As previously stated, I have a very short runway (900') on my place in Montana. I have a P-Ponk C182 with a Horton STOL but try as I might, I was unable to get confident enough to try it. I got lots of advice, including VG's and maybe a Sportsman STOL. I got a name from another member of Leigh Smith at techflying.com. I talked with him and then hired him to come to Montana and help with my situation. Talk about money well spent!! We were coming in and out the first hour! My strip will never be easy to use. It is dead flat and that makes it tough but with his expert instruction, I can get in and out safely.
Back country flying and short strips is a dangerous game. If you think you know a lot about it, think again. A few hours with Leigh Smith will show you how little you really know. My time with Leigh will be indispensable going forward.

muddymtn wrote:As previously stated, I have a very short runway (900') on my place in Montana. I have a P-Ponk C182 with a Horton STOL but try as I might, I was unable to get confident enough to try it. I got lots of advice, including VG's and maybe a Sportsman STOL. I got a name from another member of Leigh Smith at techflying.com. I talked with him and then hired him to come to Montana and help with my situation. Talk about money well spent!! We were coming in and out the first hour! My strip will never be easy to use. It is dead flat and that makes it tough but with his expert instruction, I can get in and out safely.
Back country flying and short strips is a dangerous game. If you think you know a lot about it, think again. A few hours with Leigh Smith will show you how little you really know. My time with Leigh will be indispensable going forward.

Excellent report. Smart decision to get someone knowledgeable in there.

900' doesn't seem that short for that airplane. What else is at play? Altitude? Field softness? Something else?

Congrats on money well spent. Such a great feeling to be able to control your airplane.

That said, 900' in your airplane is very doable even with the stock wing... Just requires practice and getting over the fear of flying slow.

Granted this is an unobstructed approach, but this vid I did the other week is flying in and out of an 800' one way strip. I use about half and am coming in pretty fast (60mph.) The same is doable with an obstructed approach by using Patrick's technique.

Practice practice practice!

Regardless of the modifications and power, good technique is necessary for safety. It is good you found a good teacher.

A couple of vids taken the same day coming into the cabin. The strip is 500' long.

Muddymtn, is that your 182 I see flying around here that looks like it could use some paint?

For me, in my plane, the limit for field length is not the landing but the takeoff.

Of course much of this depends on surface conditions, temperature, obstructions, slope etc.

If I don't pay attention my Maule could easily get me into places it can't get out of as easily.

I agree. I've yet to figure out the rocket science. I mean a plane that will go almost straight up and scare the pee out of me, but you can't see out of the thing with the nose up enough to land short.

The 182 will never go there. Good airplane.

I am really happy with your attitude, a good instructor is worth the money you spend on him, and then to let the world know he is good is the right thing to do. Balling up your plane would be much much more expensive than whatever you paid for an instructor.

So, my two cents for the folks saying,'900 ft? no big deal'. I have flown into short 900 ft and long 900 ft strips, gravel bars, beaches, etc, they measure the same, but they ain't. Getting an experienced instructor in your plane going into your strip is a hell of a lot better idea than listening to someone on an internet forum, saying "no big deal".

Headoutdaplane wrote:I am really happy with your attitude, a good instructor is worth the money you spend on him, and then to let the world know he is good is the right thing to do. Balling up your plane would be much much more expensive than whatever you paid for an instructor.

So, my two cents for the folks saying,'900 ft? no big deal'. I have flown into short 900 ft and long 900 ft strips, gravel bars, beaches, etc, they measure the same, but they ain't. Getting an experienced instructor in your plane going into your strip is a hell of a lot better idea than listening to someone on an internet forum, saying "no big deal".

+ 1

MTV

mtv wrote:

Headoutdaplane wrote:I am really happy with your attitude, a good instructor is worth the money you spend on him, and then to let the world know he is good is the right thing to do. Balling up your plane would be much much more expensive than whatever you paid for an instructor.

So, my two cents for the folks saying,'900 ft? no big deal'. I have flown into short 900 ft and long 900 ft strips, gravel bars, beaches, etc, they measure the same, but they ain't. Getting an experienced instructor in your plane going into your strip is a hell of a lot better idea than listening to someone on an internet forum, saying "no big deal".

+ 1

MTV

+2

Don, Head up to Lavina and pace off the distance and practice up there. I believe the conditions should be very similar but you will have a lot more room to work. Steve

Leigh is a great asset to backcountrypilot.org. I wish he would post a little more, but I know he's pretty busy. It was awesome the way one of his backcountry videos went viral last year. (pg. 5 of the Maule Long wing versus Cessna 180)

I first met Leigh when he flew his airplane in to Aircraft Structural Repair to check our work out, before letting us take the job on. The boss said, "That Cessna 185 guy will be here at 10 o'clock." I replied, " well he won't be here today," as I knew full well there wasn't anybody I knew who could handle a taildragger in the conditions that day unless they were hangar flying it. Dusty said no, he said he will be here at ten, he will be here. I remember thinking to myself, "whatever". I was sure I would win the unspoken bet.

About a minute before 10 I heard the 185 music playing and rushed outside to see the performance. I was not disappointed. I'd never seen anybody that could play like that and I quickly realized he had some special skills. His website name, techflying.com is an accurate description of his abilities. Technical flying is his specialty. I rode along with him to several nearby backcountry strips and learned a ton just watching him. I'm sure there are many other pilots like him on this site, I just haven't had the privilege of meeting them yet. It's great to see someone with his depth of experience and passion for flying be interested in teaching energy management the way he does. That's in addition to his day job! Check out his site if you haven't.

RKTX wrote:

mtv wrote:

Headoutdaplane wrote:I am really happy with your attitude, a good instructor is worth the money you spend on him, and then to let the world know he is good is the right thing to do. Balling up your plane would be much much more expensive than whatever you paid for an instructor.

So, my two cents for the folks saying,'900 ft? no big deal'. I have flown into short 900 ft and long 900 ft strips, gravel bars, beaches, etc, they measure the same, but they ain't. Getting an experienced instructor in your plane going into your strip is a hell of a lot better idea than listening to someone on an internet forum, saying "no big deal".

+ 1

MTV

+2

+3

Barnstormer wrote:I am really happy with your attitude, a good instructor is worth the money you spend on him, and then to let the world know he is good is the right thing to do. Balling up your plane would be much much more expensive than whatever you paid for an instructor.

So, my two cents for the folks saying,'900 ft? no big deal'. I have flown into short 900 ft and long 900 ft strips, gravel bars, beaches, etc, they measure the same, but they ain't. Getting an experienced instructor in your plane going into your strip is a hell of a lot better idea than listening to someone on an internet forum, saying "no big deal".

Me +4.

Just looking at length doesn't cut it. There are too many variables, and it's the variables that will get you. Yeah, I can consistently get my airplane in and out again in well less than 1000' at the elevations I fly weekly (4700' & 5000', DAs up to around 7800')--until I add more weight, have a crosswind, have to land over a real instead of imaginary obstacle, use a 16' wide airstrip instead of 100' wide, the temps go up, etc. The variables can go on and on--even tire pressure can make a difference. Getting good training from an expert was money well spent, and so will be the expense of regular practice--the more you do, the more comfortable you will be in your airplane.

Cary

Don, Where are you? Flying the rich people around. Fished the "Horn" today and it was unbelievable. I sent you a PM. Lets go up to Lavina and see how you do. Steve

Interested to know how many of you follow Patrick Romano's technique for the steep aproach landings. I currently practice a low approach and am able to land in a very short distance realizing that a stteper approach is sometimes necessary. But landing short and cpoming to a stop even without braking has not been a problem. My over the lnumbers airspeed is usually around 45mph.

Magnet

I should add that my airport elevation is 5800' with density altitude almost always 7,000' or more.