Flew up to Spearfish, SD and then over to Winifred, MT for the Super Cub migration to JC. Had a great time seeing old friends and making some new ones. Much whiskey was drank and many lies were swapped. The Missouri Breaks in Montana have some absolutely stunning scenery.

Headed for Spearfish


Rushmore with the telephoto


BTV checking out Rushmore


The timed outhouse shootout event




Headed for Devil's Tower


Flew over, saw a ranch strip, landed and made some new friends


Hid out at Knox Ridge to let a storm pass over


The calm after the storm (photo by BTV)


Flying the Breaks with Soy and BTV


Soy over the Judith River




Pancakes at Lewistown


BTV over the Breaks


20 planes stuffed in the hangar to ride out the storm


Tall country near Cody

Awesome pictures!!!

I love the Rushmore photo!

were there 4 Carbon Cubs in the hangar?

I think it was more like 6 or 7 Carbon Cubs, 2 J-3s, a bunch of regular Cubs, three PA-12s, a Rans S-7, an RV-8, and a Tri-Pacer. 20 planes in all, but it was worth it because they were forecasting winds into the 50s.

Here's another pic Soy took from a ladder the next morning.

wow great pix, great places... that is one full hanger.

Nice pics Darrin.

Think of all the experience that was sitting in that one hangar.

I especially like the "calm after the storm photo"

good place to set up the tent!

Great TR so far RP. I'll be at JC Friday morning in the Maule with the whole family. Would be great to meet you and Soy.

Brent

Thanks, Brent. Would love to meet you too, but my hall pass ran out and I had to get back to work. I went knowing I was only going to get to do SD and MT this year, but it still didn't make it any easier watching everybody else depart for JC.

Several of us proudly flew our BCP colors all weekend (Zane was smart to get those hats shipped before fly-in season), and the SC guys couldn't have been nicer. I'm sure there will be plenty of people at JC who, like me, spend way too much time on both sites!

Have fun, and I'm glad your dad is going to get to experience the feeling of listening to the long props reverberate through the canyon.

P.S. Your BCP family expects you to return with lots of cool pictures to share with us.

I am seriously jealous of your flying exploits Ranch Pilot. I'm also jealous that you have some flying buddies to go exploring with. My two flying partners evaporated. One got accepted into an Air Force flight school for cargo planes, the other has been grounded a long time for medical problems. Sigh.

OK, this isn't back country flying, but I try to put a little back country into the big airport aviating I usually get stuck with. We flew our MX7-180 into the Smithsonian's "Become a Pilot Day" celebration at the Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday, 6/14. This video was compiled for our non-flying friends, so be patient. Also, I know I dragged it in on the prop rather than using a steep approach on the back side of the lift/drag curve. I wanted a squeaker arrival on the pavement, not a solid impact landing for the cameras. It was a good event overall with lots of young people. I hope some of them take up flying! The added benefit of my short landing was the Baron behind me didn't have to S-Turn until I got off of the runway.

Flyhound wrote:I am seriously jealous of your flying exploits Ranch Pilot. I'm also jealous that you have some flying buddies to go exploring with. My two flying partners evaporated. One got accepted into an Air Force flight school for cargo planes, the other has been grounded a long time for medical problems. Sigh.

Funny you should mention that, Flyhound. I used to fly almost entirely by myself. I'd go to the occasional fly-in, maybe strike up a conversation or two, then get up in the morning and go hit a bunch of strips all alone. That was my standard experience. More recently, thanks to sites like BCP, I sort of "know" people before I ever get to the fly-in. It has made a big difference in the number of people I've met and, ultimately, in having more guys to go fly with.

I had as much fun this weekend as I've ever had at a fly-in, despite the crappy weather. The reason was because I was hanging out with some great new friends, some of whom I'd only known for hours or a couple of weeks. I met BTV at the Mack fly-in just a few weeks ago, and we flew together for four solid days this weekend. Having been lucky enough to make a fly-in or two here and there, which I'm starting to do more than I did before, I'm learning there are some great flying friendships out there just waiting to happen.

If you ever see my ugly old plane at a fly-in, I hope you'll come over and introduce. if you do, you'll definitely have yourself another flying buddy!

Flyhound,
Shoot! I didn't know that was going on! Would have made a road-trip to it!

Flyhound wrote:I am seriously jealous of your flying exploits Ranch Pilot. I'm also jealous that you have some flying buddies to go exploring with. My two flying partners evaporated. One got accepted into an Air Force flight school for cargo planes, the other has been grounded a long time for medical problems. Sigh.

RP,
I was all loaded up to come up there, but the weather here made it a no go, not even close.... so at least I didn't have to agonize over the decision, good to see your pics.

I like those steel beams in that hangar, interesting engineering in that web. There is one like that in Pinedale I believe, or Big Piney? Point being Wyoming is the only place I've seen iron like that.

very cool video, Flyhound!

Flyhound wrote:OK, this isn't back country flying, but I try to put a little back country into the big airport aviating I usually get stuck with. We flew our MX7-180 into the Smithsonian's "Become a Pilot Day" celebration at the Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday, 6/14. This video was compiled for our non-flying friends, so be patient. Also, I know I dragged it in on the prop rather than using a steep approach on the back side of the lift/drag curve. I wanted a squeaker arrival on the pavement, not a solid impact landing for the cameras. It was a good event overall with lots of young people. I hope some of them take up flying! The added benefit of my short landing was the Baron behind me didn't have to S-Turn until I got off of the runway.

Flyhound,

That was a great video! Your voice was made for narration! It was well thought out and entertaining.

Also, we should meet up some time and buzz around. Maybe meet in the middle somewhere? I heard the strip at the New River Gorge is cool and there is food nearby. You will have to pull the throttle back a bit so I can keep up, however...

Hey Crzy: I sent you a PM. I would like to get together...

Had a great weekend with a bunch of the supercub dudes. The silver wasn't even dry on my new wing tank for my J-3 - so I decided to take her out for a test drive - of 1360nm:



Dawn breaks over the Missouri Breaks:


Only drive yellow:


Heller Bottom:


Somewhere west of the Bighorn Mtns in Wyoming:


Woodhawk:


Clearly I didn't get as close to Mt. Rushmore as _some_ folks!


We'll feast here tonight while the moon shines bright - Spearfish, SD:

Great pictures! I love the full-moon tie-down shot!