Your Guide to Fall Flying

August 31, 2026|Samantha Pallini|

Dear Fellow Pilots and Owners,

It’s that time of year where an eyebrow gets raised when you walk out the door. It’s not cold, but the sweltering days of mid-July are behind us, and the pilot in all of us thinks, “Hey, I’m making a few extra horsepower now…”

Fall flying is just around the corner. Whether that means chasing the fall colors through the Smokies, finally being able to fly past 10 AM in the Idaho backcountry, or needing to see your college football team play, now is the time to mark the calendars. From the air-conditioned comfort of an SR to the low-and-slow of a Cub, aviators find themselves dreaming about the perfect October morning to fly.

Here are a few ideas for making the most of fall flying, no matter what you fly.

Fall Trips Worth Planning Out over the Next Few Months:

  • Fly Rocky Top (KRKW): A new network of strips in East Tennessee is begging for your attention. With an array of strips for the beginner through elite aviator, the fall colors of the Smokies, and even SEC football just a 20-minute flight away, the newest network in the RAF portfolio is worth a peek.
  • Bentonville (KVBT): Boasting world-class airstrips, infrastructure, food, and dining, Northwest Arkansas has cemented itself as an aviator’s paradise. With fifty strips in a short flight, there’s a landing challenge for all, along with the town to bring you back to earth, and civilization, at the end of the day.
  • Idaho (KMAN, KEUL, KMYL): Where it all starts and all ends, the Frank Church Wilderness is at its peak in the fall. Flyable weather, less (relative) turbulence, and outdoor activities galore, there’s a reason this is the final frontier of the lower 48. Fall in Idaho is special; you’ll get below-freezing and sauna temps in the same day, fish are biting like no other, and the peaks are calling your name.

Aircraft checkbox Items to Think About:

  • Scheduling your annual: For those who follow the Cub calendar, it’s time to get in front of your mechanic and lock in a slot. The last thing you want is for March to roll around and find you’re not prepared to fly on the first spring day. Shops across the country are finding themselves booked out, so getting things lined up now is advantageous.
  • Keeping logs in check: As a broker, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the most critical part of ownership: the logs. Keep them in check. When it comes time to upgrade or hang it up, bad logs can cost you 30% of market value. A few minutes now can save you a few zeros at closing.
  • Leveraging the Q4 buyer pool: Unequivocally, the most airplanes transact in Q4 across all segments. Whether it’s getting a better idea of your financials for the year, understanding your taxes, or needing a write-off, airplanes get bought and sold at a significantly greater clip than at any other point in the year. If you’ve been considering transacting a plane, now is the time to have the conversation about what the process looks like and what your plane is worth.

Get out, fly your planes, and give me a call!

Safe Flying,

Clay Simmons

Sales Associate

CubCrafters Specialist