Outer Banks Recommendations Welcom

[Jeff_S]

Hello all,

Looking at the NC Outer Banks as a fun place to spend a week either late Sep or early Oct. It has all the requirements for my wife to consider flying the Mooney: beach, golf, and no stopping for gas from Atlanta! I thought it would be fun to fly into First Flight Airport but Airnav says you can only park there for 24 hours. So it looks like Dare County Regional is the place to put it for a longer stay.

Any other comments or recommendations? Thanks!

Jeff

[tony]

Ocracoke Island W95

http://www.ocracokeislandrealty.com/OuterBanks/Ocracoke/

 

check out the video 

[GeorgePerry]

Quote: Jeff_S

Hello all,

Looking at the NC Outer Banks as a fun place to spend a week either late Sep or early Oct. It has all the requirements for my wife to consider flying the Mooney: beach, golf, and no stopping for gas from Atlanta! I thought it would be fun to fly into First Flight Airport but Airnav says you can only park there for 24 hours. So it looks like Dare County Regional is the place to put it for a longer stay.

Any other comments or recommendations? Thanks!

Jeff

[fantom]

The Outer Banks are going to get hammered by Irene :-(

 

[Hank]

Quote: JimR

HiIt goes with out saying, I know, but keep an eye out for the restricted and warning areas and MOAs.  There are a lot of them just west of the Outer Banks.

[Jeff_S]

Thanks to all for the tips. We haven't booked our trip yet so perhaps we'll wait to see what happens after the weekend!

[Jerry 5TJ]

It is hard to beat a laid-back stay in the Outer Banks.  We're staying in Duck NC again this year, week of Sept 25 and plan to fly in to Dare County.  We bring along the take-down tandem bicycle in the Mooney for some dead-flat cycling.  Eastbound we plan stops in MT, IN, DC.  Westbound homeward via SC, TX, NM and back into CA.  

 

[DrBill]

You HAVE to fly in to First Flight at Nags Head and go visit the Wright Brothers Museum.   Flying in and out of there just adds to the experience.

Bill,

Mint Hill, NC

[Amelia]

Hi- I live in Edenton, NC, just a short hop inland from the Outer Banks, and have flown to all of the airports you mention.

Manteo, MQE, makes a good stopping place to tie down, rent a car, see the attractions there. It's a very short stroll to a nice little aquarium- just right for little-to-middle-sized kids. Has a snack bar right there. For cheapish fuel, check out Elizabeth City, ECG, and Currituck, ONX. They also have cars available, IIRC. 

On OBX, the First Flight field, FFA, is a shrine to most pilots. Hike to the museum, check out the markers for that first one, and up the monument's hill for a view of the surrounding territory. No fuel, 24 hr tiedown- not sure how strictly enforced off-season, nice little pilot's shack with computer wx. Commercial strip is hike-able. If you want beach, though, the strips further down the way are better, less crowded, more accessible.

Hatteras's Billy Mitchell Field, HSE is remote, no fuel, nice computer shack, portajohns. No tie-down limitation, but it is really too far to walk to the village proper, and last I looked, there weren't any convenient places to rent a car, but you may find your realtor or hotel person willing to pick you up. If you want to bring bikes, it's possible. That said, there was substantial damage to Hatteras Island from Hurricane Irene, including several stretches of road completely washed away, and I'm not sure exactly where. I'm a great fan of the fishing village that is Hatteras, but to make a long story short, you cain't hardly git thar from here right now-- except by ferry, perhaps from Swan Quarter, NC-- and there's no airport really convenient to there with rental cars and fuel, except 'little' Washington, NC, OCW,  30 miles up the road. You could rent a car there and drive, though.

Ocracoke, W95, is great. Only a mile or so walk into town, less than that to Howard's Pub, and lovely beach right there by the airport just a few dozen yards over the dunes. No fuel, no place really, to change, but has portajohns. Town offers lots of bike rentals and other beach toys, shops, restaurants and lodging. Be sure your cross-wind landings are up to snuff- there's no other kind there. The free ferry over to Hatteras Village is a fine ride-- but it's some miles northish to the ferry terminal.

Edenton, EDE, is a fine all-weather airport on the western edge of the Albemarle Sound,  just a few miles from the 'prettiest small town in the south.' We're having a fly-in airport day with lots of old cars, old airplanes, R/C, and more, on September 24, all day-- if you're in the area, do stop in-- fuel's going to be a bargain that day. Several beautiful B&Bs in town, pretty colonial architecture, overlooking Edenton Bay.

As for the restricted areas, Flight Following from Washington Center -- if you're high enough to be seen--at least 2500 feet-- will keep you apprised. Most aren't hot all the time, but often enough to require vigilance.

Y'all come on- there's lots to enjoy around here. Feel free to email me for more opinions.

Speaking of Things Worth Doing in my neck of the woods, you might google the Oceana NAS airshow at Virginia Beach-- on Sept 23ff.... should be a doozy, with the Blues AND the Snowbirds, etc. Also look up the Virginia Beach Airport, AKA the Fighter Factory, speaking of things with wings worth seeing. It's a private airport south of VaBch, very nicely displayed private collection of beautifully restored and airworthy WWII warbirds.

[ELT]

Hi,

I live in Beaufort NC.  KMRH has 3 runways.  You can walk to Historic Beaufort. Eat at the Beaufort Grocery!  From Beaufort take boats to Carrot Island, the outter banks and Cape Look Out.  We have a maritime museum in Beaufort.  Nice beaches can also be found across the "bridge" at Atlantic Beach.  Fort Macon State Park and an aquarium are at Atlantic Beach. From the air the water colors of the Crystal Coast rival some of the Bahamas.  The Sea Food festival is the first weekend in October.  Irene storm damage was mostly flooding and not directly on the Crystal Coast.  Beaufort and Morehead had almost no structural damage, just tree limbs down.

 

[Jeff_S]

Just revisiting this thread to remind myself of the recommendations. Finally got our plans put together so we've got a place in Corolla and are headed out there next weekend (10/1). Thanks again for all the tips!

[TonyPynes]

Where is the seafood festival? sounds like fun.

[fantom]

Beaufort is beautiful, just watch out for mosquitos big enough to require tail numbers!