Winifred~Missouri Breaks Flyin 8-10 June...the early part of Bushwheel Awareness Week

[Centmont]

6th annual flyin... let's get some more CubCrafters aircraft here this year.

[Centmont]

Winifred is the "Little Brother" of the Johnson Creek Flyin. It started as a natural stop for those attending Johnson Creek from the east, but has its own western charms and has become a destination in its own right.

For those who haven’t been here before: This is an informal flyin. We will help guide you into one of the “last great places” of N. America…virtually the last place along the Missouri that is as Lewis and Clark found it. There is a great deal of wildlife here; record class elk, mule deer, and big-horn sheep are taken each year by hunters and can be found from the air. We headquarter out of Winifred (9S7) which is a small town of about 100 folks who really look forward to the flyin. The entire town is on a cul-du-sac..the highway comes into town and cow trails exit out the back. There is a huge sense of western community here. Facilities include 4000’ sod strip, 100LL credit card pump, lots of hangar and tiedown space, a restaurant, small hotel, grocery store, and one paved street. We don’t have big raffle items, or a highly organized program…our job is to facilitate your enjoyment of a great wild place to fly and offer help in keeping you comfortable.

New: The Breaks strips accepted as part of the Missouri River National Monument travel plan (Breaks strips) are now on the sectional (Great Falls) and are in most airport guides including airnav.com (http://www.airnav.com/airports/). Cow Creek, Bullwhacker, Left Coulee, Knox Ridge, Black Butte, Woodhawk.
The wind sock is off the top of the hangar...the squeak is gone.

If you get here early, just roll into the hangar and make yourself at home...Melissa or I will hear you and show up.
Here is the schedule and all is WX dependent.

8 June:
Arrival all afternoon … We will camp Cow Creek … the dinner meal is sponsored by TheCubWorks and CubCrafters; Bar-B-Que, green salad, bread, fruit salad. Bring your own water or other refreshments. Cow Creek is a completely dry primitive camp. For those not into camping, the small hotel has a few nice 2 bedroom apartments (very inexpensive) (it is in a 100 year old bank building) (406 462-5430)
9 June:
Morning: Breakfast at Lewistown (LWT), ca. 25 miles S of Winifred and looks a bit like a town in a valley in the Alps. The airstrip is an old WWII B-17 Base...it's other claim to fame is that the barracks were used in the making of the movie "The Blob" 50 years ago. There is a great route up Judith River to Lewistown from either CowCoulee or Winifred. This is a combination flyin, pancake feed, and antique aircraft show.

Mid-day: Flying the Missouri Breaks and landing the backcountry strips on your own. From Lewistown it is a relatively short hop up to Russian Flats Airstrip in the Little Belt Mountains. It was opened last year as the first new airstrip on US Forest Service lands in over 40 years (Thank you RAF)

Evening: We camp back in Winifred.... Hangar-burgers and fixins by the plate catered by the local cafe…and adult malted beverages for those who are through flying for the day.
10 June: ~Breakfast on your own or enjoy a monster pile of eggs and... at the Winifred Cafe. Departure for Johnson Creek or home via various backcountry strips and fishing-holes in Montana and Idaho~. For those headed west from Winifred, I highly recommend the West Fork Lodge near Darby, MT. They love pilots and airplanes...you can thank me later.http://www.westforklodge.com/

Feel free to call. We look forward to seeing you all again. Ralph and Melissa 406 462 5487

[Jason Tepool]

Well Ralph, I passed on that plane I went to look at. So far I won't be coming again this year.

I looked at another project, but with taking 4 college upper level classes right now I can't make the time to finish it, so I passed on it as well.

[Centmont]

PIREP from Winifred:

This is a completely different experience out here this year than we had last year during the 100-year-flood. Long-range forecast for flyin weekend is for 20% chance of afternoon showers and light winds... that is as good as it gets here in June. The ground is dry and there should be no problem with the camp site at Cow Creek. As you approach the Winifred/Breaks area, just start listening to the chatter on 122.9. If you need gas, we have it here at Winifred. It is green and beautiful here though Montana as a whole is a little dry. See you here if you can make the trip. Ralph

[Centmont]

I have been partially afraid to jinx the weather forecast which has just gotten better.

Weather: Right now the forecast is for the best weather we have ever had here during this event. Thursday through Sunday (7-10 June) 65-80 F highs ~ 40ish nighttime lows ~ no precipitation through the period ~ winds 10 or less except for some wind mid-afternoon Saturday (10-20mph)..back to single digit winds on Sunday. It looks great at Ray's on Thursday if you are stopping there with light E. winds and no precip.

Hays MOA: It is active Friday (8 June) until noon, then vacant for the flyin weekend. They have been notified that we will be holding our flyin and will be out there. They are great folks, they know us and will be on the lookout. I have invited them every year to drop by for dinner but they are just a little reluctant to put an F-15 down on 2200' of sod. Since some of us camp at the end of the runway..it is probably good they don't try. They don't fly below 500' AGL (theoretically)... we aren't supposed to get above 300'AGL when MOA is active and that gives us 200' of separation. I seldom see them down low anywhere near 500'...but they are young guys with a lot of thrust at their command and could be playful.

I'll issue more PIREPS as time approaches... Right now things look great. We are the greenest place in Montana, yet the strips are dry. Your places are empty ~ get here safely and we look forward to seeing you. Ralph and Melissa