Hi Brent and any others that already may own it and want to take a stab at a review. Just post it right here on this thread, since there is already some information here it may be the best place to put it.

Thanks,

Greg

Here's what I had to do to get a free DVD back in the day...

DVD Review: Big Rocks and Long Props Vol 1

Zane wrote:Here's what I had to do to get a free DVD back in the day...

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=331

Hi Zane, I do owe you a V5 at no charge with no review required, send me your address.
And yes that was a complete review, not sure most people would go to that trouble but if they want to I say go for it.

Mauleguy wrote:Hi Zane, I do owe you a V5 at no charge with no review required, send me your address.
And yes that was a complete review, not sure most people would go to that trouble but if the want to I say go for it.

It was a different time, forums and videos were kinda just taking off. We were all still giddy that we had found people who like the same kind of flying, and then BRLP1 dropped and it opened everyone's eyes. A thorough review was needed and was fun to write.

I am still looking for two more takers on the free Volume 5 DVD for review.

Mauleguy wrote:I am still looking for two more takers on the free Volume 5 DVD for review.

OK...Can I be a taker please???

I already bought it watched it and enjoyed every minute, keep'em coming!!!

It's on my list to buy, have the rest, but with some recent uncertainty, I'll have to wait before I place my order. Look forward to watching it though.

I have 6 people that have offered and will have the DVD in hand soon.

Thank you,

Greg

I recently got my grubby mitts on Greg's latest film, Big Rocks and Long Props, Volume 5 - High Country. I watched it several times, and although I have not seen any of the other videos in the series I was thoroughly entertained. The video is 50 minutes of action - including some very short 1-way strips in what appears to be Eastern Oregon or Washington, maybe Idaho or Utah. The locations are not named, presumably because of concern over legality, but most of the landings - I counted 30+ are given names like "Moon Dirt," "Runway in the Sky," " High Bench," and "Buffalo Canyon." The more technical strips were shown with multiple landings and multiple angles - which is always nice. The video is not meant to be instructional - but that doesn't mean you won't learn something by repeated viewings, if nothing else - a good bit about how this one stick approaches technical backcountry landings and takeoffs into 300ft strips in high mesas and tight canyons. One is also reminded of adventuresome purpose of our craft, as Greg spots winter elk kill, and selects a landing spot to go and inspect the rack - something I often think about while flying about - needing only a small reason to find a spot to land and devise a plan to do it safely. All in all, I think the footage was great - shot with 1080p NFlight cameras. If I were pressed for criticism - I'd have to say I'd have loved to have format in more than standard definition - since the footage was shot in HD. I'm looking forward to working my way backward through the series, now. On a scale of 1-4, 4 being outrageously good and 1 being total shite - I give it a solid 3 tomatoes, for copious amounts of flying porn and down-home-video style of pseudo-documentary of this mans vacation that I wish had been mine.

'Greg

When Greg offered to let some of his videos fly out to hapless pilots willing to watch and review them, I thought it was a waste of time to respond...surely they were already snatched up. But I am plenty hapless, I have a relatively depauperate flight video collection, I was willing to write a review, and so I sent him an email. To my surprise, I quickly got a response, and the assignment.

As a student pilot a few years ago, I watched Big Rocks and Long Props, the original video that preceded the following four. My experience living and working in Alaska had included a number of off-airport landings, so I wasn't totally unprepared for what the video was about. But that video was still a jaw-dropping introduction to the limits of backcountry flying. At the time, I couldn't even fly straight and level the one time I had been up to try, so it was pretty obviously beyond my comprehension to be the one at the controls for the flying that was depicted in the movie. But the tight canyons, blind approaches, crazy short-field operations, and the fun they were obviously having was pretty infectious.

As I sat down to watch this fifth volume in the series, I was looking forward to seeing my favorite bush plane in action again. I love the utility that is afforded by the Maule cargo door and large-ish fuselage. And while there are a lot of really obvious benefits to other airframes, the combination of utility and price makes the Maule my personal favorite...at least in the theoretical world where I can move up and still afford to fly enough to make it worthwhile... As Greg and Patrick set up their camp, the utility of the plane is obvious. Out comes the camping gear, the fuel drum, and the aircraft covers. In a cub, the process of getting there with two people and that gear would have been a lot more complicated.

The ability to haul more stuff and still get into the backcountry is a feature of any Maule or similar-size taildragger. What is amazing about Bushwacker, with Greg at the controls, is that he can take all the baggage out to lighten up, and then he can put it in places only cub-ish planes should go. But then, it isn't just a Maule, it is as Greg tells us, a lot of Maule parts and other special mods...Greg has obviously done a lot of work, some of which was mentioned in the first video. I don't know how much all the different pieces of work contribute to the stunning performance, but the huge, and I do mean HUGE, flaps must be a serious contributor to the slow flight of this plane.

In this episode, Greg had chosen a stretch of high desert to explore. It is apparent early on that this is not a trip to do something where you get there by airplane. This is solely to look for and refine backcountry landings. What do I mean by that? If I were flying somewhere to go hunting, I would scout the area, look for animals, pick a good camp site, land, set up camp, and then be on foot. After I got an animal, I would be looking at nearby options for a landing in order to fly in to pick up meat. The airplane would be the vehicle for access, scouting, and retrieval.

But Greg finds places to land that are so marginal that he has to fly the cameraman in to a different spot, or even has to fly himself in to a different spot then hike over to check out the landing zone. The areas are close together, but then he goes in and lands in the tighter place. So in a sense, this is aircraft handling beyond function, purely to test limits. And in this case, it is being done at 4,000 feet elevation and above, which changes a few things. It is pretty open country, but it is rocky high desert. The altitude probably made a pretty big impression on Greg, as the groundspeed would be different than he would experience in doing landings at sea level. In addition, the landing options are open looking but have a lot of issues. Greg discusses what those issues are, from the size of the rocks, to the crumbly texture near the edges of the flat areas, to the considerations for using water to get in and out of short sand bars.

This is not a family video. Your family may appreciate the lovely setting, but it is unapologetically aimed at pilots. What I appreciated was Greg's explanation of the margins he was dealing with, how he identified his strategies, his options, and his outs, and the illustration of how those things played out. He showed footage of an intended flyover when he hit a downdraft and touched down without intending to. He showed a place where he dragged and immediately rejected the landing zone. And he showed a landing where he made a more hasty assessment and was surprised by the landing zone. His description of these events, and his detailed explanations of the experiences that culminated in the successful landings depicted in the video, are very instructive. Note I say instructive, not instructional. As Greg clearly states, the video is not instructional...but for myself I have to say it is very instructive.

And the sharing of his thought processes is what turns the film into a valuable teaching tool instead of just cool flight footage. It could almost seem like Greg can put that airplane anywhere. His reminders of the remoteness they were dealing with, the narrow margin of his landing zones, and the seriousness of mistakes, help to keep the watcher aware of the parameters the pilot is working with. And hearing another pilot go through those thought processes should help other pilots evaluate their own situations, abilities, and needs in relation to the flight operations they are conducting. In my case, I have a little tricycle gear plane with small tires, which is pretty limiting for backcountry landings. And I think in terms of hundreds, or at least fifties, of feet when evaluating a landing zone. Greg obviously thinks in terms of fives or tens of feet, or less. Very different, but very impressive.

Will I watch it again? I already have. I expect I will show it to every pilot friend of mine that comes to my house. And if tonight's second viewing was any indication, I will learn something new every time. It's a ride-along with one of the best backcountry flight technicians out there.

I recently had a chance to view Greg Millers Volume 5 Of Big Rocks and Long Props. I am a private pilot and I fly a Maule in the backcountry most of the year and I was not sure what to expect. Gregs previous videos are filled with heart stopping video of airplanes going places and doing things that are challenging to any backcountry aviator even the most experienced ones and I wondered if this would be more of the same.

This one a little different.

Of course there is the great flying, beautiful photography and scenery that are the trademarks of a Big Rocks and Long Props video but Vol 5 seems to have a little more.

Try to imagine that you have a friend who is a famous pilot and a really nice guy and he gives you a call and finally invites you to go on a flying trip with him where you will explore new country, camp a little bit and make a few movies. It is a dream of most pilots and anyone else who loves being in the air, camping and exploring big mountaineous areas populated with wildlife, and adventure.

Vol 5 offers a great escape with Greg from the winter doldrums of the Northwest. It's a realistic look at how it is to fly in the backcountry with an unique pilot. He not only shows you many amazing landings and takeoffs but Greg also talks you though how he chooses the places and what he goes through before he actually commits to putting the airplane on the ground. It makes you feel like you are flying right along with him as opposed to just watching an airplane do incredable things and the trip is fantastic.

I think Vol 5 is a great compliment to Gregs impressive series and one that I will reach for on a regular basis during the long isolated Northwest winters when the snow is flying and I "feel the need" for some adventure and an aviation fix.

Thank you Greg for the DVD. I was surprised to see it so quickly. For those of you that have seen some or all of the previous DVDs from Greg I think you will really enjoy his newest release. For those that have never seen the series I think this could be a good one to start with. 

Volume 5 is unique in that it is an adventure that we are all invited to come along on. It gives us a look at that day dream trip that we all intend on making one of these days. Airplane camping in the middle of beautiful scenery in the backcountry is what all of us dream about doing. 

There is no doubt that it would be hard to capture that amazement that we all encountered when watching Volume 1. Similar to the amazement of the stunning effects in the movie the Matrix, but a hard act to follow in the sequels.  

In volume 5 we are not really seeing Greg do anything new, or are we? Maybe some of us are not realizing the fact that High Country isn't just the title, but the true nature of the new material we are seeing. The true skill that we are witnessing in Volume 5 is adapting his techniques and judgment to a new environment where performance is everything. High altitude, as we all know, greatly effects engine and aircraft performance, translating into quite a different situation during take off and landing. The challenge of finding the limitations of Bushwacker under new conditions is the adventure. 

Greg's real gift is sharing his thoughts that lead up to his decision making process, whether those decisions were good or bad. His honesty about a poor decision, I think, shared more about the complexities of high altitude off airport operations than just a narrative of a landing area. 

The other new exposure is in the filming. Lots of amazing angles and interesting perspectives that we haven't seen in the series. I first watched it on an older TV and enjoyed the different camera angles, but it wasn't until I re-watched it on a high def TV that I could really appreciate the quality of the cameras that were used. The scenery was spectacular. It will make you want to head for the Owyhee. 

There was a slight disappointment that there were not more aircraft involved. Given the nature of the trip, it is understandable, however I always like to see and compare the capabilities of several aircraft and the different techniques of the pilots. It also adds to my dream trip to have several buddies along to enjoy the fun. 

Some have harped on the plugging of the sponsor  Nflightcam, well I wouldn't have given it a second thought if it wasn't brought up in this thread. Greg narrates the movie by telling you about making the movie, so why wouldn't he tell you about the cameras. He tells you about Bushwacker, about the effort it takes to get the shots and even how the shots are accomplished, so it all flows for me. Plus I was wondering what camera he was using, and was surprised that it was not a GoPro. 

I think this is a great addition to my flying movies collection and I thank Greg for the chance to see it and review it. I certainly appreciate the effort that he has put into all the movies and hope that he continues to make more Volumes. It is very rare that pilots with a unique skill and application of that skill, take the time and effort to share it with the rest of us. It not only shows us what airplanes are capable of, but inspires us to FLY.

GO FLY

Greg sent me this video as a gift. Gracias Greg . Watched it 3 times so far. I purchased BRLP 1-4 a few years back. Rather than write a flowery review, I will share some random thoughts:
* Greg's "Home Strip" makes an appearance in the beginning of the vid- an absolute slice of heaven!
* On the subject of where it was filmed, I'm a little perplexed. It looks like Southern Utah along the Green or Colorado, perhaps east of Moab or north of Green River, up toward Tavaputs.. but the terrain is not quite "red" in the video??? On the cover of the video, it is red. Almost seems like color was washed out on purpose?? It could also be Wyoming but Greg says 4,000 ft + a few times and Wyoming would be higher. This peaks my interest not because I'm dying to reveal the secret locale (well I guess I am, to myself), but I saw Greg and Bushmaster land one day at KSLC, taxi to Millionair and shut down. I was working in the hangar and thought I would finish my task and take the tug down to say hi to him. When I finally made my way down there, he was already taxiing out, I was too late. It was a quick turn- Was he dropping off his camera man for an airline ride home after filming V5 in Southern Utah?? Inquiring minds want to know. You don't owe me an answer Greg, I'm just the curious type and want to solve the puzzle
* Excellent flying throughout. Very proficient in the plane and demonstrates complete control while still showing that anything can happen in the backcountry.
* Some of the landings are very original, meaning the LZ's are abstract and somewhat hidden until short final. I likes that.
* Commentary seems pretty upbeat , missing is the "if you don't do it this way, you will likely die" vibe that flavored earlier videos. Yay. I'm well aware of my mortality rate in doing any of these landings in my rattle-trap.
* Flying and footage are top shelf. Editing is somewhere under the dresser. Example: standing near the prop of any takeoff and the noise will overcome the camera microphone of most any HD camera. Sounds like full distortion and blows out the speakers... so how does this racket make it into the final cut of the video? Maybe raw footage was the goal?
* At one point Greg says he'd like to take a minute and talk about Bushmaster but says almost nothing about the modifications?? Its a flying modification. I enjoyed hearing a few of the unique mods and parts on the plane in an earlier video and I would think viewers of V5 wouldn't mind a short list of the unique mods on this bird... engine, wings, prop, tail..all cool stuff and interesting.
* I found absolutely no vibe of Greg pimpin' the Nflightcam as was mentioned earlier.
* Flimed in HD but not in HD format on your TV??
* Did I mention cool cliff landings?
* My favorite of the 5 BRLP video's, worth checking out if you like this stuff as much as I do.

62

I too received my copy of "High Country" and have watched it several times. Thinking that volume 6 needs to be down here...on our South circuit...

I would agree with the posters above. I would like to have seen more "rowdy type" landings but all in all, it was great flying porn and would reccomened it for your library! This volume 5 seemed a bit tamed down from the others but I can understand why.

I really enjoyed the class 2 water landing with a turn mid rapid to he gravel bar. Awesome! Have watched that segment now a lot. Would have liked to see more of that. This film is a worthy watch. I would also like to see him fly in and out of his home strip more. Looks like it could be a pickle to get in and out of. It looks like you have to land and go under a tree...

Nice work Greg and thanks!!!

double post

I want to thank the guys that have taken the time to give a review.

I have had this question asked a few times now so I thought I would try and answer it. The question is: If it is filmed in HD why is it in only SD (standard definition) when I watch it on my HD T.V.
The answer is: It is edited in Final Cut Pro in full HD it is then sent to Compressor to be compressed to fit on a single layer DVD in SD and finally authored in DVD Studio Pro. There is no way to deliver HD on standard DVD's.

I looked into replication in full HD and the cost was 10.00 per DVD in Blue Ray, most people do not have the means to play Blue Ray so it would be a wast of money for the great majority. The SD DVD that is replicated costs 1.50 so that is the way almost all video is delivered. Even though it is degraded to SD when it is finally delivered to the consumer it is still a better image quality then if it was filmed in SD and delivered in SD. The camera quality still comes through in the end, is it like watching HD T.V. , Nope… but if you have a large HD t.v. with a 72" screen it looks way better then something that was filmed in SD.

I have been looking into making it a download in full HD and that could be done but most people would be stuck with watching it on the computer.

I have talked to a few people in the industry about this issue and this is what I have found so unless someone else has some new information, (which I would love to hear about) that is what I know.

I try to make each DVD a little different and I hope maybe better in some respect. Since Volume 1 & 2 was mostly gravel bar landings with water involved, I try not to make a video with just that in it, my home strip is shown from multiple views in Backcountry Idaho DVD so I figure that would be redundant to do again, Bushwacker has it's own segment in Vol. 1 so I don't go into detail much about the aircraft. I try and fill each dvd in the series with something new. If you missed any of the first videos in the series then you have probably missed something that I have already possibly done.

Greg

I enjoy the videos. Just makes me want to go to the airport and get the airplane out. Not only does Greg build and fly kick ass airplanes he knows way more about TV's than I do.

Hi Greg!

I don't know if I'm your target market or not - I understand the reasons you decided to stick w/ SD - but I would certainly pay the extra $10 for HD. I have blue-ray players (multiple) - I even have a Blu-Ray burner - so if the industry ever figures out how to let the little man produce and sell vids, I would certainly bypass the media - and download directly a purchased version, preferrably from iTunes. I have my whole house rigged with Apple products - iPads, Apple TVs, etc...

So, I don't know how much hassle this is for you - but if you make your stuff available on iTunes, I'll buy all your videos that way (preverably in HD):

http://www.apple.com/itunes/content-providers/

'Greg

Just ordered the DVD set from BentPropProductions. I was having some kind of problem with online checkout (turned out to be on my end) and Greg was very helpful. Looking forward to watching these on cold winter days and evenings.