The Knowledge Base is one of the most exciting parts of the site for me these days. I really enjoy consolidating and organizing useful information found in the forum, but unfortunately I've been hung up on fixing technical bugs for the last month, and this cool new feature hasn't received the attention I'd have liked.

In addition to what's already scaffolded, here are some ideas I'd like to flesh out:

- Destinations: Lower 48 to Alaska route options and overnight/fuel stops.
- Aircraft: Aircraft type page with specs/popular mods organized by category and links to other useful resources.

Someone mentioned a bush flying history section, which I think is a really cool idea. That might be its own beast altogether.

If anyone has any more suggestions, they are welcome. Dredge up old forum threads with good info and paste the link in here if you think it's something that should be committed to the KB.

Thanks.

Here is a useful description of the variations of the Lycoming O-320/0360.

http://www.seqair.com/skunkworks/Notes/61003Engines.pdf

Maybe its just me, but just as you have an bush aircraft list, it would be cool if they were clickable links to a preset category. So when you go to the list click on Maule M7, you would get a page where all the pilots on BCP are listed who have a Maule M7. Under the user setup, the individuals could have a category drop down list for their current aircraft. That then could be used when you click on "Aircraft A" and then a list of all users who have that category selected would show up.

Just an idea.

....and it just dawned on me, this was not the best location to put this...sorry...knowledge Base...not idea base...you'll have to delete it if you want.

I think there is some good M5 and M6 stuff here.

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/whee-s-maule-research-thread-11718

Hey Zane,

A few years back at JC someone handed out copies of the history of aviation in the Frank Church. I don't know if that is copy righted material, but that would be a great thing to have on the site I think. I still have my copy if you need me to scan it and send it to you.

If it's in keeping with what you intended for the knowledge base, I think one of the best topics I ever read on here was the "assessing an off-airport landing site" thread. If someone wanted to grab all the gold from that and cast it into an article, that would be great to have.

Battson wrote:If it's in keeping with what you intended for the knowledge base, I think one of the best topics I ever read on here was the "assessing an off-airport landing site" thread. If someone wanted to grab all the gold from that and cast it into an article, that would be great to have.

Kinda started that one already, and turned MTV's post into an article, but the overall section of Off Airport ops could use more work.

Curious if there are any more ideas for knowledge base articles, or volunteers to write up some of the topics?

My list of stuff to write is long, and I'm currently working on my Alaska trip report, but the one I'd like to finish is the "How to Shoot Flying Video" guide with some tips on shooting with your DLSRs. I'm not shy about the little bit I know, and I'd love to see more high quality videos coming up.

Destination guides are a topic we haven't touched on much. "A Quick Primer for an Idaho Flying Vacation" would be invaluable to the newbies, or anyone for that matter.

Survival, bush flying history, aircraft mod sheets... a guy only has so many hours to devote.

Zzz wrote:Curious if there are any more ideas for knowledge base articles, or volunteers to write up some of the topics?

My list of stuff to write is long, and I'm currently working on my Alaska trip report, but the one I'd like to finish is the "How to Shoot Flying Video" guide with some tips on shooting with your DLSRs. I'm not shy about the little bit I know, and I'd love to see more high quality videos coming up.

Destination guides are a topic we haven't touched on much. "A Quick Primer for an Idaho Flying Vacation" would be invaluable to the newbies, or anyone for that matter.

Survival, bush flying history, aircraft mod sheets... a guy only has so many hours to devote.

I would love to help in any way I can, Z.

Battson, I'd say pick something you feel knowledgeable about or are interested in researching. The purpose of the KB is to organize and centralize common topics as a reference rather than as a discussion.

Lots of valuable gems are already contained in forum threads ranging back 8+ years. A little dredging through the forum for gold might turn up something we can cull from.

An article and video about the proper way to drag a strip would be nice. I would love to help in any way that I can, but I am rather new to aviation and I don't know enough to share my knowledge.

Zzz wrote:Battson, I'd say pick something you feel knowledgeable about

The more you know, the more you realise that you don't really know anything

If you have an ultimate list of topics you want, I might be able to focus on researching something useful from the forum depths, rather than wandering off in my own random direction

I have recently been on a lengthy BCP research crusade on selecting the best-fit tire size for your mission, but that topic is contentious as the best of them (wheel vs 3 point, trike vs taildragger, etc)

Also I am great with facts and figures - the Aircraft section of the KB, for instance, where you can click on a plane and it tells you more about it, performance, history, notable facts, etc. I could easily start collating information from across BCP / internet and proposing draft descriptions for you to veto / upload. If we make a mistake some expert will quickly set us right.

You say the word Zane and I'll make a start wherever you like. I'll email content for you to approve.

Edit: also the Certified vs. Experimental I could make a start on (have one of each in the hanger), and kit vs scratchbuild I could probably add some experience too - although you'll have those both sewn up soon enough. I also spend hours and hours reading / studying about LOP operations.

Zane,

Some discussion or an article on how to fly in the mountains and "textured" terrain (not land, but fly) would be help to many. Highlighting how air flows over ridges and thru valleys and where you want to fly and not fly in relation to such hill, ridge or valley. High elevation like Wyoming and Colorado and low elevations like Alaska, Vermont and so on. This is a knowelege base many ex hang glider and mountain pilots have that a lot of flat lander pilots do not have. Reading the air in and around rough terrain is something more pilots could use a bit more education on.

Just a thought for a topic…

G44

G44,

I agree this needs to be covered. I don't think my PM to you went through. Please e-mail me at [email protected].

Jim Dulin

Owner maintenance, owner-assist mods, and regular inspections pertinent to backcountry ops.

Oil changes on cubs
Changing out your bushwheels and filling w/ stans - air pressures
Strut inspections
Fabric repairs
Skin repairs
Paint touchups and color matching
Prop nicks
Compression checks
avionics and electronics setups - garmins, ipads, ads-b receivers, backup radios, usb chargers, go-pro mounts
ELT testing
emergency field repairs - flat tires, torn fabric, bear incursions, goats chewing fabric, hail damage, stuck in mud
Self Rescue and SAR techniques to search for your buddy before CAP gets called out and the TFRs set in

G44 wrote:Zane,

Some discussion or an article on how to fly in the mountains and "textured" terrain (not land, but fly) would be help to many. Highlighting how air flows over ridges and thru valleys and where you want to fly and not fly in relation to such hill, ridge or valley. High elevation like Wyoming and Colorado and low elevations like Alaska, Vermont and so on. This is a knowelege base many ex hang glider and mountain pilots have that a lot of flat lander pilots do not have. Reading the air in and around rough terrain is something more pilots could use a bit more education on.

Just a thought for a topic…

G44

I agree - it's very important for passenger comfort too - for me personally, this topic has taken hundreds of hours mountain flying to develop some decent comprehension of. Wind in terrain can be complex. And that said, I often find myself in exceptionally complex terrain where only experience of that exact spot could tell you exactly where the bumps are and what places to avoid at all costs.

G44 wrote:Zane,

Reading the air in and around rough terrain is something more pilots could use a bit more education on.

Just a thought for a topic…

G44

Absolutely!!! You beat me to it G44. Weather and local terrain idiosyncrasies dominate my flying thoughts amongst the mountains.

I totally agree about terrain flying. There's been a lot written on the topic in mountain flying books but how to improve that? What we can commit to web pages here should carry the same caveat that any written flying knowledge does: It doesn't substitute for cockpit time with a good mountain flying instructor.

To Grassstrip pilot.

Re: "Aviation History of Central Idaho Wilderness"

If this is the one you are thinking about I used to make copies for Lori's Classes in McCall.
I made in two formats: Chapters 12, 13, 14. which I considered the more important ones, esp. chpt 12.

I probably gave a bunch to Zane the year I met him in McCall on his way in.

I liked to start with chpt. 12 to impress pilots with the seriousness of deciding to drop a mile down and realise
that once you start down you are committed to a long hot climb back out and if the engine fails it could get rough.

While I was still working I had almost unlimited access to a copier.
Later I would charge $5 for postage on the complete book.

It was/is the responsibility of Larry Kingsbury at the MAIN Forest Office up the hill behind Lardos restaurant.
I tried to get the local Chamber of Commerce to add back country flying to it's publications. But they were not interested.

Tried to get Larry Kingsbury to provide full copies for Lori's classes. He said, "NO, I don;t like you pilots, even though he had to be FLOWN into his work at Krassel at the time.

I still have full issues, and subsets of chapters, 12,13,14.

The closest thing to a possible copyright might be chapter 12 which was first printed in Flying Magazine back in August of 1975.

For reference my Idaho experience started in October 1983 when the 99s put on the first, (that I know of) seminar with Lyn Clark, Art Lazzarine, my first instructor and Sparky Imeson, my second instructor.

I could most likely still make a clean copy with none of my personal highlights..

Chris C

Too late to preview,

Addressing the concerns of G44 and NZMaule, can anybody cover the use of natural energy, which is much greater than excess engine thrust for climb, in the mountains. For those with small engines; ground effect, gravity, wind, thermal and oregraphic lift are major considerations. For those with large engines, sometimes it is hard to out climb 3,000 fpm downdrafts or just as bad, fail to take advantage of 3,000 fpm updrafts. Glidergeek should write something about thermal energy in the afternoon. And for those who fly early, the sun heated air rises out of the cool pools of air in the valleys and goes up the side of the mountain messing up the normal adiabatic rate. It is often much hotter than you think up there. Cam Tom 12, might you find a FM from the Army's mountain flying school at Ft. Carson? Airplanes can't make zero airspeed approaches, but some of the principals are the same.