Anybody know the legal status of shooting at Bandera airfield?

It's at exit 45 going east on I90 over Snoq. Pass.  USFS road 9030 leads off from the exit to the airfield proper, but it's usually gated closed to vehicle access.  Not that it really stops some people.  A 200 ft wide, 2432 ft long flat swath of grass is pretty tempting to some people, I guess.  Probably ATV heads and tin can hunters like me.

A little bit of Google-fu showed that it's owned by the WDOT.  I gave them a rang and tried to get passed up the ladder to somebody who knew, but I ran out of ladder before they ran out of clueless.

I take my family up there sometimes to walk around, and usually find plenty of shell casings, so obviously there's plinking going on.  There also seems to be at least one maintained campsite at the far end of the field.

What I'm curious is...

--do you have to get permission to go walk around on the airfield, or can you just show up?
--can we shoot there?
--does its status as an airfield (however questionable) mean that there are additional rules & regs called into play concerning firearms, what with all the recent homeland security and airport security laws?
--would anybody even care, anyway?


See, if we're allowed to shoot there, I've been thinking of arranging a C&R shoot up there for any of the WA folks here that were interested in coming.  But if we're not, I'll have to find another spot.

The airfield is surrounded by National Forest. The airfield is there primarily for emergency use. I think the airfield is within Martin Luther County. Martin Luther County has an ordinance against discharge of firearms. I doubt you'll find the airfield is part of the regular patrol loop of the County Sheriff. I would imagine that a large gathering of shooters would draw some attention. I expect a few shooters would go largely ignored, except during the fairweather hiking and camping season. I vote for applying the "easier to seek forgiveness than obtain permission" rule on this one. Be discrete, be responsible, and let us know if you need bail money

Bandera State Airfield is NOT ABANDONED!

From The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Airport Directory:

Bandera State (4W0) BANDERA, WA Publicly Owned, Public Use 0 mi. W of city. N47-23.72 W121-32.19 Mag Var: 20 deg E Phone: 800-552-0666 Navaids:  Type: ID: Freq: Radial: Distance: Not Reported Communication Freqs:  CTAF - 122.9  FSS - SEATTLE 122.5 Approach Freqs: FSS: SEATTLE 866-384-7323 Elevation: 1636 MSL Hours: not atnd Fees: None Charts: SEATTLE; Traffic Pattern: All Aircraft: 2636 MSL; Runways:  8-26: 2344X100; turf; ; trees ea end Approaches:   (VFR) Lights: Notes: Clsd 1 Oct thru 1 Jun; ctct WA State Div of Aero 206/764-4131, 800/552-0666 for info prior to use; snow on fld Nov thru May; ry extemely rough & soft when wet, watch for vehicles & animals on ry Camping on Field Obstructions: elk, deer, bear & other wildlife in vcnty. Special Operations: Fuel: Not Reported

Quoted: I think the airfield is within Martin Luther County. Martin Luther County has an ordinance against discharge of firearms.

"Martin Luther County"...?

There is no Martin Luther County in WA.

Bandera lies within the borders of Kittitas, I believe, which if memory serves is relatively gun friendly for this region.

Yes, it's not technically abandoned, but I've never seen an aircraft there--much less another person at the same time as myself.

I think we could manage the whole "stop shooting if there's a Cessna on final" thing. ;)

Quoted: "Martin Luther County"...? There is no Martin Luther County in WA.

ummmmmm......


Yes there is a Martin Luther King County, and your airfield is in it.

Quoted: Quoted: "Martin Luther County"...? There is no Martin Luther County in WA. ummmmmm...... Yes there is a Martin Luther King County, and your airfield is in it.

Thanks again Ron fu**ing Sims

Quoted: Quoted: "Martin Luther County"...? There is no Martin Luther County in WA. ummmmmm...... Yes there is a Martin Luther King County, and your airfield is in it.

Edited for clarity, for folk like myself who were thinking "Huh???" until I googled it.

Darn my history education.

I hear "Martin Luther", I think of the German guy and the Catholic Reformation.

And upon further checking, it does appear that Bandera resides within the King County borders.

I'm not familiar with the King county regulations on shooting.  Anybody have a link to them?