Breakfast Club


The Knife & Fork

Breakfast Club Returns to Sedona, Airport Restaurant




14 Apr 2006
by Warren McIlvoy

Our April fly-in to Sedona and the Airport Restaurant was planned to be a gathering to experience the atmosphere and scenic beauty of this special place. You see, the restaurant was scheduled to close some time in April because the airport terminal was supposed to be expanded to include a new restaurant on the second floor. But suddenly, the plans that were posted on the terminal walls were taken down and with the closing of the restaurant, rumors were hot and heavy about the city closing-down the airport. I fired-off a note to Stacy Howard, AOPA's regional representative, to see if she had any information about the status of the airport. Stacy said that the City was having to resubmit the terminal project to the bidding process because they had some issues with the contractor. Stacy also said that the City of Sedona does not own the airport, the airport is operated by an independent agent under contract with Yavapai County, the airport's owner. And another item on the good news category is that the restaurant has a new lease through August of 2009.

Our long time neighbor Mike Bauer was celebrating his 50th birthday so I thought that we might make the day a bit more special by taking him with us to Sedona. After leveling-off at 8500', I checked-in on our air-to-air frequency to let the rest of the Breakfast Club group that we were on our way. The air was silky smooth which was deeply appreciated by all. Since Sedona is only about 30 minutes by air, I decided to do a little bit of sight-seeing by passing west of the airport and making a turn around Teapot Mountain that is about 10 miles north of the Sedona Airport. This would also allow us to make a 45-degree entry into the left downwind for runway 3.

After making my "usual" greaser landing, we taxied to the transient parking where part of the Breakfast Club had already gathered. As more and more of the Breakfast Club group arrived, I was able to get some photos of the arriving aircraft and eventually I took a group photo before making the short trek to the restaurant. I had called the restaurant earlier in the week to give them a "heads-up" and that maybe the patio would better accommodate our group of 30 or more persons. The temperature was maybe in the mid 50's and a light southwest wind of about 5-6 mph caused a little bit of a chill. A couple of our folks choose the relative warmth of the inside tables but the brisk outside conditions made the "rocket fuel" (coffee for the unknowing) just that much more appealing. It also provided a better environment for taking pictures, and no Breakfast Club event would be complete without plenty of pictures.

Sedona and the Airport Restaurant (known as "Stretches" in the early days) is usually the first place that a newly minted pilot goes to test his wings. It's not that the scenery has anything to do with it although it is described by many as being one of the most beautiful places in the entire country. And the restaurant fare has always been a cut above the ordinary airport restaurant grub. Even though the airport and the restaurant are located in what could be described and one of the most upscale locations in the entire southwest, it has been able to retain its "airport restaurant" atmosphere. The runway with its noticeable uphill tilt to the northeast, can be a bit tricky in the summer due to the "built-in sinkhole" on short final to runway three. As you approach the airport from about 5-miles or so out, it has a very striking appearance to an aircraft carrier and thus the nick-name "USS Sedona".

After a tasty breakfast and swapping tales and lies, we strode back to the ramp and visited the terminal building. Following the mandatory "pit stop" to off-load ballast, we headed back out to the ramp and boarded air aircraft for the return trip to the valley. Rather than just coming straight back over the same route on our inbound leg, I opted to veer a bit further to the west and I-17 to give Mike a little different view of the scenery and since Deer Valley would be using runway 7, it seemed to make perfect sense.

The Sedona Gang


What's Next?

Our May Breakfast Club event will be to Winslow and the LaPosada Hotel. This will be a combination of breakfast fly-in combined with an overnight stay at this historic hotel. We will also feature a guided tour of the hotel by members of the Harvey Girls Society. If you enjoy being immersed in history, this event is a "don't miss". In June, we will make a swap with our June and August destinations. June will be a fly-in to Show Low and a visit with the EAA folks up there who will be hosting a pancake breakfast at the airport. That's all for now but remember, fly safe.


Click on this link to view the photos of the Sedona event. If you would like copies of these photos, you can order them from that site. Enjoy.  I have also included some photos that Rob Mooers took while patroling the ramp.