BackcountryPilot.org has been my love affair for over 15 years, and I would never claim to have done it all singlehandedly. This website is the collaboration between me and all of you, and I've enjoyed helping direct both our content as well as our community creed over the years.

I've reached a point in my life however where the demands of family and my day job are making it difficult to put the effort and creative juice into the site. Anyone who was a fan of our videos and articles has probably noticed that there's not much being published these days. Any free time I have to devote to the site is usually answering help emails, assisting advertising partners, and if I'm feeling upbeat I'll make a smartass post. I haven't logged any hours in an airplane in almost a year. My airplane projects are either archived or sitting in a hangar waiting. At some point I have to ask if I've traded life at a computer for a life actually flying airplanes.

That's just not fair to you guys, especially the ones who donate money to support the site and would like to see improvement.

Today I was discussing this with a close friend, who then suggested maybe taking on a partner is in order. Someone to invest and help with business leadership to drive us forward. The right person would be ambitious and interested from a business/investment standpoint but also have the passion for backcountry flying that keeps a crazy person invested emotionally. There is potential here to grow our website content, features, videos, etc and make it a richer and more entertaining experience, which benefits everyone. The skills required would be more from a business/marketing wheelhouse but possibly a software development one as well.

I'm not going anywhere. I still want to be a part of this. I love writing, compiling and editing articles, archiving data and documentation for the long run. Just need a partner to drive and crack the whip. I want this site to be the best it can be.

There is ROI to be had. If you're interested in helping run a small business and developing and growing it, send me a note. And I will say the tough thing just as anyone would on a Barnstormer's ad: Please no tire kickers.

Good luck to you Zane. Family first and always! Before you know it they will be grown. Thanks for all the work with this site, much appreciated. I hope you find the right type of person that can take some of the load off you while still maintaining this excellent site.


Kurt

No sure if this qualifies a a "tirekicker" but IF I had the skills I'd be all over this like Aryana on a Lawson Replica.

Mapleflt wrote:No sure if this qualifies a a "tirekicker" but IF I had the skills I'd be all over this like Aryana on a Lawson Replica.

You've got your finger on the pulse of the community and that's valuable.

I've really appreciated all the work you do, Zane, to make BCP what it is. If you can't find a full business partner, maybe you can find multiple folks, each with different skills to handle the different parts of the site.

Also, I have no skills.[emoji29]

G44 wrote:Good luck to you Zane. Family first and always! Before you know it they will be grown. Thanks for all the work with this site, much appreciated. I hope you find the right type of person that can take some of the load off you while still maintaining this excellent site.


Kurt

X2. Love what you do for us here Z. Wish I had some skills that could help.

Best of luck with your search Z, I really hope to see you regain some work / life balance.

Mapleflt wrote:No sure if this qualifies a a "tirekicker" but IF I had the skills I'd be all over this like Aryana on a Lawson Replica.

LOL!

A couple years ago, I jumped in headfirst running a motorcycle board and Zane gave me some sage words of wisdom, advice, and encouragement when I was diving in.

Fast forward 2 years later and reading his post in this thread, all I can say is "I totally get it."

There is so much that was left out of the brochure when I dove in...I wouldn't have changed a thing but it's a lot more work that I expected.

I already have a lot of commitments and hobbies so running a discussion board was pretty ambitious but I'm pulling it off...for now.

I did fantasize for a minute what it would be like to shed that responsibility and I know it will be amazing when the day comes. The last guy went 10 years...

I figure I'll start looking for my successor in a few years or maybe tomorrow. Depends on my mood [emoji16]

Thanks for all you do! Family first for sure, Best of luck finding the right partner!

Not sure what else to say that hasn't already been mentioned. I am no 'techie' be the most obscure definition. Heck, I still struggle attaching a picture.

This site, to me, is the most diverse and all around best site dealing with our type of flying that I am a member of. I have been browsing it's pages since early on in it's beginnings. Always great people to help and hopefully eventually meet.

Zane, I hope someone like minded will step up to the plate and continue to expand this great site.

Zman, I miss ya buddy. I wish you the best of luck.

Zane...this might sound crazy...but perhaps a partnership with RAF could make sense. It’s a bit like EAA and AOPA....BCP is EAA...hands on, community focused and educationally grounded...with fun as a critical element. RAF is AOPA....lobbying, regulatory and big capital projects...they’re fun...but more focused. The combination could provide a powerful advocacy and community.

Good luck...

Zzz, this site will be greatly missed but I'll echo the wise words of others, FAMILY first at all times.

Airdave100 wrote:Zane...this might sound crazy...but perhaps a partnership with RAF could make sense. It’s a bit like EAA and AOPA....BCP is EAA...hands on, community focused and educationally grounded...with fun as a critical element. RAF is AOPA....lobbying, regulatory and big capital projects...they’re fun...but more focused. The combination could provide a powerful advocacy and community.

Good luck...

I love this idea! Maybe with the correct partner, you could hire some content help.
Dan

RAF would not be a good choice as a partner in this site. They are good in what they do in trying to keep backcountry strips open, but their board members are EXTREMELY conservative when it comes to backcountry flying which does not work in gaining skill to fly the backcountry safely, much less flying the bush safely. Leave them to their strength.

Barnstormer wrote:RAF would not be a good choice as a partner in this site. They are good in what they do in trying to keep backcountry strips open, but their board members are EXTREMELY conservative when it comes to backcountry flying which does not work in gaining skill to fly the backcountry safely, much less flying the bush safely. Leave them to their strength.

Good to see you are still around Barnstormer.

Your perspective is interesting. I certainly agree that RAF isn’t the right partner but from the opposite perspective. While they preach what I see as responsible use of the strips in the ID wilderness their individual actions run contrary to that. Plus I wholly dislike their lobbying tactics but I feel that way about most special interest groups. ‘Give me for me and mine. The rest of the population be damned.’

Thanks Whee.