Willcox Playa Fly-In

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Willcox Playa Fly-In Public page for the annual Willcox Playa Fly-In gathering intended for all forms of aviation but primarily ultralight aircraft.

This page will be used to share all information related to the gathering, the Playa itself, and other related topics.

I recently visited the Greenlee Country club to collect some images/videos ahead of our upcoming PPG gathering (https://...
10/18/2026

I recently visited the Greenlee Country club to collect some images/videos ahead of our upcoming PPG gathering (https://www.facebook.com/share/1D2X1P1iAd/) and stopped by the Playa on the way back to check out the conditions. Right now there is standing water on portions of the surface and the dry regions are quite soft. My tires sunk slightly where I parked near the entrance. Construction work has also resumed on the South side of the tracks with heavy equipment back in place, more dirt being moved, and the entry route is rougher than before. The concerning "S-turn" has now turned into a sharper 90degree turn around some debris. There is more rain in the upcoming forecast too. I'm glad we were able to pivot to Greenlee this year 🙂

Some good news and bad news. The entry road is currently accessible with a wider ramp off the pavement and a nicely grad...
09/02/2026

Some good news and bad news. The entry road is currently accessible with a wider ramp off the pavement and a nicely graded surface for most of the new route. There is also no clear signage preventing public access. Unfortunately the route now includes a new S-curve into the sharp 90deg turn which may be difficult or impossible for longer campers and trailers to navigate through. Construction is also still ongoing with the work mostly focused on the North side of the tracks at the moment but it could shift back any time. A reminder, the full bridge replacement project is scheduled to run until 2028.

What this means is that the route can be used now for Playa access but the future is uncertain. Without a reliable access route that is guaranteed to be available in the fall, I still feel trying to schedule a large gathering may be problematic. The last thing I want is for pilots to make the trek out to the Playa only to find access temporarily blocked on the weekend that we target.

If a fly-in does happen, it will likely be a last minute confirmation based on more reconnaissance trips later in the year. The usual target is the first weekend in November (11/6-11/8). Pilots traveling from far away or with large campers should be aware of the risks stated above and decide if it's worth trying to come out. I'm hoping once the bridge construction work is fully complete, we can reliably return to the larger gatherings of previous years.

FYI, access to the Playa on the North side of the train tracks is less restricted but that land is BLM with signage that states "no motor vehicles" so probably not a good idea to try camping out there in a group beyond the designated roadway.

2026 Willcox Playa Fly-In Update:The Cochise Railway Overpass bridge on US 191 is being replaced and the project is expe...
03/14/2026

2026 Willcox Playa Fly-In Update:

The Cochise Railway Overpass bridge on US 191 is being replaced and the project is expected to finish in Spring 2028. The lakebed access road we have been using for the fall fly-in is currently inaccessible during this construction work. We're considering other options for lakebed access or alternate locations but as of now, plans for our 2026 gathering are uncertain. I have attached some photos and video of the current progress from this morning. Follow this group for more updates as they become available. https://www.kvoa.com/news/cochisecounty/major-bridge-replacement-project-underway-on-us-191-near-cochise/article_2ccea6d5-3b46-48d7-a9c3-bd35c448632a.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawQipFxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFaYzdrQVYzRHUxc09sWTdEc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuNbxLYEXJYT_xVspcmkUysWN4_2aLqtDRRYZtc-nAGHBpdq-hPibdbrrwmh_aem_PmqSWG4gXyWNBAN6l3_Mwg

11/16/2025

Some video highlights from our recent 2025 Willcox Playa Fly-In. Check it out on YouTube for the full 4K version 😃 https://youtu.be/S47OFDyhEig

A collection of photos from the 2025 Fly-In📸's by Jim Hamberlin and Dan Toborowski
11/14/2025

A collection of photos from the 2025 Fly-In

📸's by Jim Hamberlin and Dan Toborowski

11/10/2025

Thanks everyone for coming out for another great Willcox Playa Fly-In gathering! We had some great weather and the playa always provides a picturesque background for some exciting flights with plenty of runway. Of course the best part is hanging out with other pilots to learn from each other, swap stories, and form new friendships. This hobby truly builds a strong family and it's the support and dedication of everyone that makes these events so fun.
A special thanks to Jon-Alan Martin, Jon Martin, and Travis Peters for prepping the entry road before the event and a big thanks to Jim Hamberlin, Luke Dworak, and Scott Ritchie for sharing some delicious meals with the whole camp. I need to get Jim's secret recipe for his delicious buttermilk syrup 😉 Many also contributed in other ways such as donating firewood to our bonfire, bringing some pyrotechnic displays, and we even had a few awesome aircraft fly-bys that all added up to make the experience that much better for everyone present. I'm so happy to help provide this opportunity to bring everyone together for a fun few days and look forward to seeing everyone again next year if not at another fly-in event sooner!
Please share your own images and video from the event in the event discussion page (https://fb.me/e/61az6SGxX). I'll also be posting content on this Willcox Playa Fly-In Public page. Be sure to follow it if you don't already to be informed of updates for future events and general news about the Playa (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580047233288)

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Willcox Playa
Willcox, AZ
85606

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