I almost made a big mistake at this airstrip in the semi-ghost town of Goldfield NV. It said in the FAA docs that it was gravel in good condition. I landed and thought the ruts I saw were in gravel, but they were rock-hard dirt ruts. It was a VERY bumpy landing. The gravel was long gone.
It turns out the owner/manager of the strip, responsible for it’s condition and also for reporting to the FAA, had died. The locals actually thought the strip had closed. I submitted a report to the FAA but as of a month later the airstrip still says good condition. It’s not even close to “good” condition.
When I took off a day later I taxied out into the city streets to start my takeoff roll. The hard gravel street actually was in “good” condition. I wish it were longer and I’d just use the street. On the takeoff roll I entered the runway with some speed and was “wheels up” just before the really bad section.
There are no rental cars in Goldfield, no surprise there. However there is a U-Haul dealer, a big surprise. With a truck. So we rented a U-Haul moving truck in order to drive out to some gem hunting sites, including the well-known one called Gemfield. Yes, the ground is covered in interesting stones.
West Coast Flying Adventures 