Hey all ~ have been only a lurker and not back with any "mind probes" lately as I've been busy writing; but I do check in daily to see what you all have been up to. The idea for this came from the commentary on Bob's "JC video" post.

I'm betting with your collective experienced (and ok, maybe somewhat "warped" pilot minds ) what you might come up with to finish this sentence might be both amusing and ... somewhat educational?

So ponder and do tell:

"You know you've landed on a REAL backcountry strip when ________"

(Full Disclosure: if this gets as good as I suspect it possibly might, I may ask your permission to include some of the "gems" in the UBCP Newsletter)

You know you've landed on a REAL backcountry strip when you yell "WhoooWheeee!"

Skystrider wrote:You know you've landed on a REAL backcountry strip when you yell "WhoooWheeee!"

Immediately followed with "OK, now don't do anything stupid, cause ain't no safety net out here if you do"

...when you're wondering how in the hell you're gonna get out of there.

Oh and: ...when your wi-fi won't connect.

your plane starts smelling like crap

When you show the video of your landing, and get a response of," Bob, you are plain crazy".

"You know you've landed on a REAL backcountry strip when ________"

They helicopter in a new prop and bushwheels so you can leave.

Rob

When...

you had to do a couple low passes first just to check length, width, and whether the rocks are small enough for your tires to handle.

You identify it by sight, as it's not on any charts.

the guy showing it to you refers to it as "a great little cub-scratch for hunting bear."

You say "Watch out for bear scat when swinging the tail around."

You double-check the watch and tide book for how long you have before your landing site goes away.

The first things you reach for before opening the door are the gun and the mosquito repellent.

You walk the strip and clear brush in order to make sure you have enough room to take off.

The only tracks in the mud belong to two moose, a porcupine, birds, and your dog.

It's cold, even at the height of summer, from the wind coming off the glacier.

...there's nowhere nearby with coffee, unless you make it yourself!

When you break your tail wheel off, when it drops in a Bager Hole!

...the native Alaskan with you says, "watch for gold, human may have never set foot here before."

Actually happened to me. We cheated though, used a helicopter. It was on the Innoko river.

skybobb wrote:When you break your tail wheel off, when it drops in a Bager Hole!

Good one Bob.

When you.......... step out of the plane after landing your hands are still shaking and you notice branches stuck in your gear and green marks on your wing tip. Don't ask how I know.

When yer wheels are sliding or stopped most of the way in......

You begin your flare and say "Oh Shit"

...when Ned Beatty comes running out of the bushes with his pants around his ankles.

If your best options for tie-downs include any of the following:

ice screws, junked mining equipment, snow that you have to mound up on top of improvised deadmen, clumps of root balls, trees, cattle grates, rocks, an old El Camino, or if there just aren't any options at all.

when you have to put rocks behind your wheels to keep it from going down hill. And be sure to turn the fuel selector to off so all of the fuel doesn't wind up in one tank and on the ground.

When the line boys are all 3 feet tall, have bones through their noses, and say "ummm, dinner's here" when you flop out of the airplane.

Eric

when you do a 180 and leave the area with the turbo blast'in to make

sure u can get the hell back out before u lose your nerve...!

When you can shut down smack dab in the middle of the strip without any qualms , get out, lay on the ground and listen to pure silence...