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IT’S UP TO YOU TO GET AWAY! FLYING TO Sadona! by John Bouck
SEDONA, ARIZONA
Most flying is to a specific destination, for either business or vacation. It’s the magic of transporting ourselves to some point that we need to be, for a business meeting, to see a theme park, or just to eat some lobster! The end result is the place where our photos describe the fun we’ve had, or the signed contract describes our successful business meeting. Rarely, though, does the memory of the actual airport that we land become one of the focal points of our memory.
One of those places that will surely last forever in your mind is the airport at Sedona, Arizona. It is probably one of the most beautiful environments you will have the pleasure of landing in.
We flew into Sedona Airport (SEZ) from the west, across the high mountainous region, at 13,000 feet. Even at that altitude, it seemed we were barely flying above some of the reaching peaks. Our GPS was indicating Sedona in just a few miles, but, still, we were unable to see the airport because of the high terrain. Suddenly, flying past the last peak, the valley seemed to open and the airport was below us. Dropping down to the pattern altitude of 6,000 feet though, suddenly became intimidating. The mountains surrounding us were higher and seemed to crowd the plane toward the airport. I abbreviated the downwind that extended along the high terrain, and turned a short base, then final.
I pulled up the gear, flaps and hit the throttle for an ignominious go-around. After all, skidding down a runway, with your feet through the firewall, trying to brake, or flipping over the edge of the threshhold, and down the embankment, is a sure fire way to ruin your tires, your vacation, or terminate your monthly pension. Five minutes later, after extending my downwind so I ended up with a stabilized approach, we were on the ground, surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I could have imagined.
After tying down, we
rented a car and drove down the steep road along the side of the
mesa, into town. The scenery changes dramatically, from overlooking
the mountains and the city in the distance, to staring in awe at the
gorgeous red rock formations surrounding us from above. We had
The drive along U. S. Highway 89A, through nearby Oak Creek Canyon, was even named by Rand-McNally as one of the most beautiful drives in America. As a pilot you can over-fly this area during the daylight and into the dusk hours, to be treated to a scene few others may ever witness in their lifetime. If you aren’t familiar with the area, however, I wouldn’t recommend any flights into the dark hours around the mountains.
Driving into town, and the real world, the city is a shopper’s paradise. I couldn’t get over the different boutiques, with unusual gifts, clothing and unique jewelry. For a change, it seems the big box discount retailers haven’t made much of a dent in the unique businesses of downtown Sedona. It remains a place where a walk down the block has your head turning to peek into every store. Unfortunately, the major problem the city hasn’t solved at this point, and which frustrates many Sedonians, as well as tourists, is the lack of downtown parking! Wear good walking shoes. It’s worth it, and you’ll need them! More local information is available at: www.visitsedona.com.
Sedona is also a great place to launch your driving portion of the trip, toward the South rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s only about a 2 ½ hour drive. While you are able to fly into Grand Canyon Airport (GCN), closer to the rim, I stopped by and found it to be a dusty, busy airport, with loads of commercial tourist flights, especially helicopters, taking people around the canyon. I just didn’t want to leave my plane there for a couple of days. We planned to spend several days traveling along the canyon, with more time driving to the Lake Powell area, and over to Zion and Bryce National Parks, all of which are well worth seeing. Maybe I was just too cautious about where I leave my aircraft.
The primary attraction for most is the Grand Canyon, which is truly spectacular, as well as the other national parks in the area. I, personally, found the beauty of Sedona itself to be the highlight of our trip. Sedona was first settled when Carl Schnebly (that’s his real name!) built his home in the Oak Creek Canyon area sometime around early 1900. Others followed and the place began growing below the red rocks and towering mountains. A few years later, Schnebly, and the other locals at that time, decided it was time to petition for a post office and have a real, honest-to-goodness, gosh-durn town. Schnebly first wanted to name it Oak Creek Crossing, and then thought that Schnebly Station sounded even better. Problem was, his favorite names wouldn’t fit on the cancellation stamp for the post office he wanted there.
He couldn’t really name the place after himself. After all, who would want to live in a place named “Carl”, so he did the next best thing and named it after his wife, Sedona. The name fit, and one can only assume his wife was as beautiful as the location named after her. Carl then became the town’s first postmaster as well.
Luckily, a number of years ago, the place developed a reputation as a haven for artists, hermits, and those who just wanted quiet. Unfortunately for those who just wanted the quiet, the growing arts and craft community made the town a destination for the tourists and their buses, all of whom wanted to see the hermits, and particularly the artists. Today, it’s a fun little mountain town with a history, restored buildings, and some interesting craft and art galleries. It’s worth the drive up, but just be aware that the town is built along a mountainside, and none of the streets are level for more than a couple of hundred feet! Jerome is also known, at 5,200 feet, as America’s most Vertical City. Be prepared to hike up and down the steep streets to reach your favorite store or gallery!
Sedona is one of the really great destinations to plan for as a pilot, or a pilot’s family. The Arizona weather is typically quite good (especially compared with our Great Lakes style convective activity in the summer and lake effect snow in the winter!). Whether you’re interested in shopping in unique stores, eating in excellent restaurants, or taking on the great outdoors, there is little you won’t find in Sedona. It’s truly an amazingly beautiful area, from the popular airport mesa to the surrounding mountains, as well as the city itself. If you don’t live nearby, and have thought of taking a longer distance flight, this is your opportunity for a real treat, into a pilot’s paradise.
John Bouck lives in upstate Auburn, N. Y. He is a commercial and industrial real estate broker, licensed in New York and Florida. John flies a Cessna 210, as well as a Cessna 180 on amphibious floats. With over 2,000 hours of flight time, he holds a commercial license, with instrument rating, as well as seaplane rating, and is a CFI. He can be reached at: jcbouck@verizon.net. |
As
I strained to look beyond the wing toward the airport, it was easy
to see that my cowardice resulted in an approach much too high for
the 5,100 foot runway…even with the legendary Cessna flaps
extended! Between the mountains around us and the sheer precipice
at each end of the runway, the confidence in my “always on target”
landings dissipated. It was one of those short moments of inner
argument. My brain was debating, from, “I never have to “go around”
on landing”, to “Yup. I think I should be okay.” The key here
though, was the word “think”. Whenever I argue with myself and
“think” I can do something, or “believe” I have enough fuel, or the
runway “should” be long enough to get out of if I land on a hot day,
the argument is over. Those words have absolutely no place in the
vocabulary of a pilot. 
Sedona
Airport, at an altitude of 4,827’, is known as the “Aircraft Carrier
in the Sky” and has been named as America’s Most Scenic Airport.
The name is well-deserved as you stand on the tarmac, looking at the
gorgeous red rock formations soaring all around, and above. The
airport is located at the top of a 500 foot mesa overlooking the
City of Sedona, with stunning views in all directions, including the
mountains beyond the city. As a matter of fact, every evening at
sunset, many of the residents, as well as tourists, flock to the top
of the mesa, right at the airport, to watch the stunning and
colorful high desert sunset (
landed
in late afternoon, with the sun low and bright, causing the
variegated rock formations to become a rainbow of vermillion,
scarlet, magenta and wine reds. As the sun went ever lower, the
mountain colors changed, with more purples and yellow-oranges, as if
in a beauty contest with the brilliant yellow poppies, wild pink
lilies, daisies and other wildflowers along the road. It is truly
one of the most naturally beautiful scenes you may ever encounter.
One
of our other drives was to the reputed largest ghost town in
America, called Jerome (