Calhoun, GA Airport (KCZL): Perfection

 

Calhoun, GA Airport: Tom B David Field

Now and then we come upon an airport that totally impresses us: The people are extraordinarily helpful and provide terrific service, and everything is in mint condition.

So it was during a visit in summer 2023 in Calhoun, GA. We had planned an overnight stay on a trip from Dallas to the Asheville area in North Carolina. 

Here's is what happened upon our arrival at the airport.

I refuel the plane at the self-service pumps. It is the new system where the display terminal is protected from the sun and the color display is easy to read and operate. 

Once done, I go to the terminal to investigate storing the plane.  Two people help me with this: John and Ryder. In fact, they provide a T-hangar, a rare treat.

It takes me a while to remove the luggage and check the Rotax engine. As I am doing all this, Ryder comes back with a cold bottle of water, a welcome offer after the long flight. 

In the terminal building, everything is in mint condition. Curious, I walk around and confirm that the entire building is very well organized. Everything is done to perfection. I am impressed indeed.

Upon my question about transportation to the motel:  Yes, there is a courtesy car. The air conditioning works and the car gets me safely to the destination.

Before I leave and drive to the motel, I offer to settle the charge for the overnight use of the T-hangar now instead of the next day. 

Ryder doesn't know what the rule is, and asks John. He says, Oh no, there is no charge. Amazing, really. 

John and Ryder are surprised when I propose to write a post about the airport. Well, on that trip I stopped at several airports where things were less that satisfactory.

In sharp contrast, the airport at Calhoun is a jewel of perfection, and I recommend it highly for refueling and staying overnight. In a more expansive view, the airport surely is one factor that convinces companies to move to the area.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Safe VFR Flight Over the Top of Clouds

Image
Flight above clouds Our Zenith 601HDS plane, N314LB, is not equipped for flight under instrument flight rules (IFR). Nor do we have the appropriate rating for that kind of flight. Hence, we are restricted to visual flight rules (VFR). They demand that we cannot fly into clouds, let alone fly while embedded in clouds. Want to learn more about flying?    My book Lessons from Piloting for 45 Years  covers close shaves over more than four decades involving thunderstorms, mountain weather, faulty runways, equipment failures, and more. Learn key strategies for coping with these dangerous situations.  They include two tools called Sully's Rule and Forecast Evaluation. VFR Cloud Conditions Below 10,000 ft MSL, VFR flight must be at least 500 ft below clouds or 1,000 ft above clouds, and horizontally must be at least 2,000 ft away from clouds. Above 10,000 ft MSL, two of the conditions are stricter: The 500 ft condition for flight below clouds is increased ...
Read more

Tracing the Flight of the Beast in "The Dog Stars"

Image
View north from Rollins Pass, CO. "The Dog Stars" is a terrific sci-fi book by Peter Heller. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it tells the story of a survivor pilot who with his Cessna 182 Skylane, affectionately called the Beast, tries to make a difference. The author is himself a pilot and has made sure that all technical discussions are correct, down to the minutest detail such as pulling mixture control. Want to learn more about flying?    My book Lessons from Piloting for 45 Years  covers close shaves over more than four decades involving thunderstorms, mountain weather, faulty runways, equipment failures, and more. Learn key strategies for coping with these dangerous situations.  They include two tools called Sully's Rule and Forecast Evaluation. We are not giving anything away by saying that the story begins at the Erie airport (EIK), which is just a few miles NW of Denver, CO. You learn that on the first few pages of the book. We are also not sp...
Read more

Van Gogh and America’s First Patented Helicopter

Image
A huge easel holds a reproduction of van Gogh’s “ Three Sunflowers in a Vase,” painted by Cameron Cross in 1996. Huge easel with reproduction of van Gogh’s “Three Sunflowers in a Vase”    The 24 by 32 ft painting on the 80 ft tall steel easel, weighing 40,000 lbs, can be seen from Interstate 70 half a mile away. Near the easel and painting, the High Plains Museum displays a replica of America’s first patented helicopter, designed by William J. Purvis and Charles A. Wilson in 1909. It has two 7 hp gasoline engines driving two counter rotating blades. Replica of helicopter designed by Purvis and Williams in 1909 Where can you see all this? In Goodland, in the northwestern corner of Kansas. Why did we fly to Goodland? We will come to that in a moment. First, the stories of the painting and helicopter.   Cameron Cross originally intended to paint giant replicas of seven van Gogh sunflower paintings. Two paintings in Altona, Canada and Emerald, Australia have bee...
Read more