Chad Baker wrote:
Probably getting off topic here but I'll give you a picture of what it looks like now. DTS is definitely too expensive...they cater to the rich folks. They do have a tower now so it's not as chaotic as it once was over there. Cview is nice but doesn't have hangars to rent, just increased their tie down rental to $150/mth (unless you have them do your annual then it's ($75)...kind of a mob shakedown going on there, and the fuel tends to be about $1 more than Defuniak, Milton, or on base. Same outfit the owns the FBO at DTS owns the one in Cview. If you're retired or have base access and are willing to join the Aero Club, you can get a base landing permit and rent a tie down from the Aero Club...at least for now...who knows in 5 years? Defuniak and Milton both have T-hangars and cheap gas. Milton has many more T-hangars than Dfun. Ruckel is getting an upgrade right now with T-hangars. The area next to it is being developed into a housing community. I won't fly out of there...its forested and there's just no place to go if you lose an engine on TO. In the 10 years I've lived here I know 3 people (two separate incidents) who lost thier lives after an engine loss on TO out of there. Last one was an instructor of mine. Both ended up hitting trees.
Best of luck getting back down here.
Chad, Big thanks for the laydown on the Emerald Coast - wow, things have really gone UP, UP, UP down there....may be worth it for me to just buy 20 acres and roll my own grass strip! Maybe even get back into the EAA Chapter 108 again!
We have a home in Fort Walton right between the two air bases...you are giving me some good ideas about basing back at Eglin - may be worth the complexity to have a good and affordable place to land. That is very helpful, thank you!
Mike N714AJ