Backcountry Pilot

BritishCubBloke: Good analysis. I very generally agree with your note. Especially your suggestion of helmets. I'd suggest wearing one when operating in and out of any airstrip or runway where there are few to NO options for obstacle free off airport landings. I started wearing one after my secon

Alas, an opportunity missed! I learned a lot about machine guns (firing them and facing them) and other fun stuff. I wish I had known about the MIL Type 1 flight crew survival vest. I might have made a career detour to get one of 'em and even learn to dine on edible bugs, slugs, and raw chipmunks

What is the true rationale for preparing for a rescue 42.5 hours away from 'insult'? That's the AVERAGE? What value does that timeline have if we runout our supplies on the 48'th hour and... then what? Only HALF of the rescues occur on Greg's schedule based on the FAA's historical data. How does

What about firearms? Or other modes for defense? We've seen amazing wolf pack growth in the northwest and northern tier western states since the early 2010s. A recent report of Idaho's wolf population said the 2021-20222 increase was 20%. I've seen at least two or three reports of people being s

I really liked the 'improvised' hot air balloon that is somehow snagged by a 12,500 pound airplane's tail hook. The 'pickup' rescue plane has gotta be flying at least 100 kts when his stationary rescuee is snapped into the sky. Rope burns would be the least of the rescuee's worries.

See prior comment. I neglected to 'reach for the stars'.

One item that isn't mentioned in the images is that pilots in combat zones often (always?) flew armed with a pistol. Other weapons might also be carried in aircraft. Weapons have multiple uses, as a signal device, a defensive weapon, and a possible tool for hunting game.

The current advice from the National Park Service, Forest Service, and several State departments of wildlife and fish is to 'carry and know how to use bear spray' when in 'bear country'. Given the growing number of states that have re-established active wolf packs within their boundaries, and rapi

I'm seeing a few reports about the fire services (USFS, BLM, state natural resources, tribal) may be using more drones for wildfire spotting and possibly other activities associated with wildfire suppression AND controlled fire management. What I'm not seeing is much discussion of 'sense and avoid'

Flyhound, I don't know of any studies that look at smoke and engine wear. Perhaps our oil gets black a little sooner. There's a lot of research on the affect smoke has on our lungs. I don't give a thought to the smoke particles that go through the engine. I think a lot more about the tars, va

I just re-read Zane's article and comments. It's just as pithy today as when I saw it the first time. IMHO, it's a solid foundation for a great webinar. The comments are well worth mining for even more nuggets.

Great article with powerful examples and real data. Thanks. I am truely grateful that I read it 35 years AFTER I bought my first and only aircraft. FWIW, your numbers stack up pretty close to my own experience with fuel costs, insurance, and hangar rental. Since every annual I do something nice

The question is "owning an airplane is expensive ..." compared to what? I know from experience that owing horses was both a LOT more expensive than a plane, and it's a over the top time consuming. The only advantages of horses I can think of are they don't require require (by law or regulation) re