"Show Me Your Hard Core Mountain Landing & Takeoff Spot"

[aktahoe1]

Here is a good story or two.

ANyone read the book by Roy Dickson? If you have not its a GREAT read!

Talks about Jack Wilson landing on the summit of Mt Wrangell over 50 plus times on skis at just over 14,000K

http://www.alaskabushpilot.org/

Here is the Wrangell link:

http://www.sitnews.us/0804news/081404/081404_ak_science.html

The 13,500' down south is something else. Conditions HAVE TO BE PERFECT....The top is just over 14 with a lot of options to get creative...

I HAVE AN ENGINE INBOUND....1 week or so out!!!

AKT

[soyAnarchisto]

I am waxing my planks!

I HAVE AN ENGINE INBOUND....1 week or so out!!!

AKT

July 26th, 7:56PM
July 31st, 9:45PM
August 15th, 4:35PM
August 23rd, 3:45PM
September 21st, 4:30PM

You don't know how bad I want to go heli-skiing!

'Greg

[Mountainflier]

Here is a little rough narrow logging road cut into a sidehill that I thought was a better option than risking running out of fuel over heavy timber. It worked out but man was it ever tight!
I only made one flyover pass because the edge of the marine layer that was keeping from my destination airport was right to the road and I was afraid that in a matter of seconds it might cover it and then I would have NO place to land!
I squeezed my 32' wings between a huge pile of dirt and wood on one side and the sidehill with stumps on the other. It was only 33' to 34' between them! I was so glad to be in my Highlander and so glad that I practice landing in extreme places.
The road itself wasn't too bad except that it was rounded up down the middle and rough enough to make the plane rock and roll putting my wingtip nearly into the sidehill over and over, especially on my take-off roll.
I was here about 3 hours waiting for the marine layer to clear. I knew for sure that I didn't want to have to come back and land here again. I was loaded pretty heavy too on my way to the Arlington fly-in. I could have kissed my turbo charged Rotax when I was able to lift off before that 33/34' space that I had landed between!


I took this pic after I took off and the clouds were gone. I wish I had a pic of it before I landed but there is no way I was going to take the time for that then.

Nice flying Steve "tailrgfun"!!
There are advantages to having a shorter wing span! And your 31" ABW to give your airplane a higher clearance over the side banks! The pictures are worth a thousand words! Thanks for sharing! James, Mountainflier

[courierguy]

James: the mountain site I mentioned I'd check out ? Here's a few shots of it for your edification. A slight tailwind up there today, plus it was already in the 70's, my excuses, I mean reasons, for NOT landing it today the long view, from my deck across the valley, yes right in my front yard, it's the highest point of the ridge line. The landing would have to be left to right, to take advantage of the slope, meaning a tailwind much of the time (not always) there was a slight breeze today, maybe 5 mph, as I made some low passes. A good view of the landing area, the brush in the center is not high enough to cause a problem, or is it? It drops off pretty good to the left and right of the centerline, it'd be great if that brush wasn't there, kinda like a sand trap on a golf course, you have to play it as it lies! This area is accessed by 4x4's and other off road rigs BTW. I could ride my atv up there to eyeball it better but that'd be cheating

[Mountainflier]

Tom "couierguy"
There is no such thing as cheating when it comes to looking over a place to land and takeoff! Especially when it is first time there with an off airport landing! Sometimes you have to fly over at different angles and altitudes to figure out if it safe or not to land and takeoff. The best thing to do if you can get to the place on the ground whether you hike to it or drive to it and walk the place you want to land. I am not telling you or any other experienced BCP anything you guy's don't already know, but just putting the words into text. Thank you for taking the pictures and sharing them! That sure is a nice view from your deck Tom! I have a feeling you will have that mountain all figured out a long time before I get there! Fly safe, talk to soon! James "Mountainflier"

[Mountainflier]

I hope everyone is having a fun summer, I have so far! Here are some more pictures to look at parked on the Idaho and Utah Mountains with the Yellowhawk! I don't think I will ever get the red carpet service at these places! Ha! Ha! Ha!
The smoky skies from the fires are taking away some of the back ground clarity for the pictures! Mountainflier

[Mountainflier]

Hi everyone,
It sure has been a hot dry Sept. with a lot of smoke everywhere in the western states for us to fly around in!
Well here are some more pictures of the "Yellowhawk" on the Utah Mountain ridges to look at! I hope you all are enjoying some of these pictures! Just trying to keep it alive! Mountainflier

[Mountainflier]

I have enjoyed getting back in the high country as the temperatures drop down and the autumn colors are changing. Check-out some of these places I went to and the views are spectacular with some challenging steep mountain ridges to land on!

[aktahoe1]

Great pics! Can you back away and show more of the Landing area?? Or even from the air. Of I am comIng to fly with you I need to see some of these and prepare myself...

Also how long and at what elevation please

Akt

[Mountainflier]

Hi Kevin,
take no offence to this, but I would not recommend landing a C-180/185 at this place in the pictures I just went to. The landing area is were the glare on top of ridge is in the picture, with the touchdown point about 75ft. before the end of the glare on the same angle. I am not saying it can't be done, but the landing and takeoff area is rough steep and off camber at about 10,000 ft elevation. I have some other places we can go look at on mountain ridges that I can take you to, that are a little more kind for the airplane and you to get started with that are still challenging.

[aktahoe1]

Full respect given to where we fly these planes. We need to do some flying.

Akt

[Mountainflier]

I am ready and looking forward to meeting you and doing some flying Kevin! Here are a couple of places I have in mind to take you to in the pictures if you are interested. They are beautiful places to go to and are at about 9000 ft. in elevation. Tom if you reading this come down and join us with that nice looking Rans of yours! James

[courierguy]

I landed this mt. the other day that has been bugging me. Doable I knew, but it took several trips up (8700') to catch the right day/conditions. It was bugging me because I look at it every day, right out my kitchen window, and it seemed to be mocking me Winter is coming and I felt a little pressure (self applied) to "just do it". Once MTFlier put the idea in my head, ( landing it) it wouldn't go away

I probably made a total of 30 or 40 approaches over a half dozen trips up before committing, and was pleased to find that other then the down slope on final and the side slope being a bit more then planned for, it went as I thought it would. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story, pretty self explanatory. The brush I was concerned about, was about like I thought height and thickness wise, and it may or may not have been an issue, so I just avoided it and any potential problems. The first shots are where I rolled out, the takeoff was made from the very highest bump about 50' from the landing site. The trickest part was the damn downgrade, I like uphill all the way! Not gaining speed while on very short final on that downgrade, that was the trick part.
The view of the takeoff site, rough but I got real light real quick due to the steepness and the 5 mph breeze, a good cold day helped also.

[Mountainflier]

Nice flying courierguy! It looks like a short challenging place to get into and rough ride out off the ridge! Thanks for sharing your pic's for us to see! Mountainflier

[Mountainflier]

Some more pictures on the Wasatch Mountains!


On this first picture I have the Yellowhawk parked on top of a mountain ridge top knoll, looking at the mountain peak about 350 ft. above! The ridge top drops-off on both sides of the airplane!

Parked on top of a mountain top knoll.

The Yellowhawk is at the same place as the first picture on the mountain ridge top knoll, looking at the mountain peak in the background.

Looking off the mountain ridge top at the Yellowhawk and some beautiful mountain scenery in the background!

Looking down at the landing and takeoff area! Its steeper than it looks, then in the picture!

[Mountainflier]

Hi BCP's,
Looks like the snow is starting to stay around in the the high mountains with the the cold temperatures. I am sure the next pictures I post for this topic will have snow in them! Well here are some more pictures before the snow, during last month's flying!


On top of a 9500 ft. Mesa next to the rim.

On top of a 10,000 ft. Mountain.

On Mountain ridge top, positioned for takeoff!

Looking off the Mountain ridge top at Mountains over 11,000 ft. elevation in the distance.

On the Yellowhawk looking back off the Mountain ridge.

[Mountainflier]

Here are some pictures on the high UT mountains with the Yellowhawk! Nothing special, just some places I have been to before, watching out for snow drifts. I think these will be my last pictures to post for this topic. This was my first topic to post on BCP's website and my first time to figure out how to post a picture on a topic! A few frustrating moments to get started with and it got better with time! I would again like to thank those that have posted there pictures and story's on this topic! I have met and flown with some of you guy's and they are excellent pilots and fun guy's to hang-out with during fly-ins, and each bringing there own special talents to this flying group! Please don't hesitate to post any challenging places you have been to, to keep this topic alive! I am going to start another topic in a few months or so, probably titled something like, "my own flying" including some of the other types of flying I do. I have a question to ask you BCP's regarding this topic with flying the Yellowhawk, I know I will get different answers, that's good, let me know what your favorite types of pictures are that I have posted for this topic? If there is a one, Let me know for future pictures! Sometimes it was difficult to take some of these pictures, because I am by myself most of time, on a mountain ridge top or a mountain peak, with barely enough room for only one airplane to park. And trying to set up a tripod for the camera on a rocky sloping ridge top doesn't always work! In the last year or so, there has been a life time of memories, of the "wild" places I have been to! With some of these places I don't think I will ever go back to! Because some of the challenges are not worth the risk!