aerocaching?

[will29]

I started geocaching a few weeks ago in my hometown, and it's quite an addiction.

 

I'm also a private pilot. Is there any way to find caches that are oriented specifically towards pilots, e.g. hidden at or near small airfields? Or multi-step adventures where you have to gather clues from several airports in the area?

 

-Bill

[+The Irish Pirates]

Oohhh that wuld be cool. I am not a pilot but my grandfather was and we would go flying several times a month basically just airport hopping. That would put another interesting twist on it. I like it.

 

Can I have a loan, I'm low on cache!!

[+Smitherington]

I think that idea holds promise. I have a friend who is a pilot and think I could talk him into ferrying me around to do the finds.

[+Scout65]

This is a virtual cache that I set up at Logan County Airport (AAA) in Lincoln Illinois.

I like the idea of aerocaches but there's no way to search for aerocaches only that I know of. I doubt if there's enough of us flying geocachers to justify having another category of cache.

[+RainDog]

"Foundation of Life" is near AIG.

"Oktoberfest 2002" is near LSE.

Both of the above are adjacent to the airport property. There is a member's only near Y72.

SUE has a couple within easy driving distance if the FBO has a loaner car or you bring bikes.

"Tenner's Bug Hotel" is about a mile north of GRB.

 

These are off the top of my head, but if there are that many that I can recall I figure there must be quite a few nationwide.

 

How do the Angels get to sleep when the Devil leaves his porch light on?

[+tozainamboku]

I know of several caches hidden at or near small general aviation airfields. Perhaps the best way would to find these would be to enter the lat/long for a an airfield you will be flying to on the seek a cache page and see if anything turns up

 

東西南北

Why do I always find it in the last place I look?

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Don't know of any caches but there are plenty benchmarks at airports. Might be worth the time to check out a few. Not everyone will have access to these!

 

John of 2oldfarts

 

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Human beings can always be counted on to assert with vigor their God-given right to be stupid.--Dean Koontz

[will29]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses and advice. It's great to hear there are so many caches near airports, but right now it seems that there's no easy way to find them, other than already knowing about them.

 

If I'm planning a trip to a particular airport, it's easy enough to find out if there's a cache near my destination. But more often I'm sitting in my house, plane keys in hand, itching for someplace interesting to go -- but where? It's not so easy to find a cache in that case. Maybe we can ask the site admins to add a flag to caches that are close to airports?

 

I'm in Southern California. Maybe I'll just create "SoCal Aerocache Alpha" -- requiring the pilot to fly to 3 airports on the LA TAC -- and see if it catches on. (Non-pilots could do it too, of course, but it would probably take way too long to drive those distances...)

 

-Bill

[Keystone]

Please bear in mind that, in today's heightened security environment, geocaches on or near airport property will have a tough time getting through the cache approval process. It's best to look for parks, etc. which are nearby the airport.

 

--------------------

Don't mess with the frog.

[+Hiemdahl]

I think this one is in your backyard and might be interesting.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=79371

[+SearchRescueDog]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keystone Approver:

Please bear in mind that, in today's heightened security environment, geocaches on or near airport property will have a tough time getting through the cache approval process. It's best to look for parks, etc. which are nearby the airport.

---

Perhaps this would not be as much of an issue at small "mom&pop" fields.

 

[dssoren]

New cache published at KGWW in NC.

 

GC86A4

 

Military and civilian aviation theme and easy fly-in for aerocachers.

 

Daren

[+jtbrady01]

Please bear in mind that, in today's heightened security environment, geocaches on or near airport property will have a tough time getting through the cache approval process. It's best to look for parks, etc. which are nearby the airport

 

FYI: I was looking for a bench mark not even a 1/4 from an entrance to a small airport. I did park at a service road that was adjacent to the airport. Within a couple minutes the local police were there. I explained what I was doing. He was interested and took one of my cards I put in caches. However, he did ask me to leave. Didn't think it was a good idea to walk near an airport with a GPS. Each area may have different rules and regulations but, I don't think I would look for or hide one near an airport.

[+KG1960]

Another possibility is Waymarking.com. For example, Scout65 mentioned the airport by Lincoln, IL. The airplane museum, a military memorial, and the airport itself are waymarked, so that would be something to perhaps go after. Or, you can create some waymarks yourself. Since the museum is open to the public (as are some areas of the airport) there shouldn't be any problems with security (I don't believe that this airport has any commercial flights - that might be the difference). I have logged visits on the mentioned waymarks. The next time I am in the area and have extra time, I thinking of stopping by again and creating waymarks of some the museums aircraft under the category, "static aircraft displays".

 

So, this is another option.

[mtbikernate]

Yep, due to the whole homeland security issue and with law enforcement being particularly sensitive in the vicinity of airports, you may have a hard time with these. I did a cache in Ohio called the Pink Floyd Trivia Cache that was somewhat near a county airport, but I wasn't near the entrance and I couldn't see any buildings or airstrips from the cache access site...so it wasn't really all that close. Much closer than that, and the authorities might have a problem with you walking around with a GPS (much like jtbrady's experience).