This is always the most rewarding part of running BCP...meeting cool people. Without a plane, I had begun to jones for some stick time, and Kevin talked me through my first Skywagon landing, first ski landing...from the right seat. The only other landing I had done from the right seat before was with Rhyppa in his 182 on floats! What is it with these guys handing their super nice birds over to some guy from the Internet?
Climbing into a plane with someone you barely know is always interesting too. I was relieved to find that Kevin was a great stick and has a good pilot's head on his shoulders. After only having his tailwheel endorsement for a few months, I think he might have more tailwheel hours than me. The guys flies A LOT. And he wrangles that 180 like he's always had it.
"Mini golf" is a term I first heard as a skier. Often we'll work our way down a slope, linking up little features of the mountain like cliffs, jumps, etc, one after another, just like the varied holes in a miniature golf course. The more you can nail, the better you've done. These Tahoe guys have mapped out a pretty good mini golf course around the neighboring valleys and have several really fun (and legally permitted) strips and landing zones. Kevin has done his research and due diligence, gaining private property owner permission, as well as Forest Service permission where applicable for these operations. I was impressed.
Morning of the 24th. We flew many hours later, but I got up to go skiing that morning and saw this. "Red skky in morning, pilot take warning? Naahhh...."
Warming up at TRK. This airplane is eerily just like mine...err Robw56's 170. Cabin felt narrower though...is that right?
Superb backcountry skiing west of Truckee.
Sneaking up on Squaw Valley.
Top of KT-22 down there.
Good old Lake Tahoe.
"What's that? Oh, yes, I see it."
"It's the future, and these nice sunglasses aren't in it."
Truckee airport and the Martis valley under a blanket of wonderful snow. Somewhere out there my nice new Smith Projekt glasses lay. I cracked Kevin's window open to get a better peek at the skis retracting, turned my head slightly, and the glasses were ripped from my head like I'd been bitchslapped by Ike Turner.
The Man, the Myth, the owner of a major entry into the BCP history book.
Federal something-or-others with big UHMW extensions.
It was a mistake to give me a taste of Skywagon flying. I kinda need one. The smooth hum of those six O-470 cylinders is...gooood. Snap out of it! That thing was thirsty!
I shot quite a bit of video too. Enjoy. Make sure you click the link if you want to view in HD.
Vimeo: Tahoe Mini Golf - EP1
