Bush flying to the crags

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Messages 1 - 13 of total 13 in this topic
poop_tube

Big Wall climber
33° 45' N 117° 52' W
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 20, 2008 - 01:02pm PT
I'm taking my check ride on Sunday and excited about getting a bush plane to fly to the crags in the sierras. Anybody here do this? What kind of planes do you use? I'm looking at Super Cubs and Huskeys. The CH 701 has impressive STOL capabilities. I'm thinking something with a turbocharger would be nice to be able to take off well at high alt. But then I'd be looking at a homebuilt. Are floats preferred? What are some of your favorite spots to fly to?

Cheers!

Kia
HighDesertDJ

Trad climber
Arid-zona
Nov 20, 2008 - 01:32pm PT
Just in case anyone wondering who the annoying guy in the plane landing in a nice lake near you to go cragging is, it's this guy.
ec

climber
ca
Nov 20, 2008 - 01:36pm PT
motorized equipment is not allowed in designated wilderness...don't plan to land, besides, where can you go now without freezing your ass off? Troll...
 ec
poop_tube

Big Wall climber
33° 45' N 117° 52' W
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 01:47pm PT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9BO1E-X1A4

Thank you for your concern. I do not intend on violating any FAA rules or regulations.

much love

Kia
Dick_Lugar

Trad climber
Indiana (the other Mideast)
Nov 20, 2008 - 02:07pm PT
You may have something there Kia, a plan would save on time for sure and open up all kinds of access possibilities. How much does the plane you want run? I'm sitting here bummed 'cuz I can'f afford a $3500 1972 BMW R75/5 bike!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Nov 20, 2008 - 02:10pm PT
illegal mail delivery? a la basejumping prosecutions? is a wilderness regs violation, not FAA, is it?
ec

climber
ca
Nov 20, 2008 - 02:14pm PT
who's talking about the f*cking FAA?

how about the wilderness regulations...

Cute video...plays like some commercial.

 ec
Doug Robinson

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Nov 20, 2008 - 02:14pm PT
You're looking at some of the right gear, but if you're just taking your check ride you're going to need a lot more experience and technique before flying the High Sierra.

I used to jump into any little Cessna that was offering a ride, but no more. Bunch of wakeup calls. Like the day I slammed upward into the shoulder straps so hard I hit my head on the roof of the cabin. We had just flown from west to east through the U-Notch on North Pal. Yes through, not over. I might have reflected beforehand on what the Crest does to the prevailing westerlies we were riding as we came over the top. My pilot, who was pretty good in a hang glider, might have thought of that too. But there we were, dropping like a rock down the ice gully toward the glacier, the walls right next to us. We plummeted 700 feet like that, nearly to the bergschrund. My stomach was in my throat the whole way. Abruptly -- can you call it "ground effect" when it's over ice? -- we quit falling and sailed out over the glacier.

A couple of years later that pilot was dead. Trying to feel his way toward landing his ultralight in thick fog, he ran into a tree.

Do yourself a favor and get some expert advice on mountain flying. My friend Hart Drobish owns some of the STOL equipment you're looking at. He's the best bush pilot in the Sierra. Thousands of hours, teaches instrument flying, etc. Hart's about the only pilot I'll fly with anymore up there. Even as a non-pilot myself, he has handed me the controls over Tioga Pass and talked me calmly down to within 20' off the runway at Lee Vining. Talk about getting a seat-of-the-pants feel for mountain flying. Hart's a climber too. Courtney Aviation in Columbia, 209.533.2345
Moof

Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
Nov 20, 2008 - 02:15pm PT
Growing up we used to have a plane, and I still have a friend who has a plane who is finally facing reality about it.

General comments:

1. Last mile sucks with planes. You generally have to figure out the logistics of getting a rental car from the commuter airport to land in to get to the crag, trailhead, bar, etc.

2. Maintenance costs to keep them buggers airworthy and legal makes them your only hobby, not an enabler of your other hobbies.

3. Get a mechanical you REALLY trust, especially when checking out a used plane to buy. Horror stories abound regarding field repairs that never get properly redone. Many are true.

4. Supercubs are too small. 2 dudes, 2 paacks and the thing is already over weight. Look for a 4 seater Maule, Cessna 185, etc.

5. Make sure you really like flying, and not the novely of learning to fly. My buddy who still has his Maule (a >200k plane) sort of burned out on it after about 5 years, and is down to a couple dozen hours a year of time on it. He is still shelling out several grand a year for maintenance, hanger space, etc.
poop_tube

Big Wall climber
33° 45' N 117° 52' W
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 04:23pm PT
Friends,

It may not be in your best interest to be speaking negatively about this topic. Please take the time to look at a VFR sectional map. There are airspaces and wilderness areas where flying is prohibited. So go climbing, hear a bush plane fly overhead, get mad at the sound and complain to the FAA. Come back to the same area next time and you may fall into a crevasse and be locked down in there in a storm with a broken leg for three days, but hey, you complained and the FAA closed that area to air traffic and no rescue pilot has been able to fly into that area to be familiar with it to come and bail you out. I don’t think that you will be complaining about airplane noise when a pilot risks his life to save yours. If not you then someone you know or anyone else here on Supertopo. Bush pilots did not get to be good bush pilots by flying 747s or F-18’s. They flew cubs in mountains and remote area.

Hundreds of airports are being closed down every year. The future of aviation is already looking grim because of the noise, but what people don’t realize is how dependent we are on planes for survival and our daily lives. A woman that lives next to Van Nuys airport complains about an airplane flying over head and waking her up at 2am not realizing that the plane was transporting a heart for a transplant to her lifelong friend that lived next door.

I wrote a paper on STOL airplanes and how vital they are in transporting supplies and emergency medical treatment to remote areas. You don’t hear people living in the remote Alaskan wilderness complaining about airplane noise; it is music to their ears.

By the way, I am the last person in the world that needs to be told about airplane noise. I am an aerospace engineer specializing in aeroacoustics. My life is dedicated to making airplanes quieter. Engineers such as I are trying to help you, please don’t make our jobs more difficult. We are doing what we can to make airplanes quiet, in the mean time please be patient and have understanding as to why airplanes make noise.

Please do not say unkind things to people you don’t know. Being nice can do you no harm and can only work to your best interest. You never know when the person you called names could be the one saving your life one day. So tell me what airplane you think I should get and I’ll take you for an airplane ride.

Peace and Love :-)

Kia
poop_tube

Big Wall climber
33° 45' N 117° 52' W
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 04:42pm PT
hahahaha, Mike

Glad you asked that question. Helicopters don't have as much range, speed, or payload capabilities. Plus they are loader :-)

Thanks DR! I'll definitely give him a call.
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
Nov 20, 2008 - 06:30pm PT
I've flown out of the River of No Return wilderness in a DC-3. Excellent range, speed, and payload capabilities. They can land on dirt and grass with no problem.

poop_tube

Big Wall climber
33° 45' N 117° 52' W
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 06:48pm PT
DC-3! That's friggin sweet. Must have been a fun ride!
Messages 1 - 13 of total 13 in this topic
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