Sorry if I was misunderstood. I didn't specifically pick on the Cessna 180/185 club. The problem is all these aircraft in one location. You have to admit every year there are incidents.
A lot of these aircraft visit with little or no experience with mountain flying. Just because you have a SuperCub, a Maul, a Husky, a 180/185, etc. doesn't mean you can fly to these airstrips. The saying as crude as it is:"It ain't the meat, it's the motion" applies in every way to to this type of flying.

Idaho SuperCub

OK, it may just be a matter of semantics. I use the term "incident" to mean that there was some minor damage or somebody got the crap scared out of them (that's not a technical term )

If there was no damage nor much excitement, it was just a stupid move, like when some 185 guy sandblasted my 180 because he didn't think about which way to spin into the tiedown.

Then there is a real accident, with major damage and/or injury. I haven't seen many of these at Fly-ins, although I sure have heard of lots of them over the years.

Actually, over two decades of Fly-in experience, I have seen relatively few of either incidents or accidents, and am pleasantly surprised at that, because as a younger man I had a terrible opinion of most folks flying abilities because I was SUCH a good pilot. After the 7th or 8th time I nearly killed myself my attitude began to change. I guess I figured that I had already used up most of my nine lives so maybe I wasn't so good after all and had damn well better become more conservative and knowledgeable! That was about 20 years ago and I have enjoyed flying a lot more since, although it is definitely not as exciting as it used to be. (Thank the Lord!)

There is no question in my mind that the more airplanes at a Fly-in the greater the risk of an incident, but I don't worry so much about that; I just don't care for the crowds and the noise. I do take the precaution of parking at the far end of a one way field, or as close to either threshold of a two way field as I can, as the threat of a groundloop is greatest within 300 yards of the touchdown point.

Rocky

I'll meet you at Vines and buy you a beer!

Idaho Supercub

gonna try and hit vines this year if I can. How's the fishing there. Pretty much the same as cabin creek I bet.

Just for conversations sake here's a story you might all be interested in. A few years back, about 7 or 8, my flyin buddies and I were on the runway helping Gene move the sprinkler pipes. (This was before they were put underground) We heard a plane approach from the north and watched as it got closer. He Never decended lower than 50-75 feet above the turf and kept coming. We were at the closest marker (500Ft) from the south end when he passed above us. We were all standing at the far west side of the strip when he passed and suddenly stalled about 50 ft above the ground. He pancaked hard and went back up about 50 ft and stalled again augering in about a hundred feet from the Southern most fence. Turns out this was his and his wifes first visit to the mountains in their T182 and both were pilots, he in the left seat and she arguing whether or not to go around, Neither was hurt but both couldn't stand they were shaking so hard. Result- end of vacation, plane wrecked, and a 206 air taxi came and picked them up 2 hours later.
we never could figure why they just didn't add power and go around except that they were arguing over what to do, and weren't paying attention to air speed.

Vines as usual is very ruff. A great place to camp but limited parking. Plan on a very ungracefull landing. Vines has a good "Hole" 5 to 10 minute walk upstream. Because the fish are "Native", they are are catch and release, in one hour 12 fish, not bad. Cabin Creek usually has one or two fishermen on the Big Creek drainage, at Vines you are by your self.

IdahoSuperCub

There seems to be this notion that moutains somehow create all sorts of problems for pilots, of the type just noted.

In matter of fact, go to a lot of flatland fly ins, and you'll see the exact same issues at those. These aren't "mountain challenges" folks, they are simply people whose level of proficiency needs a little work, but for whatever reason, they choose not to get some added instruction.

There is no doubt that mountains create their own set of challenges, but ground loops and lousy landings due to unstabilized approaches are NOT exclusive to mountain flying or mountain strips.

Want some real fun?? Go camp next to the runway at OSH.

The logic offered by Rocky is accurate, particularly in the biggest fly in of all. THere are almost ALWAYS several BAD accidents (not "incidents") at OSH. Last year there was a couple killed on a base to final turn (flat ground, folks, sorry no mountains within several hundred miles) and a TBM ran up the back of an RV on a taxiway, killing one and severely injuring the other in the RV. There were also several other ugly accidents involving people going to or coming from the Fly in.

Again, that's not a function of OSH being unsafe--just the number of participants.

But, on the other hand, consider how many SAFE operations go on during one of these deals....

MTV

I didn't mean to imply that it was because they were flying in the mountains. Just a bad set of circumstances in that airplane. I E (Wife yammering in your ear while trying to land a plane) Moral of the story FLY THE DAMN AIRPLANE!! One of the things I learned early on a JC is if you aren't used to landing on grass you can still touch down at JC at the mid point by the camera and still stop. THe grass does slow you down quickly.

Bumping and interesting old thread with some timely relevance....

mtv wrote:

The logic offered by Rocky is accurate, particularly in the biggest fly in of all. THere are almost ALWAYS several BAD accidents (not "incidents") at OSH. Last year there was a couple killed on a base to final turn (flat ground, folks, sorry no mountains within several hundred miles) and a TBM ran up the back of an RV on a taxiway, killing one and severely injuring the other in the RV. There were also several other ugly accidents involving people going to or coming from the Fly in.

Again, that's not a function of OSH being unsafe--just the number of participants.


MTV

Your post made me think of how many casulties there is during Sturges. You put thousands of people together, some body is bound to hurt themselves.

XKV8R wrote:

mtv wrote:

The logic offered by Rocky is accurate, particularly in the biggest fly in of all. THere are almost ALWAYS several BAD accidents (not "incidents") at OSH. Last year there was a couple killed on a base to final turn (flat ground, folks, sorry no mountains within several hundred miles) and a TBM ran up the back of an RV on a taxiway, killing one and severely injuring the other in the RV. There were also several other ugly accidents involving people going to or coming from the Fly in.

Again, that's not a function of OSH being unsafe--just the number of participants.


MTV

Your post made me think of how many casulties there is during Sturges. You put thousands of people together, some body is bound to hurt themselves.

Glad pilots don't drink like bikers!

Just a reminder, try your very best to stay away from the white house on the south end of the runway! On Sunday while I was there with some friends, one of our well known friends got a friendly ear full from the care taker . The lady that owns the house called the care taker about two other planes flying too close on Saturday (during the Super Cub Fly In).

When landing to the north. Stay to the right of the house.

When taking off to the south, stay to the left of the house and over the river.

The care taker was saying the family that frequents the house enjoy the planes and airstrip (in fact, they donated part of the south end of the strip). Just don't like the planes getting too close to the house.

Have fun and as always, fly safe!!

Bump

good advice for sure 58...one simple note or suggestion, having been in and out of there a lot, DONT
depart to the south...both for the respect of the homeowners and your own safety...