Backcountry Pilot

[Zzz]

Gary (Shortfielder) contacted me with this thread idea. In the same frame of mind as "Where Did You Fly Today?", but rather a "where would you fly if you had only one airport to visit for the rest of your days?" He probably thinks I'm so anal retentive that I'll remind him again to use paragraphs, so he doesn't even bother anymore, he just phones it in.

Anyway, great idea, Gary. If you post, make sure you provide an airport identifier and some description of the airport (photo is always nice) or a link to the Airnav or RunwayFinder pages.

For a lot of you this will be a toughy since you may have been all over God's green earth, but for me it's pretty easy to narrow it down to a couple. Since I'm sure someone else will expound on Johnson Creek, I'll go with what's in my backyard:

Powers State Airport, OR
Powers is a great sidecountry destination about 20 mi inland from the Oregon coast. The runway is in great condition and it's a very short hike into the small town of Powers. You can fish and swim in the Coquille river which is right next to the airport, and there is a ton of space to camp. It's a pretty basic intro to grass surfaced, no services airports.

[onceAndFutr_alaskaflyer offline]

OMG Zane

My favorite one I guess was Hite UT. Mainly because it involved some of the most interesting approaches and departures, a woman (of course) and some fabulous scenery. I don't have any of my own photos of it so I'll have to rely on airnav and Google Earth. Click on the airport icon. The nearby Dirty Devil airstrip was on the edge of my abilities and I'm glad I went in there on a cool fall day. But the camping was spectacular.

<iframe src='http://www.mymapsplus.com/script/embed.aspx?map=hite' width="500" height="650"; padding:0px; border:solid 1px black;' marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="1"scrolling="no"></iframe>



Now it is the Talkeetna village strip (as opposed to the state airport.) Which once again involves exciting takeoffs and landings, and a woman.

[qmdv offline]

My all time favorite is Punta San Francisquito. Here is a website that a fellow set up on this place. http://members.tripod.com/bobbyjones_3/

Been there a couple of times and it the absolute best. The snorkeling is great and there is nothing more fun than letting the air out of a fish with a sling. Oh darn, then you have to eat it.

Tim

[winger offline]

We went past Hite Utah this spring.
Utah has to be one of the coolest area's to explore.
The strip I'm most proud to walk away from was an AK glacier strip with rocks in the sand, with only 800's on a Skywagon, alone with some gear in the bagage to help hold the tail low. trim at the bottom,slow as possable

Good luck surviving all the great strips.

http://www.utahbackcountrypilots.org/airport_search.asp

[a64pilot offline]

Maybe Dog Island. http://www.airnav.com/airport/FA43 Why, because you get there either by airplane or boat, and there is nothing (almost) there unless you bring it with you. An old motel that is getting run down that We used to go to when I was a kid in the 60's is still there. Want to go out to eat? Take the plane to Carrabelle and call Julia Mae's, they will come get you or fly to Applachacola, same deal. You will have the beach to yourself, except for the island is overrun with raccoons that will eat anything you leave on the back porch of the motel. None of the doors on the motel lock, they never have. You pay by credit card over the phone, arrive and pick a room you like. Real laid back solitude, but don't expect fancy.

[shortfielder offline]

My favorite in Colo. is Hubbard(Gateway). Beautiful country to fly around, great resort with a great restaurant(serving all 3 meals and cocktails), and a good strip with camping or staying at the resort. Another good one is a strip about 20 north of Alamosa that has hot springs at the end of the runway. Near the alligator farm.

[shortfielder offline]

Cal Black, cheap gas and mogas. Dirty devil, Happy Canyon, Nokai Dome, all great places to camp with lots of strips around to play on. First 2 are a little warm during the summer. Also Monuement Valley, not really a backcountry strip, but a food place to fly to with pretty scenery and good food. And my Buddies place, Mexican Hat. More of the same but a true backcountry strip.

[OregonMaule offline]

Johnson Creek, Id. what you expect from a guy on his first summer of flying?

[a64pilot offline]

Johnson Creek, Id. what you expect from a guy on his first summer of flying?

Got to rub it in don't ya You don't know how lucky you are. It took me over 20 years to have my own airplane, never had a NEW one, and have never been to Johnson Creek. Well, they say good things come to those that wait, I'm just getting tired of waiting.

[OregonMaule offline]

Jody, you’re a funny guy. I do know how lucky I am. Every day we’re above the dirt is a great day. My planes not new. You’re the lucky guy. Getting to fly a turbine Thrush, Apache helicopters, and you own a Maule with a really cool nav system. Regards...Rob

[Superdave offline]

Vines, of coarse.

[hotrod180 offline]

Daybreak is one of my favorites- had some good times there. Not back country- back forty is more like it. But no blind canyons to fly up either!

Eric

[shortfielder offline]

Hey Eric Is that an actual strip or do you just like flying in the AM? Where is it? Thanks Gary

[hotrod180 offline]

It's a private farm-field type airstrip just a little ways north of Portland Oregon. Right on a river, has a swimming hole complete with rope swing, picnic tables, even an outhouse. The owners have been nice enough in years past to let people fly in and enjoy it. Haven't been in a few years, but hopefully nobody's been inconsiderate enough to screw it up for the rest of us. I was there a few years back when some non-local pilots did their best to do just that, couldn't believe the way they abused the owner's hospitality. Just takes a few pilots like that to give the rest of us a black eye.

Eric

[CAVU offline]

Zane, thanks for asking this delightful question. I thought it would be easy to answer, but about the best I can do is narrow it down to someplace in the mountains of Idaho. After that, it gets difficult. The best answer I can come up with is what my 5 year old says whenever I ask him what his favorite part of the day was when we've had a good adventure. His answer: "All of it."

CAVU