There’s something intriguing about being able to see for miles in any direction and not find a speck of civilization. Such are the open spaces of the intermountain west. It’s a comforting feeling to know that such places still exist. After a busy week of schedules, meetings, and fast paced routines, it’s a wonderful experience to take to the air, feel the currents and play like the eagles. All around is a panorama of rolling hills, steep rising mountains, and mesas that are as inviting as a fantasy wonderland.

There is a characteristic serenity that comes about with the hum of the engine and the scenes and vistas rolling by. It is an ethereal world that has to be experienced to be believed. One could go on for hours describing each minute detail, and like so many other flying adventures, there are not enough colorful words to describe the experience. It is a feeling that settles deep within the conscious recesses of the mind, and sometimes explodes with a burst of memory. So profound is the exhilaration that it can only be absorbed with countless recollections over a period of time.

In many parts of the world as the snowlines have inevitably retreated up the mountainsides, and Mother Nature bombards us with sights, sounds, and scents of summer, we are drawn into flying more. The days grow longer and warmer, and the horizon beckons us to new adventures.

At this time of the year there will obviously be many wings taking to the sky. Among them there will be the standard familiar manufactured regulars of general aviation and also the not so familiar new genre of light sport aircraft and experimentals. Not only will these new aircraft be of interest to the aviation public at large, but they will definitely be of great significance to the controllers in the towers at airports. It will take frequent updates to their knowledge pool to keep them informed about the new models and their characteristics as they emerge on the aviation market.

But there are many airports where you don’t have to be concerned about a tower. One such ideal location is in the middle of a desert. It is West Desert Airpark (UT99) in Fairfield, Utah. West Desert Air Park is the result of years of planning and construction by Mark Pringle and his associates. Mark is the owner of Rocky Mountain Kitplanes LLC and West Desert Air Park LLC. What began as a dry patch of scrub oak, sagebrush, and open desert land, is now a lively, functioning, idyllic air park where individuals come from miles around to visit and hangar their aircraft. Not only does Mark have plentiful hangar space, he has room to construct, design, and paint as well. Many finished aircraft have been turned out at the air park as can be witnessed on most any day as proud owners take off and land.

The runway at West Desert Airpark is 2600 feet by 24 feet and paved. There are also paved taxiways leading to the hangars. There is a clubhouse with a shower, snacks, and a computer. It is roomy and comfortable and many times will find a spirited conversation in progress among the local pilots and aircraft owners. This is “hangar flying” at its best.

Because of its wide open spaces, West Desert Air Park is an ideal place to learn to fly.
Larry Cazier is the resident CFI and has the experience to get new students up and flying in short order.

The Wasatch Mountains provide a backdrop to the east for Utah Lake and Provo Airport (KPVU), and Spanish Fork Airport (U77) is also visible from the air over Provo Airport.

This is an area where the prevailing winds usually start out from the south in the morning and later shift to a direction coming from the north in the afternoon. There are always exceptions but one can more likely than not count on this type of pattern. Being basically a desert and a high plateau at an elevation of 4900 feet MSL, there is wisdom in being aware of high density altitude readings in the summer months. But for the most part conditions are mild in the winter and excellent for early morning and evening flying in the summer months if one needs to be aware of overall weight.

In the evenings, Salt Lake City and Provo light up low lying clouds in the distance. From a decent altitude the cities sparkle in the distance like crystal in a sea of surrounding darkness.

If one were to think of the perfect template for an air park close enough to drive to, yet far enough away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, West Desert Air Park would fit the bill.

For more information contact www.rmkplanes.com

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