New pilot here (< 85 hrs), mostly lurk and try to learn from people with a lot more experience than I.

The girlfriend quoted in the title of this thread is the person that pushed me into following my childhood dreams of becoming a pilot. Since my checkride a few weeks ago, she's been in the plane with me on about 50% of my flights. Mostly we joyride and go sightseeing around the valleys surrounding Bozeman. We'd both like to buy a plane (eventually) but have decided that we'd define our "mission" over the course of the next several months while flying the club planes to which I have access (two C172/180, one of which with a climb prop and a mild STOL kit).

Yesterday, it was pretty calm in the afternoon and instead of the "let's go somewhere!" flights that she's been on with me, I thought it might be nice to fly lower and slower so we can enjoy some sightseeing. Departed KBZN towards the Gallatin Range, stayed about 7,500', along the Range, up a broad creek valley just inside the Madison Range, out over the Madison, more. Mostly, a "low and slow" trip.

30 minutes into the flight, over Ted Turner's Flying D ranch with the Spanish Peaks off the left wing, checking out places we've hiked and fished and camped, she looks at me and says "this is the best flight ever!"

While I'm not certain I have an interest in doing STOL drag and a ton of off-airport stuff, I do have an interest in hiking and hunting and fishing in the mountains and using a plane to get places we otherwise might not be able to go quickly. Hearing her say that just made me smile, knowing that she had just as much fun as I did flying a bit lower and a bit slower than we had been in the past.

That is awesome. Some days it all just lines up and you are high for weeks afterward. When your girlfriend/wife (or both ) are supportive of your flying, you can't go wrong! It's especially great when you don't feel like you have to do anything too daredevilish to impress her or try to win her interest in the whole affair. Nothing will suck the fun out of flying like some bent metal or bent humans.

allPrimes wrote:While I'm not certain I have an interest in doing STOL drag

Few do. It's a spectacle and fun to watch, like freestyle motocross or Red Bull Rampage, but it's about as far as you can get from the sentiment of relaxing backcountry exploration and adventure that attracts me to flying. But, more power to them for creating something that interests even the mainstream viewer.

But for me...get me away from people. Away from other airplanes besides my few buddies. Catch some fish. Take some photos. Shut off social media. Let the soul breathe. We all have an arc in our life story and flying career where socializing and synergy with other pilots is fun, then you come out the other side wanting to escape.

Sorry, did I say all that out loud? Imagine me talking absently to an Obi Wan Kenobi-like apparition in the distance.

Thanks for your thoughts. They're appreciated and--unsurprisingly--they seem to align with mine pretty well.

The STOL-drag thing seems to be super-popular these days. I get that it takes serious skill but like you said, it seems like that's the polar opposite of "relaxing backcountry exploration and adventure." To each their own, though! I won't ever not admire the skill those pilots display in handling their planes as well as they do! It's just not for me.

Zzz wrote:
But for me...get me away from people. Away from other airplanes besides my few buddies. Catch some fish. Take some photos. Shut off social media. Let the soul breathe. We all have an arc in our life story and flying career where socializing and synergy with other pilots is fun, then you come out the other side wanting to escape.

This is one reason I enjoy spending as much of my free time as I can in the nearby mountains. Add in the idea of getting even further away from people with the use of an airplane and I'd be in heaven. For now, I'm just going to fly as much as I can and enjoy every minute.

Allprimes,

You just described my fairly frequent relaxation flight. I call it "a lap around the Valley", and it's a great way to spend an hour of avgas. Add a landing or three at Three Forks for currency, and it's what I call a great way to spend a few hours.

Congratulations on choosing the right Lady as well as the right avocation! My wife is a great sport, but is not an avid flyer, which is okay, because she totally understands the aviation bug that lives within me.

And, don't forget a lap around the Bridgers, a trip up to Townsend.......well, you know.

MTV

Sounds like you are starting to live the dream!!! Last time I came by Bozeman was after leaving Moose Creek. That big open land looked pretty good compared to the terrain shortly after taking off. The friend I had with me used to live somewhere around Bozeman with his wife where they had to hike at least a mile from the car to get too their primitive cabin.

allPrimes wrote:she looks at me and says "this is the best flight ever!".

I had taken a past girlfriend up for some scenic flights on a few different occasions, viewing glaciers/rivers/mountain passes. On one particular trip that I remember, she wasn't feeling too well on the way back to the home airport due to some turbulence. For some reason or another, I was a bit high on final and decided to do a forward slip to landing to lose altitude. As we're on short final, just prior to landing, *SPLAT* she had puked all over the front windshield and on her lap. I was able to land fine, but I do remember having a difficult time trying to communicate with tower/ground to taxi back to the hangar - with the putrid smell lingering throughout the cabin. Going forward, I've always kept throw-up bags on standby - and learned that slips to landing aren't impressing the girlfriend. Rest assured, that was not her best flight ever.

Happy to hear you're having a more successful experience than I!

CompSciAndFly wrote:*SPLAT* she had puked all over the front windshield and on her lap.

I've considered buying something similar to this https://www.sportys.com/better-barf-bag.html for future passengers that may not be as comfortable as The GF is in small planes.

2 gallon zip lock bags. I use them for everything.... sick sack, lunch sack, trash, dirty clothes, clean socks........

allPrimes wrote:

CompSciAndFly wrote:*SPLAT* she had puked all over the front windshield and on her lap.

I've considered buying something similar to this https://www.sportys.com/better-barf-bag.html for future passengers that may not be as comfortable as The GF is in small planes.

Would surely save you some time wiping down the inside of the plane

Welcome, allPrimes. You mentioned 180 hp in the 172, climb prop, and stol mods. What gets the airplane up reliably is zoom reserve airspeed. Low and slow sounds like Bruce Washtock's maneuvering in bathtub BC valleys and MTV's level canyon turn. That would be fine, but otherwise cruise is ample zoom reserve to get over the obstruction on takeoff or to set up the really safe 1g energy management turn of whatever bank. I would rather the popular phrase was low and fast.

I learned to fly so I could access OUT OF THE WAY fishing areas inaccessible by cars/trucks. I love watching the STOL events, but it is just entertainment in my book. Backcountry flying is beautiful in Utah and Idaho, I am sure Montana is great too.

That is a great story! Glad to hear that she likes it so well. If I lived in the same town as MTV I would be making him my best buddy to learn what he knows about the back country flying. Nothing like having an expert to really learn once the basic learning happens. Bozeman would be a great place to get the flying bug.

contactflying wrote:Welcome, allPrimes. You mentioned 180 hp in the 172, climb prop, and stol mods. What gets the airplane up reliably is zoom reserve airspeed. Low and slow sounds like Bruce Washtock's maneuvering in bathtub BC valleys and MTV's level canyon turn. That would be fine, but otherwise cruise is ample zoom reserve to get over the obstruction on takeoff or to set up the really safe 1g energy management turn of whatever bank. I would rather the popular phrase was low and fast.

I can appreciate this post. Perhaps the phrase I should have used was "lower and slower" than we normally fly. For example, on the relaxing flight that my GF described as "best ever," we maintained about 95kias. If I'm interpreting your post here correctly, 95kias is ample zoom reserve to get over that obstruction (within reason). Notably, I don't think I'm a good enough pilot (yet) to really fly a "backcountry" 172/180 as well as it could be flown, and I like to think I wouldn't rely on a climb prop and STOL modifications to get me out of a jam. I also like to think that, even though I'm a new pilot, I have enough sense to not put me in the position to need to have to rely on mods like those to get out of a jam. I am, however, interested in pushing my own knowledge boundaries and eventually applying that knowledge practically.

Your posts here are helpful to to start to understand many new concepts that otherwise weren't taught during my PPL lessons. For example, the idea of of losing altitude in a turn outside the pattern would have been sacrilege to my CFI! Thinking about turning in tight confines, about potential vs. kinetic energy, and trading airspeed for altitude and vice versa is worth me taking a few minutes after reading a post and just sitting there, chair flying for a bit. Good thing I have a home office and I only look like an idiot to my dog and cat.

I enjoy reading your posts here. I often find myself "chair flying," trying to put myself into the positions you use as examples. It's helpful

kg wrote:2 gallon zip lock bags. I use them for everything.... sick sack, lunch sack, trash, dirty clothes, clean socks........

Get the sliders, much easier to close when "full". Field tested, field approved.
Congrats, luckily my wife loves to fly as well.

Pete

pburns wrote:

kg wrote:2 gallon zip lock bags. I use them for everything.... sick sack, lunch sack, trash, dirty clothes, clean socks........

Get the sliders, much easier to close when "full". Field tested, field approved.
Congrats, luckily my wife loves to fly as well.

Pete

And, bear in mind that the "technicolor yawn" results will be in full technicolor view of all aboard after the bag is filled.

I for one would NEVER use a clear bag.....

MTV

mtv wrote:

pburns wrote:

kg wrote:2 gallon zip lock bags. I use them for everything.... sick sack, lunch sack, trash, dirty clothes, clean socks........

Get the sliders, much easier to close when "full". Field tested, field approved.
Congrats, luckily my wife loves to fly as well.

Pete

And, bear in mind that the "technicolor yawn" results will be in full technicolor view of all aboard after the bag is filled.

I for one would NEVER use a clear bag.....

MTV

Wouldn't want to confuse that technicolored baggie with your leftover soup for lunch I'm sure it's not as good the 2nd time down.