Thanks for all the replys. Sometimes I wonder if anyone is actually reading this. Today was ALL TIME!!!! Bluebird, cold and stellar conditons. Heck, even the ice fishing was good! I am claiming this one... I WIN!!!!

Had a buddy put skis on his cub for the first time who is based in Carson...(yep, I am still the only one in Kalifornia with skis on). Here he is on the way out.


Anyhow, I think he is hooked. Here is his first ever landing on skis. He wanted an easy spot so we went to what I thought was very straight forward and basic. Big huge meadow, long, flat and not much to worry about except for an occasional fence. He had landed here in the summer with me prior so he knew the area. Here is is first landing on skis...





So after 3 or 4 landings at the "meadow" we were off to the higher lakes and meadows. This one is a fun little one...You need to slip in over the trees to land short and then taxi back. If you dont slip it in you end up way down the lake and then need taxi a long way back...


Sitting at 7300'



Dropped into this gem...I had never landed here before. Pretty cool little spot at 8300'. Next time I will have my skis. Nice little 1500' shots in the background...


Dark ice is generally good in these parts...This one spooks me however...chose to NOT land here...Betting its good to go however... ....maybe...


And then left my buddy as he need to get back. Ended up seeing NVflyer in the air and we were going to the same place...the place I posted about yesterday were skis are not needed....



Even the ice fishing was good! The ice is 8-10 inches thick!



A very good day!!!

We now have a cold front coming in tomorrow with high winds and very little precip and... very cold temps forecasted.
The next couple of days will be down...but thats ok. I need to catch up on my work that actually pays the bills. Talks of Zane coming next week for some ski flying, it looks to be a very good week ahead....stay tuned...

AKT

SUH-WHEET post!

Very cool! Just wondering here, how much ice does it take to support a plane?

Are those Airglas GLH-3000 skis?

Awesome Kevin! Trying to find a day or two to come down and do some learning......

Looks incredible Kevin! Would love to come up and play sometime. Is this a pretty unique year with all of the clear ice and cold temps? We skied New Year's Day and I'll be darned if that wasn't the coldest I have ever seen it in CA on a clear day in over 30 years of skiing here.

Flynengr

Cub271 wrote:

Are those Airglas GLH-3000 skis?

I think there are, not certain. I will check on that one.

Rob- I have always been told for the the heavier Cessna Aircraft 8 inches is good to go. I have also heard 5-6 inches but why push it. MTV? Whats your thought?

I am leery landing on the ice in these parts. California and frozen lakes just doesn't sound correct. BUT, when its good, its really good. I know that I do like the black ice best as its not insulated, but it also freaks me out the most. The snow can keep it from thickening as it provides an insulation blanket and a false impression. Down here on the lakes I like to see snowmo tracks or go check it out first hand.

Highroad- anytime!

AKT

Some lakes are fed by geothermal sources so the ice is thin in those locations even though it may be up to several feet thick in others. You really do want to know the lakes and conditions first if possible. There are several lakes in Nevada we fish on where the ice, in spots, is thin all winter. Several years ago a friend of mine and his son fell through the ice on four wheelers and nearly drowned on one of our local lakes.

When I lived in Montana, it was common for people to drive on frozen lakes to fish. Seemed like every year at least one vehicle would get the ultimate wash!

AKT - If they are the Airglas GLH-3000 skis, I would love to know how he likes them after he gets some more time on them. They look like a really innovative ski design.

Great stuff Kevin! The thing I really have watch around here when landing on frozen lakes is the rock solid frozen mounds of ice left by I guess an icer auger, the winter time version of hitting a badger hole!

Those are some good looking skis on that Cub. The pilots first ski landing?? I know what was going through my mind, right at the second before touchdown on my first deep snow landing I remember wondering if they were going to dig in or what, kind of like the first time watersking, a real leap of faith you're doing the right thing!

Hey Rob, another knuckle dragger here, and I have also thought about throwing in (actually I'd tie it on the struts) my split board, but to tell the truth I have so much fun ski flying the boarding takes a back seat....one thing about the difference between the two: unlike on a board, YOU CAN'T CARVE YOUR TURNS WITH A SKI PLANE! At least mine can't, and it has the proper skegs.... and while not wanting to sideload the gear too much, after coming down from the ski area where I had just been carving on my board, and then jumping in the plane and skidding a bit in my turnarounds, it was something to adjust to. I have found the solution though, the good steep sites allow you to make a snappier turn without skidding sideways. GREAT fun, I have a video in mind I may do at some point, on a good powder day, and both doors off the plane, and on some of the steeper hills around my place. One my favorite things is to extend the take off "roll" by throttling back and doing a idle engine takeoff, more like a snowmobile with wings then an airplane, or some bastard cross in between.

Your livin' the dream life Kevin. Keep the pics and stories coming.

Information on ice thickness:

http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/ice/ice_load.html

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html

I do not make recommendations on the safety of a particular sheet of ice. I've seen a C 185 go through the ice on the Porcupine River in late winter, when the temps had not been above -20 F for literally months......And, I'd landed there in a 185 two weeks before.

There is NO way to definitively say that piece of ice is safe to walk or land on. And, tomorrow....who knows?

Me, I like LOTS of ice.

I stay away from the mouth of ANY stream--probability of thin ice and/or overflow.

Be VERY careful near the base of any slope that's close to the lake shore as well.....melt water can move under snow pack, and flow out under the snow onto the ice.

WATCH the ice as you move. If you look ahead, and the ice APPEARS to be moving in wave fashion, out ahead, push up the power and get the hey outta there.

Often, the ice near shore is thinner than out in the middle of a lake.

Rivers or streams....be aware that, as water levels drop over winter, the ice may develop a concave surface to it. Land to one side or the other, and you may slide to the middle, like it or not. These kinds of things are nearly impossible to actually SEE. Just assume they may be there. Side loads on skis are NOT good.

Tracks in snow...from snow machine, skis, or ?? will set up and be hard as a rock overnight, assuming it's cold. Landing across tracks can be hard on equipment and your wallet. Don't ask me how I found that out.

RELATIVELY thin ice sheets....ice fishermen go out in the middle, drill lots of holes, with pickups parked on ice. Ice flexes some, water flows through holes, and flows out over top of ice, but under snow.....hence the term "overflow". Lower 48 calls it "slush"....same-same. BAD NEWS in any case.

When ice starts looking dark in spring, stay off it. Ice changes structure as it starts to melt. You can have VERY thick safe ice one day and fall through the next day.

MTV

One other thing to be aware of....all the photos posted here were taken on relatively clear sunny weather. Beware landing on skis in "flat light", ie: that which occurs during overcast conditions, or when the sun angle is low. Flat light, like glassy water on floats, can be a real nasty surprise.

I was doing a recurrent ski check with Tom Belleau west of Fairbanks in a 185 on C 3600 wheel skis. Visibility was kinda crappy at 2 miles or so, but real consistent in snow. Ceilings were probably 2,000.

Tom told me to land on a small lake, so I went in, slid the skis on, didn't see anything ugly, so next pass I landed. Turned around and took off opposite direction in same tracks. Turned around and landed there again, and we decided to taxi back and takeoff over the trees at the opposite end......As I came back to where I'd touched down, both of us saw, at the same time, the four foot tall beaver house, not ten feet from my tracks where I'd touched down..... Good news, it was on Tom's side, so both us missed it. Checkride was done at that point. We went back to town and had lunch and a drink....and not water.

Flat light may LOOK really good, and the weather may be really great, but it's amazing what you can miss during flat light conditions.

MTV

What a fun day flying with Kevin around beautiful Lake Tahoe/Truckee. First off airport experience for me - I'm hooked now.

Flying in a great location
Skiing
Fishing
Mountain Biking

Your livin' the dream life Kevin.

No doubt - thanks so much Kevin for taking me up to share it.

As we say in Kali - bitchen!!!!

CC

It was my please Coz!

A couple more pics. These just came from our own NVFlyer. Many of you met him in Reno this year at the races...blowing hard here now. A little snow tonight.







AKT

Hey, another Cub with "Big Bad Green" paint

Nice pics, guys.

MTV

It sure looks like some fun ski flying you guy's are doing on the high Sierra frozen lakes this winter season! I am enjoying the pictures! Be careful out there!

aktahoe1 wrote:
Dropped into this gem...I had never landed here before. Pretty cool little spot at 8300'. Next time I will have my skis. Nice little 1500' shots in the background...

AKT

I know that lake. Its a gem in the summer too. got any more pics of that one??

pete

I want to go there!!!!!!!!!

piperpainter wrote:I want to go there!!!!!!!!!

A foot of new snow this AM on my deck and 2*F...NO MOONEYS on that ice...

Would have been cool to see you out there.

AKT