Does anyone have any experience with ski flying into a back country skiing (alpine) spot? Sort of like heli-skiing only with a fixed wing aircraft.

I wish i could say yes, but no is the true. shit

I wish I could say yes, but until now my flying and skiing have been separate activities.

UP_M5 has some cool ski flying pics in his gallery that could possibly qualify for the approach part.

The problem is that a plane on skis can only get you to a clearing or some open flat area, and you'd have to skin up anything that you want to ski. So, it pretty much just gets you closer to the good stuff, but you don't get to skip the hard part like with heli skiing.

Dang it guys! Now I really want a plane I can put skis on, that has room for my cross country skis. I've never done much down hill skiing, Doc warned me back in High School to be careful with my knees

Just ordered plans for a Legal Eagle with ski flying in mind, but my skis would be an external load for it.

Phil

I have thought about the logistics of fixed wing heli skiing, and obviously it would only get you to open areas, but I am sure there are places that would work to ski down from. Skinning or traversing would add some cool routes I am sure. I have even thought of going in on sleds first, and packing a runway. If anyone has done it or would be interested in doing some scouting let me know.

BTW skis fit in almost any plane. Look into fishing pole tubes, or ski tubes and get a field approval. Not hard.

you can do it here year-round. i'll get some pictures up later in the season when i can get up to the hills.
my M@}!# is getting recovered right now, so i'm grounded for another month or two.
its almost ski season- first snow has already come, and the lakes will be frozen in another week or two!

Nice, I can't wait to see some pics. I will be bugging you this winter.

Go to Europe. There are MANY places in the Alps where you can land next to, or on a ski area.

I don't know of any in the US. I don't ski, but I fly skis. Skiing always looked like a great way for a Klutz to break a leg. Sonny Bono kinda took that to the extreme, but proved my point.

MTV

Europe sucks!

I live in the heart of the Rockies, the leaves are turning, the air is cooling. It is enough to turn a (not so) young mans thoughts to back country flying, shooting guns and skiing powder. Two out of three of those can't be done in Europe.

I dunno about skiing powder, but you can sure do the other two in Europe. There are some altiports in the Alps that make anything in Idaho look pretty tame.

Let me know how it goes trying to land an airplane near a ski hill in this country. The Forest Service would have to permit it, etc, etc. Good luck with that..

As I stated, there are several ski resorts in the Alps where pilots fly in and land very near the top of the slopes.

MTV

It doesn't mater what you can do in Europe or how "tame" it makes Idaho look. What maters is that anyone who has been there knows that Idaho is where every backcountry person wants to be.

When I was stationed in Germany in 95, you could hunt and shoot, but it wasn't easy. It's easier to get a pilot's license here than a hunting license there. There were all kinds of rules.

Lots of good looking skiable terrain here:

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/videos/swissskiflying.mp4

mtv wrote:I dunno about skiing powder, but you can sure do the other two in Europe. There are some altiports in the Alps that make anything in Idaho look pretty tame.

Let me know how it goes trying to land an airplane near a ski hill in this country. The Forest Service would have to permit it, etc, etc. Good luck with that..

As I stated, there are several ski resorts in the Alps where pilots fly in and land very near the top of the slopes.

MTV

My Mistake. I can see it now, a huge rush of red-necked back country good ol' boys flocking to Europe to fly the back country, and Hunt.



I will be more specific in the future:
Anyone out there, landing their ski plane in the back country (not next to a ski resort that any Tom Dick or Harry can drive to) and doing some powder skiing? Preferably on this Continent, or at least in this hemisphere. I won't tell the throngs of Forrest Service employees waiting to nail you for landing on top of a mountain in winter (read none) that you don't have a permit.

Cheers,
-pos

Okay, POS,

Find me a place in the lower 48 where it is LEGAL to land a fixed wing airplane somewhere you could ski, AND you actually COULD land a fixed wing plane there. That's the point, I reckon.

Even in Alaska, most of the glaciers are fully equipped with LOTS of really large crevasses just below where you might land an airplane.

I'm serious--find me a place in the lower 48 where it is LEGAL to land an airplane in the mountains, and POSSIBLE. That's the point. You may not think much of European mountains, but I know guys who regularly land at 15,000 feet AND ski there. That won't happen in this country, frankly.

Hunting is a different deal, but they hunt in Europe. It is expensive. Let's see, like flying isn't?

And, the Idaho backcountry is called civilization, in my book. Criminy, I'd never think of landing on AIRPORTS occupied by five airplanes, let alone fifty, as happens at some of the Idaho "backcountry" airstrips, and have the gall to call it "backcountry aviation".

If you REALLY want to get away from the crowds, try OFF AIRPORT flying, not "backcountry" flying, whatever that is--4000 foot long airstrips, complete with sprinkler systems.

Oh, but that's not approved in most of the lower 48 either. Duh.

MTV

oh man, mtv, could you be any more of a downer? Jeess, and whats up with your bend on legal this and legal that.
I'm meet shit, is this not The Online OFF-AIRPORT Aviation Community!!!

The basic feeling from that web title is that we would all be interested in Off-Airport landings which are generally not Legal. I understand that there are police officers/pilots on this site but there likely interested in the same sorta flying or at least reading about it because they're cops and can't do it. Skycop take me for a ride in the gettochopper!! Or lets go fly my fixed wing together.
Are there police or FAA folks checking our posts for legality? If so FU. This is the internet!!

Shoot, if someone can land at 15,000' in europe and carve some tracks, then it surely can happen in the lower 48. Probably not to far from my house or from Twinpos's. Ski UTAH!!! best snow on earth. Now it might not be legal but it can be done If anyone else feels the way i do.. please.....
TwinPos: I disagree with you, Europe is badass! been there and love it, but there GA sucks compare the to the good old USA.
TwinPos: I would love to go scout with you, but i don't have skis.

I think everyone should land or at least try to land Off-airport before making there next post. Peter

sstjames wrote:It doesn't mater what you can do in Europe or how "tame" it makes Idaho look. What maters is that anyone who has been there knows that Idaho is where every backcountry person wants to be.

Perhaps, but Alaska is where every man and his brother wants to be a back country (aka bush) pilot.

Phil

Even in Alaska, most of the glaciers are fully equipped with LOTS of really large crevasses just below where you might land an airplane.

I attended a program a couple years ago here in Fairbanks about a group of local guys who landed on skis up in the mountains and spend the day exploring on backcountry telemark style skis. It showed them landing on saddles between 2 ridges. So it's definitly possible with some caution.

I think everyone should land or at least try to land Off-airport before making there next post. Peter

Does an ultralight on skis count? Landed on lakes and fields a few times with one. Also landed on a little mine road once because of a bladder emergency. Or how about a 150 on an abandon airstrip?

Sounds like a really fun concept to me, though I'm a cross country skier/skijorer not downhill. For down hill you'd really need take turns flying and skiing so the plane could meet you at the bottom. Anyone make penetration skis that work with bushwheels?

Phil

Motorcitymaule wrote:oh man, mtv, could you be any more of a downer? Jeess, and whats up with your bend on legal this and legal that.
I'm meet shit, is this not The Online OFF-AIRPORT Aviation Community!!!

I guess I was looking for guys that might have a bit more of a can do attitude when I posed the question. Thanks MotorcityMaule, your response was right on.

The supposition that guys on this board don't have any experience landing off airport, is ridiculous, and arrogant. You never really know who you are talking to on line. I have known self-taught, hard boiled guys that could do amazing things with pretty conventional aircraft. It has been my experience that talented guys like this don't need to draw attention to them selves by running down others, or telling everyone how great and accomplished they are. 'nuff said

I am sure with the right attitude, there are MANY places that would work for this kind of endeavour. I have a feeling they are not all that far away either.

When I get the evidence I will post it. Anyone with ideas keep 'em coming, and wish me luck.

I attended a program a couple years ago here in Fairbanks about a group of local guys who landed on skis up in the mountains and spend the day exploring on backcountry telemark style skis. It showed them landing on saddles between 2 ridges. So it's definitly possible with some caution.

Nice, that is what I like to hear! Any pictures?