Flying-M Ranch
Encyclopedia
The Flying-M Ranch is owned by hotel magnate Barron Hilton
in unincorporated
Lyon County
, Nevada
, United States
. The airport is located about 60 mi (100 km) south of Reno, Nevada
, it contains an airfield which is the base for many gliding competitions
including the biennial Barron Hilton Cup
invitational soaring encampment. The surrounding desert offers good thermal
soaring
conditions. A hangar on the airfield contains about a dozen historical airplanes, which are still airworthy. The runway is 5500 by 50 ft (1,676.4 by 15.2 ). The Ranch covers about 2200 sqkm of surface area in Nevada and California.
The ranch was named the Flying-M by its previous owner, Stanfield Murphy. Mr. Hilton said he did not change the name because his wife, who died in 2004, was named Marilyn.
On September 3, 2007, aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett
took off alone from the Flying-M Ranch in a Bellanca Super Decathlon, a single-engine two-seater. He never returned. On February 15, 2008 a Cook County (Illionis) judge granted his wife's petition and declared him legally dead.
Barron Hilton
William Barron Hilton I is an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir. He is the former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers...
in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Lyon County
Lyon County, Nevada
Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport is located about 60 mi (100 km) south of Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, it contains an airfield which is the base for many gliding competitions
Gliding competitions
Some of the pilots in the sport of gliding take part in gliding competitions. These are usually racing competitions, but there are also aerobatic contests and on-line league tables.-History of competitions:...
including the biennial Barron Hilton Cup
Barron Hilton Cup
The Barron Hilton Cup is a worldwide soaring contest, founded by Barron Hilton, Chairman of the Board and President of the Hilton Hotels Corporation, and the late Professor Helmut Reichmann in 1981. The BHC is also co-sponsored by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company...
invitational soaring encampment. The surrounding desert offers good thermal
Thermal
A thermal column is a column of rising air in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example of convection. The sun warms the ground, which in turn warms the air directly above it...
soaring
Lift (soaring)
Gliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust. It is employed by gliding animals and by aircraft such as gliders. The most common human application of gliding flight is in sport and recreation using aircraft designed for this purpose...
conditions. A hangar on the airfield contains about a dozen historical airplanes, which are still airworthy. The runway is 5500 by 50 ft (1,676.4 by 15.2 ). The Ranch covers about 2200 sqkm of surface area in Nevada and California.
The ranch was named the Flying-M by its previous owner, Stanfield Murphy. Mr. Hilton said he did not change the name because his wife, who died in 2004, was named Marilyn.
On September 3, 2007, aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
took off alone from the Flying-M Ranch in a Bellanca Super Decathlon, a single-engine two-seater. He never returned. On February 15, 2008 a Cook County (Illionis) judge granted his wife's petition and declared him legally dead.