I flew my Maule (an MX7-180C) from Washington State to Maryland this past summer to see my kids and grandkids. That flight wound up being the basis for my Christmas card this year. I've got 145.5 hours on my plane so far this year. Between now and the end of the month I'll only get a couple of short, local flights in so my total hours won't change appreciably for the year. I take heart in the fact that tomorrow is the winter solstice and the days will start getting longer. That means it's time to start dreaming about spring flying destinations! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and/or Super Solstice to all!

Same to you, Flyhound! 145 hours! That’s a great accomplishment for purely private ops. Say hi if you’re ever buzzing the Great Lakes.

Happy Christmas or whatever you celebrate to everyone. Been a fun year, never enough flying but somewhere over 100 hours. Highlight was my beater cub with the doors off for two months.


The 170 is still as pretty as ever in my eye.


Yellowknife and HSF.

New Holstein Osh next year and maybe finally stop in to visit Zane.

But I have some work to do before then.

Merry Christmas all. T'was a good year. over 300hrs in the Air Tractor and close to 100 in the 206. And quite recently sold the 206, and bought a C210 and a Citabria. More to come on those on another thread once I pick the Citabria up in January. Excited for new adventures and having a TW for a fun plane again.

Merry Christmas BCP friends!

I can’t come close to A1s hours, but 150 is a decent year for me. Better yet was the Arctic trip this summer and plans to see the north end of Baffin Island next summer.

One unexpected outcome of my most recent Arctic trip took a big step forward today when I signed off on a deal to buy an experimental PA-12 in a really inconvenient location - but should be a blast getting it airworthy and moving it south next spring!

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to all the fellow BCP'ers!
My Christmas and birthday present to myself this year.

WWhunter wrote:Merry Christmas to all the fellow BCP'ers!
My Christmas and birthday present to myself this year.

IMG_2068.jpeg

Oooooo....an RV-8! Those things are seriously cool airplanes, good for you, and enjoy!

Wishing everyone here a very Merry Christmas and the best of everything in the New Year.

Merry Christmas from me too!!!!! My shop at the farm is coming along and is built so my 180 will fit. The door is a 42 ft Powerlift and insulated foam concrete walls and hot water heat in the floor.

Merry Christmas to all you backcountry gurus!

Very thankful for all the guidance and information received here on BackcountryPilot.org ! I’m blessed to be apart of this community!

Merry Christmas, everybody. And thank you for being part of this community, especially those who I seem to talk to daily or weekly. No Maule M-7 under the tree this morning but Santa’s gears are still turning.

Has a fun lunch with my youngest yesterday. T-shirt weather at 27°F. We skied to the island on our lake and set up camp, then boiled some ramen. I explained to her that my friends in Alaska do this with airplanes and THAT is actually the normal.

Very nice Zzz, day trip or an RON adventure.

WWhunter wrote:Merry Christmas to all the fellow BCP'ers!
My Christmas and birthday present to myself this year.

Dang, that's a LOT better than new socks! Someone really knows how to celebrate!

Mapleflt wrote:Very nice Zzz, day trip or an RON adventure.

Just a lunchtime trip. She wanted to overnight but we weren’t prepared. And it was Christmas Eve. And we could still see the house.

Zzz wrote:Merry Christmas, everybody. And thank you for being part of this community, especially those who I seem to talk to daily or weekly. No Maule M-7 under the tree this morning but Santa’s gears are still turning.

Has a fun lunch with my youngest yesterday. T-shirt weather at 27°F. We skied to the island on our lake and set up camp, then boiled some ramen. I explained to her that my friends in Alaska do this with airplanes and THAT is actually the normal.

Making VERY nice memories!!! Good for both of you!

Very sweet, ZZZ. This year in particular has driven home how great, and precious it is to have time with those we love.

Merry Christmas.

Terry

Zzz wrote:

Mapleflt wrote:Very nice Zzz, day trip or an RON adventure.

Just a lunchtime trip. She wanted to overnight but we weren’t prepared. And it was Christmas Eve. And we could still see the house.

Looks like a great place for a hot chocolate or a steaming bowl of soup, well done Zzz.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A busy life in Montana, under the weather today, so a moment of reflection.

I wrote four articles for CPA this year, very difficult to do as I just simply don’t have time. I miss being active on here, it was once a big part of my life. I tried social media but it was a very painful experience.

Slowly working on Angel some, got rid of the antiquated instruments and hoping to put 6’s on the mains this year. That should help in the backcountry as well.



Took Santa up in the 182 for the school kids, he’s a pilot and 182 owner on here somewhere. Nice to have him as the manager at 32S now, big accomplishments already happening and improvements in the near future.



Aircraft Structural Repair is always a happening place. Lots of cool Cessna projects and the Hueys drop in as well. Plenty of tailboom work which isn’t nearly the riveting experience a fixed wing is.

To end the year, I made a little "side-country" flight through the Cascades on my way to top off my fuel tanks. Local 100LL fuel prices are pretty high, with the cheapest in the area at Anacortes at "just" $5.54/gallon. Lots of fuel stops in the Puget Sound area have avgas priced at over $7.00/gallon, so the fuel at 74S is a "bargain". Regardless of my whining about fuel prices, this is a spectacularly beautiful place to fly. All of the grass strips in the Cascade Mountains are closed for the winter, so no landings in this dreamscape, but flying past it remains a treat in the winter months. The low angled sun this time of year illuminates the snow capped peaks, but leaves the valleys below in shadow. That contrast just heightens the beauty in my eye.