"John Harper" wrote in message news:1075924212.164227@sj-nntpcache-3...
I got the same advice once too, taking off from Auburn, CA. I rarely
fly IFR out of untowered fields, as it happens, and I don't think I've
needed to do it since, so I can't comment on how well it works.

Must be a different Auburn, CA than the one near Sacramento. You can
go days there without being able to get out VFR. Then you're ok the
rest of the year. Its the same at Cameron Park. I've taken off out of
there with 2 strips visible at a time. You can go weeks without being
able to see one end of the runway from the other. Then you get 11
months of VFR. Auburn and Cameron Park were not VFR accessible for
almost a week at the begining of January this year. Auburn has a lot
less to hit than Cameron Park. I wouldn't recommend anyone land at O61
at night or take off in IMC without trying it in the day. Its down in
a bowl in the foothills.

-Robert