If you have been reading our aviation blog you already know we have been compiling a list of our favorite fly in destinations around Florida. Most are only a short flight from our aviation community and perfect for a day trip, weather grabbing a bite to eat or pursuing something more adventurous we wanted to make sure you could always keep a full itinerary if relaxing by lake or pool isn’t your ideal afternoon.
Community of International Pilots
Since we are an international aviation community we wanted to expand our horizons. Airpark Real Estate owners include folks from Venezuela, Holland, Brazil, Italy, Philippines and Ukraine. And we are excited to have made friends with Siljan Airpark in Sweden whose members will be visiting us early next year for Sun N Fun.
In light of all of this we started asking our readers what their favorite destinations were and we were pleasantly surprised with the responses as we discovered many spectacular places for private pilots to spend the day at. The responses below.
Land: Long Island, Southern Bahamas DisneyWorld, Orlando, Fl Lake Almanor, California The Nut Tree House, Californis N 72, Warwick, NY Rheinbecki Aerodrome, Rheinbeck, NY There a number of really neat fly-in golf courses in PA Sea: Adirondack Mountain Lakes throughout NY State
– Jim
Mt. Dora. OK to fly into Leesburg & get car but much better flying onto Lake Dora in seaplane
–Eleiane
Potosi in the Andes South America.
-Jeff
In southern California, we have a few favorites. There is a good airport restaurant at F70 in Temecula. Another good one is El Monte, Camarillo is another. Riverside, where I’m based, is going down hill. Prices are way up, and people are just not coming back. But it is still a place to fly to. Hemet is good for breakfast and lunch. Most of these places close by 2 PM weekdays. Temecula is open till late. Hesperia is the best for lunch and breakfast, again closes at 2 PM daily. We have learned to stay away from the bigger airports, due to landing and “service” fees. Fullerton is another good place. But that’s about it for southern Cal.
-Eden
Over the years I suppose Jekyll Island is my favorite lunch/day trip fly out. No fuel or services, but plenty of tie downs. They have electric GEM cars for lrent for those who don’t wish to walk. A very pleasant one mile walk with nice sidewalks and views to the Jekyll Island Club and excellent food and old fashioned service in a very elegant setting with relaxed dress code. (A bonus is getting to see the actual room where Rockefeller, Morgan, etal., met in 1913 to form the Federal Reserve, referred to by some as the largest counterfeiting organization in the history of the world.) People I’ve taken there have never failed to be pleasantly surprised.
-Bill
John, glad to input, for short breakfast flights, I like PGD because of the friendly good service and just I little further. Other wise I’d have to say Sebring of Tiki in FPR.
-Kevin
There is a private grass strip in El Salvador that has cabins you can rent, the airshow pays for us. It is on the coast. Food is terrible, but they take you on a small boat out to the ocean and set up chairs and umbrellas on a sand bar, along with a cooler with wine, beer, and snacks. The tide comes in over a few hours and when the sand bar has been completely covered with water, we were all standing in the ocean surrounded by the beautiful views of the jungle and several volcanoes. Pretty cool. On the boat ride back to the airport cabins, we stopped at a local open air bar, with dirt floor and chickens roaming around freely. I ordered chicken! LOL.. it was OK, but the experience was cool. Guatemala is probably my favorite, though. We are hired by the Aero Club de Guatemala. Similar grass strip on the water, with a few rooms. Near Antigua, which was awesome, with many volcanoes, one active, and postcard views.
-Skip follow Skip Stewart on Twitter Here.
Down Wind Cafe (7FL6) Spruce Creek Fly-in. The Perfect Spot Restaurant & Bar (DED) Deland Florida.
-Grant
Favorites include Polk Co.’s very own KBOW in Bartow. Reasons: good and not to busy reliever to LAL for Sun ‘n Fun. Tower for IFR clearances, Aircraft Engineering (Comanche specialists!) repair station, Custom Avionics, Cheap fuel, and near RLA (4FL5) Other end of America, PALH Lake Hood Alaska. Biggest and busiest sea plane base in the world. Average 200 flights per day. Nearly 1000 seaplanes based there. Recently added 2200ft. gravel runway for their 3 wheeled friends (better be sharp on your short field work!) Only 3 days flying from So. Florida via Comanche. Go in the summer. Just amazing. Different country:CYKY Whitehorse Yukon Terr, Ca, 9600 ft runway,2300ft elevation, surrounded by Rockys. Really cool POE, served by Air North and has a sea plane operations (Lake Schwata) too. I think it is the last DC3 International flight passenger service anywhere.
-George
Marathon MTH in the keys. Lots of great viewing on the trip down and many good restaurants by a cheap cab.
-Donald
Airport Tiki & VRB
-Holly
Sharky’s on the Pier just off the west end of the runway at Venice FL is a fun trip.
-Stephen
Our favorite short trip is to Venice airport and then walk to Sharky’s on the beach.
-Lou
One of my favorite place to fly and eat is Sharky’s. Venice beach. Okeechobee airport restaurant.
-Richard
Cedar Key Airport. Walk or take Taxi into town. Several there. Venice Airport..take shuttle or walk to Sharky’s on the Beach. Deland Airport: Gin Mill Restaurant
Tim & Peggy
Mine is KSEZ which is not in FL which is what that page I think prefers , although I love that state too, especially Naples where my third home is in Pelican Bay. That’s the ID for Sedona AZ – love it for the breathtaking red rock views , the unique landing strip on a mesa, ideal climate year round especially for flight , Sky Ranch Lodge right at the airport , city atmosphere complete with a spiritual vortex right at the airport mesa. Now if I only had all the time in the world to enjoy such things – but I have to work to pay for the Bonanza ! 🙂
-Vincent
KEYW
-Ronald
My favorite destinations are in the Bahamas. Staniel Cay, Hawk’s Nest on Cat and Harbor Town are among the best. As far as Florida is concerned, Venice Florida KVNC is great with Chef Tony’s Sun Coast Café and shuttle service to Sharky’s beachfront restaurant. A couple of other favorites are J.R’s Runway Café at Sebring (KSEF), C.J. Cannon’s Restaurant & Lounge at Vero Beach Airport (KVRB) and The Landing Strip Café on Okeechobee (KOBE) Airport.
-Don
Hi John, It’s been a while since I travelled in the US. Most airports I’ve flown into in the US have been good experiences. The best reception I received is probably St. Louis Missouri, but that was a business trip for the week end. We’ve also had good experiences in the North Dakota Badlands I’m not sure what the airport was called. Oshkosh of course tops most others. We also received great reception in St. Petersburg, FL.
-Neil
John, It is very hard to pick a favorite but some that are truly memorable are obviously Alaska and Hawaii. Both are so beautiful from the air. The easier ones to do are the north bay visual tour of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake and Monument Valley. We have been to Mackinac Island a couple of times and the airport is excellent. Especially considering it is on an island that doesn’t allow powered vehicles. If COPA does the Costa Rica trip again next year, it is a very worthwhile trip. I wasn’t expecting such pretty views.
-Mark
I like CJ Cannons at Vero, and the Hangar at Albert Witted. Thanks!
-Ronald
Danang, Bangkok, Mackinac Island, Aspen, San Salvador.
-Ronald
Hyannis, Richmond, VA and Columbus, Oh (home of grandkids!!) ——guess Buckeye Country is the best when there is a football game!!! hahaha
-Tom
My favorites were always places to land on the water for Lunch. There was also Chalet Suzanne.
-Paul
Without a doubt, my all-time favorite destination is Treasure Cay on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas.
-Ray
The first location to come to mind is Stearman field, in Benton, KS. Runway 17/35 , Appx 4700′ on field dining The second location is Beaumont, KS 2300′ grass strip 1/4 mile east of town. aircraft land and taxi west bound on local county road to the Beaumont hotel & Café. shut your plane down on the South side of the road by the water tower. Happy flying
-Jim
One of the most memorable plane “visits” we have made is to a small 3000 ft hard strip on the coast of No.Carolina called FIRST FLIGHT …it is a national park dedicated in honor of the Wright Brothers who flew the first airplane along the sandy shores at that location near Kill Devil Hills , NC … there is a nice museum at the site…. Unfortunately, no place to eat, but that might change in the future if enough traffic warrants same … My favorite airfield to stop for a bite to eat is CAnnons Restaurant at Vero Beach , Fl …(KVRB) … open 7 days a week and food is great.
-Ben
KJGG Williamsburg VA. Great food at Charlie’s right at the FBO. Make their own bread. 5NC3 Carthage NC. Best pulled BBQ in NC right on airport. KCRE North Myrtle Beach. Oscars 1/4 mile away from airport-great sandwiches like in Pittsburgh. Or go to Calabash NC for seafood. KMQI Manteo NC. Great seafood everywhere within 5 miles from airport. W95 Ocracoke NC. Howard’s pub 1/2 mile from airport. Beach 100 yards from airport. KMTV Martinsville VA. Used to have great food on the airport. Has changed ownership several times and hear they are back but haven’t tried it yet. KSGJ Saint Augustine FL. Great food at FBO. Regular stop on way to SNF Have some more but hope these helped. Scott Miller
-Scott
Custer National park Sheridon Wy; Bryce Canyon I believe in Arizona; Tucson Arizona for the grave yard for airplanes and Tombstone Arizona; Cody Wy for the Colt Museum and Yellowstone National Park
-Robert
Wolf Hotel, Saratoga, WY
-Richard
Ceder Key is a nice destination located on the upper gulf coast it’s a quaint little fishing town turned tourist destination. When landing circle the town one time and the taxi will come meet you at the airport which is actually a small island adjacent to the town. It’s a neat approach because you have water at both ends of the runway. In town lot’s of restraunts, gift shops etc… when your ready to leave just look for the taxi and flag it down for a ride back to your airplane.
-Jim
Thanks for all those who participated, we are eager to add more! Note not all pictures are representative of the current destinations so if you have the correct photographs we would love to showcase them.
