A Thousand Words: High Sierra Fly-In Edition

In only its 6th year, the High Sierra Fly-in has become a legendary event for pilots who enjoy the wide open of northern Nevada and the escape from conventional airport environments. The 2015 event was the largest attendance yet, held on newly purchased private land, with attendees transcending the usual stable of BackcountryPilot.org members. Organizer Kevin Quinn hit another home run by adding a raffle and competitive STOL event to the mix, in addition to the free meals and t-shirts. Enjoy this episode of A Thousand Words, dedicated to the beautiful and unique scenes of the High Sierra Fly-in, with photos brought to you by Alex Wells, Brent Beck, Becky Topinka, and Mark E. Loper.

Glistening in the fading desert light is a Polish designed and built PZL-104 Wilga. It was built as a liaison, recovery, and light observation platform. This particular aircraft is affectionately known as The Wilga Beast and it performed surprisingly well in the STOL Drag!Alex Wells

The night time at High Sierra is as entertaining as the day. As the evening temps descend, the bonfires and fireworks warm and illuminate the campers, while stories are exchanged and plans are made.Mark E. Loper

The Trek Mystic and other wheeled vehicles are left idle, owners captivated by the spectacle of airplanes skimming across desert while racing in the STOL Drag Race.Alex Wells

Racing across the desert is "Pops" in his Coyote Ugly III. Speeding the mile between each end is critical, but coming to an complete stop after crossing each line was a demanding part of the challenge. Approaching the finish, Pops slows using full flaps allowing him to get hard on the brakes just as he crosses the line.Alex Wells

The Piper PA-12 of Darin Scheer aka Ranch Pilot skims across the Northern Nevada desert en route to the next LZ on the circuit.Brent Beck

To quote another attendee: "Russell never met a stranger on the lakebed." This is the face of tomorrow's backcountry pilot. Brent Beck

Illuminating a collection on planes gathered on a remote Nevada dry lake, October evening light fades as dusk begins. Pilots from as far away as Maine come together to bond and fly the seemingly limitless airspace found in the remote northern Nevada deserts.Alex Wells

Aircraft of every type and size attend the event, from the classic Stinson 108 in the foreground here, to aerobatic and high speed cross country machines like the Cirrus SR-22.Becky Topinka

In the near freezing temperatures, pilots warm themselves around the morning fire while listening attentively to the morning's mandatory safely briefAlex Wells

The view from the back seat of Brandt Vermillion's Rans S-7S on short final into one of the many High Sierra airstrips. Brent Beck

Famed for his stylish landing style at the 9,400 MSL High Boy ridge LZ, Rob Burson demonstrates his normal lower-altitude smooth style in his 235hp Lycoming O-540 powered Maule M-7. Brent Beck

Few aircraft are more suited to this kind of flying; The PZL Wilga of Cory Robin shines in the short and rough, and is a staple at High Sierra. Brent Beck

"Deadstick" Steve Henry shows off the undeniable maneuverability of the Just Highlander in a one-tire water-skiing pass. Brent Beck

The legendary Joe "Pops" Dory enjoying the terrain below the high water mark at Stampede Reservoir in his custom LSA Super Cub. Brent Beck

The Man, the legend: Fly-in sponsor and organizer Kevin Quinn in his natural habitat. Brent Beck

The PZL Wilga of Mark Patey and the Rans S-7S of Tom Simko are fast friends on the hard playa. Becky Topinka

The playa surface is a dynamic, living thing. October happens to be the ideal time of year for surface hardness and dust abatement. If the surface is wet or dark, it can eat your airplane like Artax the Horse in the Swamp of Sadness. Becky Topinka

Shining brightly in the morning Nevada light are two Polish Wilgas and other airplanes convening for the annual High Sierra Fly-in. Pilots from around the west meet to share stories and build camaraderie in the vast open air of the Nevada desert. Alex Wells

The MX-2 of aerobatic performer Gary Ward rockets by in the background as the classic and beloved Stinson 108 flown by the Topinka family holds guard. Becky Topinka

Signaling pilots to release brakes; Kevin Quinn starts two pilots charging down the STOL Drag course at full throttle. To gain maximum speed over the mile-long track, pilots use ground-effect to their advantage and rarely climb more than mere feet from the hard packed playa. Alex Wells

A STOL Drag Racer speeds across the desert captivating eager pilots on the sidelines anticipating their chance to dash down the course. Alex Wells

In a head-to-head match-up of two bush plane icons, the legendary de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver and Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser race each other for STOL drag bragging rights. Brent Beck

Well represented at High Sierra, the Cessna Skywagon knows few peers in the utility bush plane world.Mark E. Loper

The fat-tired Cessna 182 of Pierre Redmond gets the jump on a Skywagon in the STOL Drag Race. Mark E. Loper

An invisible mountain wave crashes onto the bone-dry playa of Central Oregon's arid Summer Lake, captured by Alex Wells on his flight home. Lifting powdery white dust high into the air, the westerly pushes the fine particles hundreds of miles eastward. October 25th, 2015 Alex Wells