Another guy living the dream...

http://www.timesreporter.com/communitie ... te-airport

Vick, The reporter left out the cool stuff.

1. The "Real Story" for Arth International Airport is that Dick lives totally off the grid. He has had natural gas wells for 40 years and gets all he wants for free. Everything is heated in the winter. His cars and trucks run on free natural gas. His tractors do too. One stationary John Deere has 30,000-40,000 hours running a generator. He has not paid an electric bill in at least 30 years! Rumor has it that C-150 will run on natural gas too when finished. I know he has some composite high pressure tanks up on that hill.

2. That strip is 50 feet higher on one end (actually in the last 500 feet it goes up 50 feet). We call it the "ski slope", and it is shown with Dick in this video: http://vimeo.com/3850798

3. At the bottom of the hill is Dick's nephew's 1700 foot strip, who keeps a 180 hp C172 there and it is shown at the beginning of the video below.

4. Across the interstate is the bowl we all play on in this video: http://vimeo.com/17314870

You forgot to mention his suspenders Patrol Guy. He has a sweet arsenal of suspenders and an uphill airplane paradise. Our first video was filmed there and I giggled like a school girl when you landed on the backside. I think that video isn't up anymore though.

patrol guy wrote:Vick, The reporter left out the cool stuff.

1. The "Real Story" for Arth International Airport is that Dick lives totally off the grid. He has had natural gas wells for 40 years and gets all he wants for free. Everything is heated in the winter. His cars and trucks run on free natural gas. His tractors do too. One stationary John Deere has 30,000-40,000 hours running a generator. He has not paid an electric bill in at least 30 years! Rumor has it that C-150 will run on natural gas too when finished. I know he has some composite high pressure tanks up on that hill.

2. That strip is 50 feet higher on one end (actually in the last 500 feet it goes up 50 feet). We call it the "ski slope", and it is shown with Dick in this video: http://vimeo.com/3850798

3. At the bottom of the hill is Dick's nephew's 1700 foot strip, who keeps a 180 hp C172 there and it is shown at the beginning of the video below.

4. Across the interstate is the bowl we all play on in this video: http://vimeo.com/17314870

I have a friend who's wife grew up on family property back east somewhere that had a natural gas well, free heat she said! It for sure sounds like Dick is making full use of a natural resource he is lucky enough to have on his property, what a great setup! I would love to fly in there and check it (the power system) out sometime, the airstrip sounds fun too. I have an upcoming flight coming up in the central Idaho mountains (not the Frank Church) and I know the strip/cabin does not have grid power, and as I will pretty much be barging in there (the owner requests you state your business via 122.9 before landing, don't stay long, and generally bring something to the table when you arrive) and I would be very surprised if he did not have some sort of renewable energy system, my working knowledge of same will be a great conversation starter. As I said last weekend to a Kitfox pilot outside of Island Park whose grass strip I flew into (and who had a wind/solar power system) " You want to talk airplanes or solar and wind power systems?" We of course ended up talking both!

patrol guy wrote:Vick, The reporter left out the cool stuff.

1. The "Real Story" for Arth International Airport is that Dick lives totally off the grid. He has had natural gas wells for 40 years and gets all he wants for free. Everything is heated in the winter. His cars and trucks run on free natural gas. His tractors do too. One stationary John Deere has 30,000-40,000 hours running a generator. He has not paid an electric bill in at least 30 years! Rumor has it that C-150 will run on natural gas too when finished. I know he has some composite high pressure tanks up on that hill.

In that case he really is living the dream - a few airplanes, your own strip to fly them off of, and an unlimited viable fuel source?? I think if I could wish for one thing in the world it would be an unlimited source of energy, every after that would be gravy.

Landing at Arth International last winter

WhyJohn calls it the Ski Jump

John and Greg... Did we land there last fall? That looks really familiar.

Zane, most likely did on the way back from breakfast. It is on the way. If Greg took you here, he would have put you on Fiesta Bowl across the road I would think??

No, that is Don Emslie's place. They do look alike from that angle. jg

you OH guys have WAY too much fun love the vids!

Zaniebaby, We totally went there and stuck "Everything Bagel" right next to that strip at Emslies. I think we call the one in the pic "The Wart"