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Do you mean 7-6-09?? The Maule crashed there at the end of June as well.

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Not to sound judgemental, but probably another guy out here not knowing what they are doing. If this was this guy's first exposure to this type of flying, I guess ignorance is bliss for him to try to tackle Wilson Bar. Glad no one was killed.

grasstripilot

You are being judgemental. Accidents can and do happen to the best of pilots. You might want to wait for more information before you make your judgement. You must be a very experienced backcountry pilot to make a statement like that.

flyer

Sure they can but more likely they are because of inexperience or doing something stupid. One only has to go to Johnson Creek on any weekend there is a large type club gathering. Bring a lawn chair and your popcorn. Last year during the Super Cub fly in the idiots who took off three abreast and then about crashed into each other as shifting winds and a little wake turbulence mixed up the pot. Some aircraft didn't even get to the Super Cub fly in this year. One groundloop around here took out a couple planes and at Lewistown the weekend before a guy taxis up in a T-33 right down a line of Cubs and other aircraft and does a 180. Three Cubs had to be untangled because they were blown together. T-33 pilot was oblivious. One doesn't have to wait long to see something like that. You can have just as much fun going to a boat landing on a Saturday afternoon. Same people, less expensive toys, same carnage.

Bonanza Man wrote:Sure they can but more likely they are because of inexperience or doing something stupid. One only has to go to Johnson Creek on any weekend there is a large type club gathering. Bring a lawn chair and your popcorn. Last year during the Super Cub fly in the idiots who took off three abreast and then about crashed into each other as shifting winds and a little wake turbulence mixed up the pot. Some aircraft didn't even get to the Super Cub fly in this year. One groundloop around here took out a couple planes and at Lewistown the weekend before a guy taxis up in a T-33 right down a line of Cubs and other aircraft and does a 180. Three Cubs had to be untangled because they were blown together. T-33 pilot was oblivious. One doesn't have to wait long to see something like that. You can have just as much fun going to a boat landing on a Saturday afternoon. Same people, less expensive toys, same carnage.

So true, so true. I'm trying not to laugh I know it brings bad luck.

I met your co worker Al at JC. He speaks highly of you. You need to buy him a coffee.

Cheers...Rob

It is easy to judge after the fact. As it has been stated before, we have lost some VERY experienced pilots in the last 5 years flying light planes (small single engined). Becareful who and how you judge...as you also may be judged. We as pilots are operating in a medium that we were not designed to operate in just as a scuba diver operates in a different medium. We are using machines of one type or another to operate outside our normal world.....any misjudgement on our part while operating outside our medium could and can be fatal. Flying is a very dynamic function that we choose to perform and the conditions we perform those functions in change constantly, but we choose to do this "Flying Thing" anyway. Sometimes the Devil just tries to bite your ass no matter what you have in mind. Lets try to learn from other's mistakes and maybe pass this knowlledge to others that might listen...just be aware that there are those out there that already know everything about everything and can only be taught by first hand experience....if they survive!
I can say from first hand experience that it is awful humbling to admit that I made a mistake...it could have cost my life. Remember, there are those out there who are depending on you.......please fly safe!
HC

Just watched the video on shortfield of wilson bar, looks like a nice strip. Too bad about the recent mishaps, but it comes with the territory. At the end of the vid there is a quick shot of a dornier do27, haven't seen one of those in a long time, sweet bird, anyone from here? We just sold our Wilga, and are now looking to replace it with another stol aircraft, maybe a dornier would work for us.

In regards to the pilot of the 182, he is a proficent back country pilot having been to Lori's classes a couple of times and spent the better part of the last 5 summers here in McCall flying the back country almost daily. His and his passengers injuries are mostly minor cuts and bruises, the worst a broken wrist and ego. The aircraft is probably a total. The pilot has a SPOT emergency device and his activation of it brought response immediately, he was picked up within an hour by a 206 from McCall. I belive one is in my future when my plane is back in service. He is familiar with Wilson Bar as he's been there numerous times, the last a couple of days earlier, this unfortunate day the winds were inconsistent and the wind sock was limp on the strip but the plane would not settle and he decided to ride it out instead of try a go around which is not recomended. This probably saved them from more severe injuries or worse.IMHO. The man is a gentleman and good friend of mine and many others here in McCall living his retirement dream as we all hope to do, I just hope more flying is in his future.

Thanks for the update IDPN, sounds like it just wasn't his day. Sooner or later most of us will share a similar story, hopefully we'll live to tell it.

I have to go with Hi Country and Idahoplanenut. I have known the pilot for three or four years / summers. He is not new to the area. Last year he took it on himself to do a lot of maint. at soldier bar with his own time and money.
I did not see or hear from grasstrip or bannanaman at that time.

I talked to him the night before so knew what his plans were. He did get a late start. It was not a day that I personally would have gone out.

A good lesson that came about later today was he stated that IF you use the SPOT device, be sure it is
IN YOUR SURVIVALVEST. His was fastened on top of the inst. panel. The windshield broke, the SPOT continued on, took him an hour to find it in the brush.

I have know of several of the best that have bought the farm in this country. It can happen to the best.
While it is true that there are a bit more yahoos in the area these days, it still pays to hold your biases to yourself until you are no longer ignorant of the facts.

Nufffornow

Chris C

10-4 on all of that, u guys. playing in the canyons with the winds, at all, is definitely a risky buisness. for some
scrapes and a broken bone, sounds like the price of admission was still quite lite...it is easy to shoot holes in someone else's mistakes. sounds to me like he did o.k...all are gonna be o.k...and they will make more airplanes..!

Bonanza Man wrote:Sure they can but more likely they are because of inexperience or doing something stupid. One only has to go to Johnson Creek on any weekend there is a large type club gathering. Bring a lawn chair and your popcorn. Last year during the Super Cub fly in the idiots who took off three abreast and then about crashed into each other as shifting winds and a little wake turbulence mixed up the pot. Some aircraft didn't even get to the Super Cub fly in this year. One groundloop around here took out a couple planes and at Lewistown the weekend before a guy taxis up in a T-33 right down a line of Cubs and other aircraft and does a 180. Three Cubs had to be untangled because they were blown together. T-33 pilot was oblivious. One doesn't have to wait long to see something like that. You can have just as much fun going to a boat landing on a Saturday afternoon. Same people, less expensive toys, same carnage.

It just seems really weird to me to be having your fun at someone elses pain and expense... No thanks... You can sit and have your fun and popcorn alone... I'll side with the guy that is pushing the envelope a bit to better himself, living his life to the fullest. I'll feel bad with him if, God forbid, a mistake happens and go see if I can help him.

Ok, Let's lighten this up a little...... no one was hurt. Hope the pilot makes a post, so we can all learn. I didn't do it perfect. I was a little low initially, but it sure is a fun place to fly into. This is from last Thursday, July the 2nd.

RobBurson wrote:
I met your co worker Al at JC. He speaks highly of you. You need to buy him a coffee.

Cheers...Rob

Are you kidding? Every time he needs to go more than 50 miles who do you think gets the call? Of course, now that he bought a 180 the calls are fewer and farther between.

idahoplanenut wrote: The pilot has a SPOT emergency device and his activation of it brought response immediately, he was picked up within an hour by a 206 from McCall.

Now that part is really good to hear. I have one myself and I have yet to hear of somebody who set one off and then didn't get picked up in a very short time.

wannabe wrote:A good lesson that came about later today was he stated that IF you use the SPOT device, be sure it is
IN YOUR SURVIVALVEST. His was fastened on top of the inst. panel. The windshield broke, the SPOT continued on, took him an hour to find it in the brush.



Chris C

He probably had the tracking feature activated and that wouldn't work if it's in your vest. Perhaps a better mount is in order.

Bonanza Man wrote:

wannabe wrote:A good lesson that came about later today was he stated that IF you use the SPOT device, be sure it is
IN YOUR SURVIVALVEST. His was fastened on top of the inst. panel. The windshield broke, the SPOT continued on, took him an hour to find it in the brush.



Chris C

He probably had the tracking feature activated and that wouldn't work if it's in your vest. Perhaps a better mount is in order.

I have my SPOT velcrod on my glareshield and it works great. Only problem I noticed is that the SPOT unit gets very warm setting in the sun and the battery gets very warm too. If you put the SPOT unit up on the glareshield like that, it would be a good idea to take it down when parked somewhere for more than a few minutes to keep it from getting baked in the sun.

You can have just as much fun going to a boat landing on a Saturday afternoon. Same people, less expensive toys, same carnage.[/quote]

I can appreciate your statement here, but will add that boat owners can be much worse. At least you can assume pilots have some degree of training. I live in the Puget Sound area of WA State where boating is a big deal. If you have the deep pockets you can purchase just about any size boat you want such as a 35 ft power cruiser that weighs a few tons with twin 500hp engines that will plane out at 45kts and just blast off virtually with no training at all save some instruction on how to get your new toy running in the right direction. Add a couple of sixpacks to the mix (thats what weekend boating is all about) and you have carnage waiting to happen.
I'll take my chances being around pilots.