on the weekends. Always a number of friendly folks there who love visitors, Danny Stills runs the place and he welcomes anybody who stops by. A lot of people go there. Great field. There are quite a few other grass strips in the south Texas area, and I, like you, plan on touring them one day soon.
 
    • Tenkiller Airpark 44M (at Lake Tenkiller is good but watch X-winds)
    • Dog Iron is a good stop and the museum/house is interesting but call first it's not on the chart - easy to find on the west side of Oolagah lake about 3 miles N of the power plant.
    • Pawnee (NW of Tulsa is a great SMOOTH stop but not much at the airport but the sign at the south end has a number to call for a ride into town for a really good meal)
    • Whitehorn Cover (just South of Mikes has a good floating restaurant if on a weekend) after landing you'll catch a golf cart ride from the locals
    • Colegate 085
    • Okema F81, just grass and little else.
    • Henryetta F10 paved but a very good fuel stop
    • Olkmulgee OKM is paved but lots of grass between the runway and taxiway for a really good fuel stop
    • Cushing (30 miles W of Tulsa) CUH has 3 grass strips
    • Tulsa Harvey Young 1H6 has good grass.
    • Cedar Mills 3T0 is on the Texas side of Lake Texhoma and is a great stop with cabins and such...
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I've been checking them out. :)
 
Good deal Diana it will be good to see you again, our hanger apartment in normally available and we normally cook a steak or take guests out for dinner. Make right traffic for 35 to stay away from the houses located south and west, left traffic for 17.
Thanks for the offer! That's sweet of you. I didn't realize that you have a hangar apartment.

I'll give you a heads-up if it looks like I'll be able to stop by for a visit. :)
 
Diana, I don't have anything to offer but just wanted to say I'm jealous of your trip! This is exactly the type of trip I'd love to make someday (though I'll probably camp). I'm an adventurer at heart. Please do a nice writeup when you get back about where you stopped and what was great about each place if you don't mind, I wouldn't mind keeping some of these places on a list for future reference!

Have a great trip!
Sarah
 
Wow, sounds like the kind of trip I would love to make someday. There are quite a few other grass strips in the south Texas area, and I, like you, plan on touring them one day soon.
Looking forward to reading about your grass strip tour. :)

A few years ago I flew around Texas a little bit, but had to scoot home early because of approaching weather. I enjoyed Kittie Hill Airport (77T) near Georgetown. Not too many grass strips with fuel, but this one had fuel and three grass runways. I was trying to find grass strips in the Hill Country, but didn't have much luck. I was also planning to fly to Llano back then...lots of good reports about the BBQ there.
 
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Diana, I don't have anything to offer but just wanted to say I'm jealous of your trip! This is exactly the type of trip I'd love to make someday (though I'll probably camp). I'm an adventurer at heart. Please do a nice writeup when you get back about where you stopped and what was great about each place if you don't mind, I wouldn't mind keeping some of these places on a list for future reference!

Have a great trip!
Sarah
Sarah, thank you! And I look forward to hearing about your trip someday. :)

The first grass strip tour I took was in 2007 and I was gone for a month, wandering around the eastern part of the country, exploring grass strips that were recommended to me by internet friends on different aviation forums. The book I'm writing is about 2/3 done now. I decided to take another shorter trip (AR, MS, AL, LA, TX and OK) two years ago and was gone for only 10 days that time. I met some wonderful, generous, and interesting people along the way on both trips...what a ride it was! I even met the famous John Graham and got a fun tour of Ohio with him and Don one day....it was a blast! I had my tent with me both trips but never had to use it. Slept in a barn one night. :D

Here is a video I made about the first trip...photos of some of my favorite places and people.

https://vimeo.com/6605954

Photos of my second trip are on my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1257186403480.31567.1644210160&type=3&l=a78cd4901f

Where are you in MO? Fly in and see us sometime. :)
 
I highly recommend Cedar Mills on lake Texoma, you can camp under your wing (shower available) or get a cabin, nice restaurant & bar, one of our favorites. Not much at Dog Iron Ranch, watch for large gopher holes, especially off the runway, the have the annual Will Roger Fly-in there as it's cousin Will's old home place.

Mike, I have a question for you about Ketchum, 1K8. I saw your photo of the airfield on AirNav. The South Grand Lake Regional Airport website says there is:

2,000’ x 80 Turf Runway
1,000' x 100' Grass

in addition to the paved runway. Is it hard to spot those from the air? I guess they aren't official? What's the difference between turf and grass (other than length in this case)?
 
Powderly Texas (just north of Paris) has a grass strip. Stopped there with my first champ in about 80 and the elderly couple put me up for the night. Went by there last winter and see its still there.
 
Mike, I have a question for you about Ketchum, 1K8. I saw your photo of the airfield on AirNav. The South Grand Lake Regional Airport website says there is:

2,000’ x 80 Turf Runway
1,000' x 100' Grass

in addition to the paved runway. Is it hard to spot those from the air? I guess they aren't official? What's the difference between turf and grass (other than length in this case)?

They put in bermuda sod west of the asphalt runway and north of he taxiway, that's the turf runway, it's kinda rough but ok with little tires, you can see it from the air.

Sometimes we land in the grass west of the asphalt runway south of the taxiway I guess that' s what they are calling the grass runway. Note the power line is buried alone the road at the south end of the asphalt runway, it is not buried if you use the grass west of the asphalt runway.

Ill show you some others when you get here. Kittie Hill, we use to go there to see Patty's brother, neat place.
 
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turf and grass are the same...Politicians name it turf, normal folks call it grass,,, okies call it a pasture 8)
 
Another good one is 27XS in Brookshire,Tx. They have fuel, and there is a really good cafe nearby. The airnav says Private, but it is really open to anybody who wants to go there, especially if they are just passing through and need fuel or something to eat. They will even let you camp out overnight there for a day or two if you want. Just ask for Roy Rysinger, he basically runs the place, and will probably let you park your airplane in the main hanger overnight for a day or two if you need to do some minor maintenance, etc.
 
Try Ranger Airfield, (F23) along I-20 west of Weatherford. It is one of the oldest airfield in Texas and was home of the Barn Cub.
 
Stop by Mulberry Hill Airpark 6OK9 near Stillwater, OK We even have a bed You can sleep in. Usually have some 100LL.
 
Reklaw, TX Fly-in is the last weekend in Oct. Really cool fly-in. Have grass on the west side of runway 18/36 at Graham RPH along with 2 hanger apartments w/showers and Clayton's BBQ and and a Dairy Queen across the street. I am the only hanger on the east side of the airport.
 
Wow! Lots of great suggestions and generous offers from you all! I appreciate it. :) You've kept me busy researching all your suggested airfields. I will likely have lots of questions for you all. :)


Powderly Texas (just north of Paris) has a grass strip. Stopped there with my first champ in about 80 and the elderly couple put me up for the night. Went by there last winter and see its still there.

On the sectional are two grass fields that I found north of Powderly. One, Parson, is just northwest, and the other, Womack Plantation is northeast. Is it one of those?

The friend I hope to visit in that area keeps her Cessna 182 at Clarksville, but her ranch is south of that, near Cuthand. Eventually she plans to put in a grass strip on her ranch. It doesn't look like there are any grass strips near her ranch, yet, so I will probably land at Clarksville when I stop to visit her.
 
Neither. Its 1 mile south of town just east of the highway. It's listed on google earth. Not sure why its not on the sectional any longer.
 
Ill show you some others when you get here.
Sounds like fun!

Kittie Hill, we use to go there to see Patty's brother, neat place.
I loved that airport. :) Friendly, interesting, and helpful people.

Another good one is 27XS in Brookshire,Tx. They have fuel, and there is a really good cafe nearby. The airnav says Private, but it is really open to anybody who wants to go there, especially if they are just passing through and need fuel or something to eat. They will even let you camp out overnight there for a day or two if you want. Just ask for Roy Rysinger, he basically runs the place, and will probably let you park your airplane in the main hanger overnight for a day or two if you need to do some minor maintenance, etc.
Sounds like a great place to visit! If I get that far south, I'll definitely check it out.

Try Ranger Airfield, (F23) along I-20 west of Weatherford. It is one of the oldest airfield in Texas and was home of the Barn Cub.
This will be a must to see and it's on my route now. I have a question about a comment I saw on Flitesoft's info about the airport. It said: PRE-DATES THE ACT. I wonder what that means?

Stop by Mulberry Hill Airpark 6OK9 near Stillwater, OK We even have a bed You can sleep in. Usually have some 100LL.
Thanks! That one is now on my route.
 
Reklaw, TX Fly-in is the last weekend in Oct. Really cool fly-in.
Friends of mine have been to that fly-in, and I've thought about going someday. Was it last year they canceled due to the drought? Will they be having it this year? Do they mind if you stop by when they aren't having the fly-in?

Have grass on the west side of runway 18/36 at Graham RPH along with 2 hanger apartments w/showers and Clayton's BBQ and and a Dairy Queen across the street. I am the only hanger on the east side of the airport.
BBQ and Dairy Queen within walking distance! I'm there! :)

Is the grass south of 3/21? I'm looking at it on Google maps. Or is it between the two taxiways near all the hangars?

Cedar Mills, Tx., Seaplane Flyin Oct.19-21.Saftey Seminar.
Love that place! Too bad I'll be there before that safety seminar. I've only flown in once to meet up with Dallas friends for lunch, but I'd like to spend the night at one of those cabins along the runway.
 
We're having a Young Eagles rally on Oct 6 at Wichita Valley (F14), 50nm north of Graham. Two grass runways and good grass on the east side of the paved one. Cheapest gas around (usually). We live on the airport but we'll be heading south to Port Aransas the next weekend. Just watch out for the jets at SPS.
 
txpacer, My wife and I just got back from Port A. / Rockport, Flyfishing. Wounder Warriors were there from Fort Benning ,Ga. All had a good time.
 
Diana: Loved your pictures and slideshow!! We are in the KC area - live about 5nm from SJ :) Come up and visit sometime! Jim and I are working on getting ourselves in a BUNCH of trouble, leasing an airport and renovating it. Yes it does have (good) grass. 3EX (Excelsior Springs). Still trying to finalize the lease but if all goes well we will also be moving to ES, and we'll have room to put visitors up :) We are having a Chili fly-in on Sunday, October 21st, and hope to have a multi-day taildragger fly-in next September!

Sarah
 
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