Backcountry Pilot

[Vick offline]

I have no affiliation with this pic beyond the fact that someone forwarded it to me, but I thought it was too good not to post here. In any case, i'd give a nut to either fly that plane or be able to claim the tracks below it...

[Skylane offline]

VicK, You're right... to cool not to post.

C ya, Bub

[Zzz]

I think you can see the skin track in the far left too. Very cool.

[Tom offline]

Have a bigger hi res pic of that? id like to use it as a background

Tom

[UP_M5 offline]

i like the title of this thread. i thought i would add to it.






this is me and my baby high in the mountains. the powder was crotch deep without snowshoes



ps- looks like that 185 in the top pic has the new airglass retractable skis on it.....

[Vick offline]

Awesome pic UP. Looks like a good start to bagging some turns - a ski tube stuffed with tele/AT gear would be the ticket for that terrain in the background.

Was the departure uneventful?

[hyperborean offline]

Beautiful picture, Ryan. Here's one at the Whistler with Pacer and Otter.

[Rhyppa offline]

The 185 has good ol fashioned Fli Lites or Fluidynes on it. I would guess Fluidyne 3200's. The yokes are just like my Fli Lite 3000's.

[YELLOWMAULE offline]

Here's one that was a little late enjoying the ski season. Made for quite the entertainment for our afternoon. no physical injuries and the part of the lake they went through was fairly shallow. Candeled ice is amazing and almost random on the thin vs. thick areas.http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/388173.html

[UP_M5 offline]

i saw that one on the news last night, kurt..... ouch




the ice (at sea level) is still good up this way. but we did have to move our fish house off the lake though.

[denalipilot offline]

Don't know the particulars- just a good cautionary reminder:

[mtv offline]

Rypaa,

Nope--those are Landes Airglass 4000 skis on that 185.

MTV

[denalipilot offline]

...those are Landes Airglass 4000 skis on that 185.

MTV

Doesn't look like very much of an up-turn on the ski tip. How do they handle in the deep stuff?

[brian63089 offline]

Vick, that is one cool shot

[mtv offline]

Denali,

A well designed ski, properly installed doesn't need much upturn. I've not flown the Landes skis, but three very experienced friends have, and all report very favorably on them.

MTV

[Matt 7GCBC offline]

Scoping out the site


Plane parked at the top - gotta look close


Not quite 10,000 ft but then not quite a cub, eh Coyote?

[courierguy offline]

As I wait for my wheel skis from Canada, I have taken my Airstreaks off prior to installation of the said skis. Seeing these pictures .....it's going to give (as I've been telling friends I snowboard and ski with) a whole new meaning to the term "powder day". Just like the Airstreaks changed my whole concept of what and where is landable, I am now eyeballing slopes I've hiked to board (skinned up split board, it'll look good strapped to the lift strut) realizing they will be a piece of cake to land on! I agree with the upturn tip, at least in snowboards it doesn't take much.

[mtv offline]

CG,

Ski flying is the most fun you can have in an airplane, in my opinion. That said, if you haven't done much ski flying, start off slow, and work your way toward the more difficult stuff.

And, lots of places look just peachy, and then turn into a survival situation as soon as you land... Not that I've ever actually been there .

Be careful of slopes-they're hard to put down tracks to evaluate and prep the landing site.

Most of all have fun, and enjoy.

Oh, yeah, bring BIG snowshoes--sooner or later, you'll need em to pack down a track to takeoff....

MTV

---------------------------------------
Snow shoe posts split to new topic: "Snowshoes." -Z

[Coyote Ugly offline]

Scoping out the site


Plane parked at the top - gotta look close


Not quite 10,000 ft but then not quite a cub, eh Coyote?

Awesome.....
Great pictures too, I think it's hard to get good photos like that from the top of a mt.

[Skydive206 offline]

How many days a year can you get up there with those conditions? Just looks awsome!!