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  • Nut Tree

    So....

    I don't know what or why, but today I started feeling nostalgic for the old Nut Tree Airport/Train/Restaurant/Gift Shop. I used to have lots of the posters. I think I still have the Spruce Goose one somewhere, and I know I still have the Conquest 1 shot...as well as my favorite, the head-on of Cliff Cummins in Big Z's Mustang N332 at the Mojave 1000. I used to have a silly one too...airplanes that were made out of fruit and food. Don't know where that one ended up.

    I remember that one time we flew in to Nut Tree, and we parked next to a yellow P-51. That was the first Mustang I ever got to sit in...and I think that trip we were returning from the Reno Air Races, so it was even better!

    I miss the train too.

    Anyone out there have any good Nut Tree memories they want to share?

  • #2
    Re: Nut Tree

    Sadly I moved (got stationed) here to Vacaville just as the Nut Tree was closing down. But boy do I ever wish that I had been around in its hay day, from what I've read and seen in photo's it sure seems to have been a major stoping point for many of aviations greats.
    I'm not sure if you have seen or heard what has become of the property... if you haven't I can drive by tomorrow and snap off a few photo's to give you an idea of what it's like (or not like in this case) these days.
    Stevo

    Blue Thunder Air Racing
    My Photos
    My Ride

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Nut Tree

      Brad,

      I have some great memories of the old Nut Tree too!

      I have flown down there several times lately- the airport is still active,
      but EVERYTHING else is gone. They have a really nice baseball field:



      It's really sad........I spent hours and hours looking at the aviation books and goodies there....I even rode the choo choo once in awhile! hehe



      All the best, OBR
      Warlock #75, Steve Ballard, Al "Papa" Goss
      RIP 03/17/10

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Nut Tree

        I lived in Vacaville for 30 years. The highlght on a summer evening (ya gotta remember Vaca was MUCH smaller then) was to got to the local Mexi restauraunt (Murrilo's, the original one) then walk around Nut Tree for awhile listening to the music, getting a cone and shopping. The yearly scarecrow competition was cool too.
        Drove by last weekend and nothing at the main building site but a field.
        A lot of the west coast warbirds used to visit on the way thru and have lots of photo's over the years, P-40's, P-51's, PBY's, B-25's, B-17's and tons of T-6's and T-28's.
        Miss it.

        Leo
        Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
        airplanenutleo@gmail.com
        thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Nut Tree

          Any of you guys regulars at the old Vacaville gliderport?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Nut Tree

            Trained there and flew there for almost ten years.
            ASK-21's and Grob's.
            Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
            airplanenutleo@gmail.com
            thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Nut Tree

              How about Vaca-Dixon, I flew to field back in mid 70's it was a dirt strip.
              It closed 1979 or 80 although the Hangars are still there today. Its a few miles east of the Nut Tree right next to I-80.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Nut Tree

                When the glider operation was kicked out of Lagoon Valley, it moved to the old Vaca-Dixon for awhile. I flew out of there a couple of times and it was'nt fun anymore, too far from the hills and too close to the power substation. A couple of locals closed it down with very emotional complaints to the Council while the were trying to get a permit to operate there. They are up near Williams now.
                There is a Stearman being re-built in one of those hangars. Now and then it's sitting outside.
                There is also an old banked track and dragstrip just to the north, oldtimers will remember it.
                Years ago Steve Seghetti and another pilot used to keep their T-6' there. Steve once let some friends and I climb into and photograph his, around 1975 I guess.
                Anyone remember the very sad B-25 that sat at Nut Tree for awhile? Took off one day and barely staggered airborn across town. Quite a sight.
                God, I'm getting old.

                Leo
                Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
                airplanenutleo@gmail.com
                thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Nut Tree

                  Leo-
                  Were you at Vacaville, when Crazy Dave, aka: Rookie, had his trailer there?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Nut Tree

                    I fly R/C gliders regularly in the hills just above where the Vaca glider port used to be. Same as with the Nut Tree I moved to Vacaville at the wrong time. I remember when I first got into town buying a map and seeing the glider port listed on there, I dorve around for a good hour trying to figure out when in the heck it was before I found out it had been shut down. Then I heard about the Vaca-Dixon port... drive out that way and it was gone too, they still had the glider sitting out on the edge of I-80 advertising glider rides.

                    If you go to this website and scroll just a little ways down you can see photo's of the old glider ports (then and now) along with a little information on them.
                    Stevo

                    Blue Thunder Air Racing
                    My Photos
                    My Ride

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Nut Tree

                      My kids first airplane ride was in my Dad's C-170B to the Nut Tree for lunch. I always thought it was pretty cool that if you flew in, the train ride was free. Mr. Powers who owned the place was a real aviation buff. He had a 170B just like ours. He and my Dad became freinds because of the planes, so we got some back room tours over the years. Powers had over 500 large scale models of aircraft at one point. Only a fraction were on display there at any one time.

                      It's still a pretty cool airport even without the free train ride. The Segettis P-51 "Sparky" is based there. Jimmy rollison also has a pristeen Laird Speedwing based there. There are a number of other warbirds including a couple of T-28s and a DC-3 as well. Lots of other nice planes and people. Cheap fule too. It's wort the stop.
                      Bill Garnett
                      InterstellarDust
                      Air Race Fanatic since 1965

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Nut Tree

                        Nut Tree is one of my favorite places to visit - even after they tore down the old restaurant and giftshop. The best thing there now is Ducan Miller's collection. C-47 (D-Day record!), Harpoon, S-2 Tracker, Stearmans, T-28s, Stinson, Cub, etc. If the hangars are open and Duncan is around, he's always happy to show folks around and share his wonderful collection. And...he's right around the corner from the Seghetti's hangar.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Nut Tree

                          Don't remember Crazy dave by name. Was he one of the new tow pilots?The brothers owned it when I was flying there. Started just before their dad was killed in the crash of his biplane near there.
                          We had a lot of characters tho. Used to hangar fly with Cal Worthington who was a regular, and used to see alot of interesting stuff, paragliders, ultralights around on slow days. The soaring there was tops. Great lift off the ridges and a nice wave on good days. Was not uncommon to run out of bladder reserve long before running out of lift.
                          Soared in Hawaii during vacation in the late 80's and all those pilots could talk about was Vacaville and Minden.
                          I know one of the instructors there went to 14,900 from a 2000' tow, then a week later soared from Vacaville to Bakersfield for distance.
                          Great place and I cried when developers closed it. The land never developed, but the tore up the runway and buildings the day after the operation moved out. There were conflicts with the growth of Nut Tree airport and having a glider operation that close.
                          Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
                          airplanenutleo@gmail.com
                          thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Nut Tree

                            Leo-
                            "Crazy" Dave (Morss) was working primarily as a tow pilot, had most his glider ratigs, and gave aerobatic rides in the Travilair "Big Red" and a Great Lakes. I'd often fly up friday evenings, have a couple of beers at the afternoon B.S. sessions, camp out and fly home, Saturday morning.
                            (About 1975-ish). Got to meet a pretty good group of people, just wondering if we've meet. (I was the large furry one, with the Fosters).
                            Anyway, I kinda miss the place.

                            Paul

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Nut Tree

                              I think he was gone by the time I started flying there (1986). There were a couple of people still living in trailers then. Did'nt realize it was THAT Crazy Dave.
                              The Travelaire was lost in the late 80's in a crash with the owner of the gliderport and passengers. I do remember the Great Lakes too.
                              Used to hang around there in High school and college tho I could'nt afford to fly so we might have met.
                              There was always a great group ther, most of them committed to flying over all else, such as good jobs, wives, girlfriends, hygiene, etc. It was fun and what I always wanted from flying. I actually quit when they closed as it was never the same anyplace else.
                              Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
                              airplanenutleo@gmail.com
                              thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

                              Comment

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