I'm planning to do a few days camping in Idaho for the first time this summer and was about to purchase the "Fly Idaho" volume 3 set. The price seemed a bit steep at $60, but research time, esoteric knowledge, etc. so I figured what the heck. I got to the checkout and shipping and handling is $15. I always get irked at inflated shipping and handling so did not place the order.

I'm not going to be trying any of the "Big 5" or whatever you group Mile High, Vines, etc into. For those of you that have "Fly Idaho" (3rd edition), does it really give $75 worth of information beyond what is available on sectionals, ForeFlight, internet, A/FD, etc.? I'd love it as a coffee table book, but preps for the trip have been costly enough.

I know there was some history between the author of Fly Idaho and BCP quite a while ago. That aside, I'd appreciate the experience of those that have used the book. If there is an online site other than BCP that lists detailed information about Idaho backcountry strips and current conditions I'd appreciate a link.

Thanks.

Frank

I have the book, it is great. Indispensable information. Totally worth the price. Just don't post or embed photos of it or its contents here or I expect I can receive a warning/threat from the author as I have in the past.

Also, shortfield.com has some great information with periodic updates and PIREPs.

Thanks Zane.

I got the set of books last winter with the same plans to visit some of these strips and do some camping and fishing this summer.
They are full of excellent information. I especially like the cross reference between the books regarding the history and things to do in each of the locations.
Well worth the money.

The Idaho Dept. of Aeronautics has an app that covers a lot of the backcountry airstrips. It's pretty good, and it might have all the information you need. It think this is the link: http://itd.idaho.gov/aero/Facility%20Di ... /index.htm

The Fly Idaho books are pretty darn good. They're the best resource that I've seen, though whether they're worth the money is sort of an individual decision. There's a lot of background and historical information which is valuable to some, not to others. Very good information on airstrip approaches and surface issues... If you're interested in trying to get into strips that are at the edge of your comfort level then it's hard to justify not having all the data available.

The author is pretty opinionated and each successive addition has more and more of his opinions, so that's too bad. Other than that I like them.

Now the Idaho Aeronautical Chart is invaluable...well worth whatever the price is. No other resource puts all the airstrips into perspective as to location and heading...it's not a navigation tool really, but it tells you at a glance what's around you...what's near and what's far, plus gps coordinates of all the backcountry airstrips, frequencies, and general remarks.

If you can find a previous copy of the Fly Idaho books they're just as good for most the strips.

I think my local fbo has the books available along with the Idaho Aeronautical chart. The chart is great and well worth the cost. The book is pretty good and I'm glad it was given to to me as a gift because I would have never bought it myself...I'm a cheapskate though.

If you want I'll stop at the FBO, check the price and would be happy to put one in the mail.

Edit: Price with tax at the FBO is $62. They are out of the charts. I don't know what it would cost to ship.

Aircraft Spruce has them also but it doesn't say what edition. $59 + $5 shipping.

Get the digital version for iPad. No shipping charge. Save the weight of the book too!

Get the digital version for iPad. No shipping charge. Save the weight of the book too!

I'd say "Fly Idaho!" is up there with BAS harnesses in the "totally worth it" category if you're interested in those strips. Beyond the rich technical details, I love reading the history of each strip and some of the colorful stories in there when I'm out camping.

I want to go fly Idaho backcountry.
When is a good time to go?

Will buy the online version of the book, glad found about it on this thread.

Also, Idaho Aeronautics has an app for Idaho airports. It's pretty simple, and provides a lot of information.

MTV

Does anybody have both the old version and the new version (3rd edition)? I have wondered if it is worth "upgrading" from the 2nd version.

scottf wrote:Does anybody have both the old version and the new version (3rd edition)? I have wondered if it is worth "upgrading" from the 2nd version.

The 3rd edition has a ton more detail for each strip in the "In the Air" section: topo, multiple photos, detailed slope and other measurements on the actual strip.

It's in two separate booklets (Air/Ground) which could be seen either as a pro or con, depending on your preference. In all, it's probably at least twice as many pages as the 2nd edition.

I have always been a history buff and the little historic stories in the new edition are worth the price alone... there are a few more strips in the new edition and several of them are with permission only and not generally available for us to fly in to as are the regular ones like Sulphur , big , Elk City Etc... My annual trip up there is scheduled for June 23 through July 3... so hopefully no one else will be there...lol...

Good book but in checking the Lat/Lon of a couple of the airports I came across either typos or mistakes. Anybody else find this? First two I found were Cavanaugh Bay and Cayuse Creek.

Motoadve
I live in the panhandle 65 mi. east of Lewiston. I would suggest July would be the best. All the higher strips will be clear of snow and dry, the creeks are lower so the fishing is better. We got a lot of snow and rain this year. August is also great as long as there are no forest fires. The six years I been here you can count on it being smoky.
John

I bought the book in 2003, and still use it just about every summer or fall. It is full of great information valuable to operations as well as historical and trivial information. It is printed on durable paper with high quality binding, so it will last a long time even when used often in the field. It is a purchase that I never looked back on.

I have the second edition of Fly Idaho, and I don't care for the way Hanselman split the "flying into" and "ground" information for the airstrips into two different sections. IMHO it woulda been much more convenient & logical to have all the info about each strip in one place.

There's another book about fun places to fly-- The Flyer's Recreational Guide---NW, edited by Reed White and published by Alta Research. I believe there's also a SW edition. Covers some backcountry type spots and some not-so-backcountry spots too. Not much text about the flying-into aspects of each place, but a basic description of the airport and a narrative about the surrounding area.

Where would be the best place to fish and camp in Idaho

There is a lot of background information necessary to answer that question. Some strips are smooth long, wide and easy to go around on, while others would likely result in fatalities in the event of an aborted landing. Some have picnic tables, prepared sites, internet, freezers, showers and flush toilets, while others are totally primitive. Some are very close to the water and others you might need to make a strenuous hike to access good fishing. Moose Creek is pretty hard to beat for camping next to your plane and having pit toilets, moderate traffic and decent river access but one must hike down to the river. Cabin Creek is a great spot for camping with less traffic and no real amenities, but a longer hike to fishing than Moose Creek. It is not exactly a beginner strip either. Johnson Creek has decent fishing really close to the campsites and more amenities than any campground I've ever been to. It is a great place where you will always meet other aviators. If you want solitude, though, JC is the last choice. A popular arrangement is to base out of JC or MC and make day trips out to other destinations. The interesting question is: where is the best fishing?

Here is an old thread that speaks to your question: https://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/ ... daho-10816