Ive been reading your posts for a few months and finally decided to register. Any body else on this site live east of the Mississippi?
Just Bought my first plane and decided on one with a little wheel inthe back. A 1950 170A ,can't wait to get my endorsement!

--I changed the subject so that other east-of-mississippi pilots will notice this thread. -Z

i'm am east of the mighty miss.
although northern michigan is still a long ways from maryland.....

welcome, and enjoy the company here. and let us know how you like that C170.

Everybody seems to have nice things to say about the 170 so im really looking foward to it. Im hoping most of my log book will be filled with flights into the appalachians in western maryland. Not quite the mountains you guys fly in but backcountry nonethe less. Should provide plenty of good flying stories.

I had a 170A for a couple of years before buying my Super Cub. It's a great airplane and some in ways I miss it over the SC. The SC was such a deal of a lifetime I could not pass it up, however. Anyway, I'm in the mountains of East Tennessee (0A9). Come on down any time.

Steve thanks for the invite. Ive only been tennessee once and I was driving. Saw all sorts of cool strips through the area though.

Dusty,
Welcome to the minority, the ones with the little wheel in the back. We can fly their's, but they can't fly the kind we do. If you ever make to the other side of the ol miss, don't hesitate to stop and say hi, the coffee pot is always on.

Hi Dusty, glad to see some more company from the east side of the river. I am from Illinois. Maybe as the numbers grow some day we will be able to put together a fly-in in our part of the world. I would volunteer the location.

Dusty-

I fly a Stinson 108 out of New Bern, NC. We obviously don't have immediate access around here to the terrain that many of the guys here talk about, but I have been seeking out all the great little grass fields I can find.

One I can recommend as a lot of fun is 9VG - Campbell Airport - on the eastern shore of VA. They have a weekly fly in on Sundays that gets a fun group together. Check out www.campbellfieldairport.com for more info. Not sure where you fly out of in Md, but I would love to hear your recommendations for fields you like in your area.

Campbell has a 1400 ft grass strip that is fun to do short field work on and exercise your tail wheel skills. I can hear the hard core folks here yawning, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Have fun with your 170 and let me know if you pass through NC.

Cheers - Andrew

Vick-

No yawning here, 1400 ft of grass is right up my alley, especially with only 145 HP. How does your 108 perform?

Glad to see the east/midwest/south BCP contingent building!

Z

Z-

My 108 does great, though admittedly the cool air this time of year helps and I typically fly at sea level. With the Franklin 165 and one notch of flaps I can get two folks off the deck pretty smartly.

I have never flown a 170 though I considered them seriously before I bought the 108 - from what I understand the performance is quite comparable.

-V

Hey, "backcountry" doesn't have to mean the Rocky Mountains or Alaska. One of the most fun places I've flown into is a little grass strip within 20 miles of Portland, and right at sea level to boot.
Flying magazine had an article a couple years ago entitled "Urban Bush Flying", about back-country flying close to home. The author made a good point about how cool it was to spend the day doing some back country flying and still get home in plenty of time for supper.

Eric

If anybody has that(I think it's March '04 FLYING), I wish they'd scan the pages and send them to me as big images. I'll convert it to HTML and post it. Great concept for weekend warriors.

Z

I've got that issue here at home in my "archives". Yup, March 04 Flying.
I don't have the technology to scan it. I can however xerox it and snail-mail to ya Zane, if nobody has it that can scan/email it. Email me your mailing address.

Eric

Hi Eastern "Backcountry" pilots,
I too would like to see some more fly-in camping sites (other than airshows or EAA gatherings). Many turf strips in my State of West Virginia are private but with prearranged scheduling, some may not mind a few campers. I'd like to gather a list of places someday.

However, I'd like to mention a great area of the state where maybe later this year there will be aircraft camping once a pavilion/shower is constructed. That will be the Grant Co. Airport (W99), Petersburg, WV. The airport authority has the money allocated but the local pilot's association will be building the facility. There has to be some clearing, etc. so that camping will be along the bordering river where there is good canoeing and fishing. I'll keep all posted when any news of progress.

Still I hope to make it out to the far west (anything past Oshkosh!) this summer.

Cheers,
Jim
@KMRB

Welcome,
I live in PA at 9D4 Myerstown and 9N7 is a neat grass strip with action on the weekends. My 48 170 goes upstate to a grass strip near my lodge in Potter county, PA. Our back country strips are not as exotic as out WEST, but can have just as much fun. But I love to read about all the experiences of other pilots.

John Hess

John - Have you ever flown into 9N1 - Vansant? 9N7 sounds pretty similar, with lots of neat vintage and tailwheel activity on the weekends. Beautiful location too, sort of on a ridgeline looking down toward the Deleware.

My number one northeast recommendation though is 12N - Aeroflex-Andover. I admit my bias, as that's where I did my tailwheel training, but I maintain that you won't find a more picturesque field on the east coast. And there is a great bunch of die-hard tailwheel folks on the field. Yeah, I know it's in NJ, but I promise it's a different Jersey than you see from 95!

-Andrew

Welcome, Yes I live east and west and south and north of the Mississippi. I have my own strip (1000 Feet) right outside of the State park where the Mississippi river starts. It start on the west side of my property heads a little ways north then goes south. So I guess I live on all side of it. Just thought that was kind of funny.

Anyways, I have a Champ with floats and skis and also a 172. If anyone is ever in the area you're welcome to stop by.

Keith

No I haven't been to Vasant. They owned my plane at one time and I would like to visit them to show them the NEW plane. I refurbished the whole plane in a couple steps at a time.

John

Congratulations Dusty You'll have loads of fun in your new plane Enjoy the tail wheel and get lots of practice Fly up to KWAY and I'll buy you lunch John