The Breakfast Club

An Affiliate of the Arizona Pilots Assn

 

 


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Breakfast Club Visits Prescott & Susie’s Skyway Cafe

 

 

 

 

 

14 August 2010

by Warren McIlvoy

 

 

The Breakfast Club has not been to Prescott, Arizona in a couple of years but since it fit the profile of being a short flight in order to “beat the heat”, the event committee felt the time was right to make an encore visit.  Add to that the prospect of visiting a new restaurant at a familiar airport and you have all the ingredients for a great Saturday morning $250 ham & eggs fly-in.  I was looking forward to sitting on the outdoor patio and basking in the cool, early morning, Prescott air.

 

Legend Aviation is not totally new to the Prescott airport.  For a number of years, they occupied the modular unit that was sort of an extension of the terminal building on the west side of the field.  Legend constructed a totally new facility including the Mustang Café on the east side of the runway just behind Arizona Aircraftsman that is at the intersection of taxiway D and the crossing runways of 12/30.  You can not see Legend until you get past the large hangar that is Arizona Aircraftsman.

 

But all the good stuff was not to be.  On Monday afternoon prior to our fly-in, I received a phone call from a lady that said that the restaurant was closing and that “they would not be there”.  I was rather stunned and did not remember the ladies name and thanked her for the “heads up”.  I was only partially surprised since the number of times that I had been there, there were only one or two tables in used at any time.  The Mustang Café is not a large place to begin with but the food was different and pretty good just the same.  Between the indoor and outdoor seating, it would have fit our group very nicely and I was truly disappointed that we would not get the opportunity to sample some place new at an old location.

 

On Monday afternoon, I sent out a “Notam” to the Breakfast Club people to let them know that we would not be dinning at the Mustang Café but rather at Susie’s Skyway Café on the west side of the field in the terminal building.  I called Susie’s to give them a “heads-up” that we would have 20-30 people there at about 0815 that Saturday morning.

 

Our Saturday morning weather was just perfect although a tad warm but we knew that it would be much more desirable in Prescott.  I turned to the north after departing runway 07R and aimed for a point just to the right of our direct course.  To go directly, you would have to scale the Bradshaw Mountains but this would make no sense since you could simply fly to Mayer or Dewy at 6500’ and make a slight left turn to take you directly to the Prescott Airport.  The one down side to this plan is that you can not receive the Prescott ATTIS until you are only 15-miles southeast of the airport.  Roger Whittier was in the lead and radioed to all the ATTIS information so there was no need to fret about not getting the info in a timely manor.  When I was 10 mile out, I called the tower on the published frequency but did not get a response.  I called again and still no response.  I was beginning to wonder if I suddenly developed radio issues.  Just as I was about to alter my heading to put some distance between me and Class D airspace, a call from the Prescott tower advised of an alternate frequency.  With the new numbers in the proper boxes, communications were back to normal.  I ended-up doing a right 360 and entering on left base for 21L.  I turned right at the mid field exit and called Ground for taxi clearance to the transient parking that is south of the terminal building.

 

It was during this taxi time that I heard a transmission on the ground frequency from someone at Legend telling ground that the restaurant at Legend was also open.  I wasn’t sure that I heard what I thought that I heard.  I was informed that the restaurant was closed and someone on frequency is saying that it was open.  What gives?  After securing my airplane, we joined with other folks on the ramp.  I asked a couple of them if they heard that transmission on ground about the restaurant at Legend being open and they said that they did.

 

After taking a group photo of those that were waiting for the rest of our people, we started our hike to the terminal building.  The Prescott terminal is an old structure built, maybe, in the 1950’s.  Although in relatively fair shape, it does not appear that the City of Prescott has spent too much money on this facility.  For a facility that is being served by a commuter airline, you might think that the City of Prescott would consider replacing the building with something that would better represent their image.  Susie’s is located on the north side of the terminal and is solidly dedicated to the aviation theme.  After passing through the smaller portion of the restaurant that has a lunch counter and booths along one wall, you arrive in a larger room with booths on both sides and a row of tables down the middle.  When the middle row of tables are being used or filled, there is precious little space between them and the adjoining booths.  The walls are lined with photos of planes and aviators that span a long period of time.  The ceiling is dominated with models of every airplane ever constructed.  It would be hard to mistake this place as being anything other than an airport restaurant.

 

The Breakfast Club group used the entire center row of tables and overflowed into a couple of the booths.  We were definitely “shoe-horned” into the space but, hay, we are with folks who like to fly and eat so it could not be all bad.  The food and menu at Susie’s is typical airport fare and the prices are a bit lower than at many of our other favorites.  Susie’s is another favorite of the $250 dollar ham & eggs crowd.

 

As we were getting ready to depart the building, a lady with the TSA was standing near the exit door and I asked her what the large modular building was that was attached to the terminal building.   She stated that it was the screening area for passengers.  The commuter airline that now serves this airport is using larger aircraft thus requiring a larger screening area.  That was not there the last time that we were here.  The old Legend location is now the “general aviation terminal”. 

 

Our departure routine was slightly different than our arrival.  We were now departing in runway 3R.  I have never used 3R in all the years that I have been coming here.  I have used 30 a couple of times but never 3R.  The only odd part was that we were to fly runway heading until tower gave us the right turn to the southeast.

 

 

The Prescott Crowd

 

  • Warren & Jeri-Ann McIlvoy in 93MB, BC-1 & 1.5
  • Jordan Ross, in 852CP, BC-11
  • Trent Heidtke and Larry Stetz, BC-112
  • Richard Azimov in 6864Q, BC-2
  • Austin Goodwin, BC-317
  • Tom Roche, BC-31
  • Tony McCormack in 75226
  • Roger Whittier in 706CD, BC-122
  • Larry Jensen in 14LJ, BC-65
  • Glen & Judy Yoder and Tim & Ramona Yoder, BC-007
  • Mike Davis in 6693M
  • Dave Steiner and Kevin Royer in 20519
  • Peter Sterling, Conor Sterling, CJ Garcia, and Adam Rosenberg in 120GU
  • Greg Coomans and Jim Palmer in 9313H, BC-48

 

 

What’s Next?

 

Our September event will be to Bisbee, Arizona and our second over-night event of the year.  We will be staying at the Copper Queen Hotel and a Sunday morning departure.  We will be touring the town, taking the underground mine tour, and maybe take-in one of the surface tours.  October will see the Breakfast Club head to Flagstaff and dinning at the Little America Hotel.  That is all for now, but remember, fly safe.

 

Footnote:  I called Legend Aviation that afternoon and asked what was going on with the Mustang Café.  I said that we heard on ground frequency from someone at Legend that the restaurant was open.  I spoke with Jerry Lawyer, the Legend GM, that I received a phone call the prior Monday stating that the restaurant was closing.  Jerry said that they would be open for groups and catering.  I said that we had 25 people and was that enough of a group to meet their criteria?  Jerry said that this is just what they are looking for.  He inquired as to the name of the called but I informed him that I had forgotten.  He apologized for the foul-up and would be looking for another shot at providing a place for our group.

 

To view photos of this event, just click on the Prescott link