Humboldt Municipal (M53)

Stopped in a few weeks back for cheap gas, and after landing I honestly thought I had come down on a closed runway. Looked through the NOTAMs for any closures and found none. Grass and weeds were knee high, growing out of both the runway and taxiway. The runway also had some large cracks. I had heard really good things about this airport, but the surface condition was pretty disappointing.

Somebody really ought to teach the workers to tell AM to issue a NOTAM anytime they're working right on the edge of the runway, & if they don't want to do that, then don't leave your truck parked off to the side and parallel to the runway. Park it perpendicular so it stands out more to aircraft coming in to land. Makes for good go-around training though.

Mike Chase and his protege, Brennan Conaway, of Chase N Air LLC, are spectacular. I was AOG in my Encore, and they magically found a way to get me back in the air. Chuck Lovell, the airport manager, graciously drove me into town and picked me up. M53 is a treasure!