Recently I pulled a video of myself taking off out of Flying Hawkes Airstrip (West Fork of the Bitterroot)
Perhaps some of you remember a thread ( Flying and Owning A Maule Long Wing Versus Cessna 180) On that thread a video was posted which ultimately went viral due to it being posted on Facebook. The video of Leigh Smith Landing Simonds now has over 800,000 views on Vimeo, which is incredible for a backcountry video. I made a website for Leigh which I gave on that forum thread.
If you watch that viral video again and listen carefully at the end you will hear a voice with passion saying "That's Amazing". That is the same voice and same person (The Flying Hawkes) as the one at the end of my now pulled video on the Short Field Takeoff Thread. Captain Leigh is an incredible pilot, energy management instructor and can fly anything, anywhere and anytime. However, it was the Flying Hawkes Go Pro which recorded it and showed him where we had previously taken a stock Cessna 182.
Here is original footage from my hand held nickel rub camera of The Flying Hawkes landing Simonds, half a year or so before he landed it with Leigh in his Cessna 185. Turn the volume up and you will hear me calmly let Hawkes know he is a little hot coming in. I was wrong, he was spot on. I will not disclose how many degrees of flaps were used on takeoff!
No matter what you fly into Simonds, you have my respect.
Richard
p.s. I will not post this on AOPA!!!!!
