The Time Between

As the summer wanes, flying becomes a lot more popular and the skies get even busier for general aviation airports. This is especially true for the southwestern parts of the United States where its sunny throughout most of the year, so as fall and winter rolls in, it makes for excellent flying weather the majority of the time. A lot of airports are actually inaccessible during the summer because the heat is detrimental to the performance of light aircraft save for a few exceptions. Some places just become so hot during the summer that flying there is almost entirely out of the question.

An example I can use is when I first took possession of the RV-12, I made a stop in Henderson, Nevada and we happened to also get breakfast there. By the time we needed to take off we had to be very expedient with our takeoff times because the engine coolant was heating up very fast while we were on the ground and not a lot of air (even though the propeller was moving a lot of air) was passing through the radiator during the taxi sequence. We managed to get off the ground and as we were climbing the coolant temperatures did come down but because of the heat our climb performance was really sluggish. If we had to take off later in the day, I would have strongly considered staying overnight in Henderson and then taking off early in the morning before the sun came up.

But I digress, Lake Havasu is a absolutely wonderful place to fly to but I would strongly recommend flying early in the morning during the summer or outright just waiting out summer because its still close to or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit at night most days during the summer which is miserable to fly in as well as not stellar for performance.

The airport is located on the northside of the city and features a wonderful FBO and restaurant attached to the field. The Havasu shopping outlets are located directly across the street from the airport and rental cars are available directly from the FBO for $15/hour. The taxiway layout of the field is a bit interesting with parallel taxiways and the Charlie taxiway being set aside for use almost exclusively by helicopters, so make sure your taxi calls are accurate prior to moving outside of the ramp area or taxiing from the runway to the ramp area.

One thing of note is that Havasu Air Service is the only FBO open on the field, the Foreflight map shows Havasu Air Center located on the north side of the field but this is not correct, the Air center has since moved into where the executive terminal was and the hours are 0800-1400 everyday which was posted on the door of the FBO.

While the interior is plain, its very cozy and inviting, the FBO staff are extremely friendly and will happily meet out outside your aircraft no matter how small or big it is. They will happily offer a ride from your aircraft to the terminal gate.

One of the major attraction of Havasu Airport is Hangar 24 Bar & Restaurant which is directly attached to the airport and is easily accessed just outside of the main gate. Absolutely, highly recommend stopping here even as a primary destination for your $100 hamburger fix. Even if you are not flying in and are on vacation in Havasu, this is a go to destination well worth driving out of the way for. Its great food, good prices, a wide tap selection, absolutely wonderful atmosphere, and great people running the place. A 10-out-of-10 stop. Another point is that military traveling through can eat for free through the meal vouchers they offer which are graciously donated through the patrons of Hangar 24.

Even on a lazy Sunday, its busy but the food comes out fast and hot, and its great eats. Hangar 24 also offers happy hour all day Sunday. If I wasn’t flying later, it would have been a great way to top off the day.

Overall, Lake Havasu is a great place to both make a primary destination and a stop if your heading eastbound or heading to Vegas from the west coast, or a great place to overnight if you’re coming from the East. This is a strong contender for aviation destinations in the southwest that punches well above its weight being in close proximity to Las Vegas but without the massive hassle of entering Las Vegas airspace. there are also several marine boating events at Lake Havasu, which means the ramp can get a bit busy with jet traffic but don’t let that scare you, the FBO staff will treat you like a million bucks no matter how small of a plane you come in with!

The View coming home!