I'm super psyched, I did my first off airport landings last week on some gravel bars near Corvallis. Got some video so I figured I might as well share my stoke:

Very fun!

So, while things are still fresh in your mind, what did you do to prepare? What would you do differently if you had the chance?

Well I over flew each about 15 times to make sure they where totally clear, as at least the 1st one had never been landed before. Measured them on Google Earth. Got my short fields dialed in my new plane. Then got the right weather and went for it.

Probably wouldn't do much differently, though they where not my best nor shortest landings ever, I carried a little more speed just to play it safe. But now I know I could probably slow it down another 5mph or more.

Did you get a plane?

I bought a half share of a Savannah from my good friend here in Corvallis... So woohoo to that too!

Nicely done! That first landing is a real rush, isn't it?! Looks good. But what's with the "Johnny wants to kill a cop" music?

Nice one, congrats! You never forget the first ones.
The landings look good, I agree, we just have to work on your taste in music, lol

Looks good careful on the brakes and hold the nose off as long as u can so u don't throw rocks forward into the prop. Use no more power then u need to turn around for the same reason. Plan a head use momentum to turn around not power if u can. Go high on the bar and turn down hill to turn around so u use less power to turn around. You are screwed now a regular airport or bush strip will be disappointing You will always be looking forward to the next off airport landing. Just remember stay in your planes performance limits

Oh forgot...get off the center line when u stop. a DC-3 might be landing right behind u on that bar

Congrats! I have the poser picture of my airplane sitting on a ridge after my first off airport landing in it blown up hanging on my garage wall! Don it right...your addicted now and will always be craving more.

Dude, I thought the music was Sublime!

S7Paco wrote:Dude, I thought the music was Sublime!

Thank you! The music of my generation! I like alllll kinds of music, this just happened to fit the time slot while I spent 5 minutes editing that video. Its funny this is not the first time I've gotten shit about my music selections from other grumpy old pilots

Thanks for the reply's everyone.

Us old pilots aren't just grumpy. We're mean, too. Don't forget it.

I do like your photos.

nice work!

Thanks guys!

If anyone has any cool recommendations for landing sites through out the Willamette Valley or Oregon, I'd love to find a few more places to go mess around with some off airport operations. And if anyone else wants the gps coordinates for the two gravel bars I landed on above I'd be happy to share. Both are in between Corvallis and Albany.

Cheers
Tyler

Nice Job and welcome to the club! A little further north is Willamette International at: 45.217259,-123.049171 A good place to meet, greet, and see other off-airport pilot types on weekends during the summer.

Pretty darn cool!!!

Thanks again guys!

Actually those two pictures in the post above where from Willamette International. That was my first off airport landing, knowing people had landed there before. I then went and landed at the other two on the way home, and came back out and filmed landing at them a couple days later.

I'm flying down to Lucas Lodge in Agness next weekend, so I'm curious has anyone found any good gravel bars on the Illinois or Rouge? Hope to find one or two to get some good fishing in while I'm down there! Probably time to start trolling google earth... And if anyone else wants to fly in for some awesome fried chicken, they should!

Cub271 wrote:Nice Job and welcome to the club! A little further north is Willamette International at: 45.217259,-123.049171 A good place to meet, greet, and see other off-airport pilot types on weekends during the summer.

Looks ike the westerly loop of the river just northeast of MMV, eh? The lat-long threw me for a minute-- I guess that is decimals instead of minutes & seconds. Makes more sense, but I'm just used to seeing it shown as 45-13.20 x 123-02.57 (or whatever).

hotrod150 wrote:

Cub271 wrote:Nice Job and welcome to the club! A little further north is Willamette International at: 45.217259,-123.049171 A good place to meet, greet, and see other off-airport pilot types on weekends during the summer.

Looks ike the westerly loop of the river just northeast of MMV, eh? The lat-long threw me for a minute-- I guess that is decimals instead of minutes & seconds. Makes more sense, but I'm just used to seeing it shown as 45-13.20 x 123-02.57 (or whatever).

Yup, the gravel bar in the horse shoe bend just east of the town Dayton.

There's another island just south of the two popular bars with what looks like a nice strip across the middle, but there's a big fallen snag right in the way.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.162023,- ... 2&t=h&z=16

[googlemap]https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.162023,-123.015504&spn=0.013466,0.020492&t=h&z=16&output=embed[/googlemap]