Weekend Utah

[ElyJs]

I took this video and a few pictures flying into this canyon in Utah. They actually fly the river shuttles for cataract canyon here. When the camera lowers a little bit its because we got a little loose is soft sand. I know one company that is looking for a pilots to do this type of flying but they are looking for a little higher time. I don't think VFR 135 mins would cut it because such a small company gets it rate based on the lowest time pilot.

I heard the story at the local airport that a plane crashed off the departure of this runway about a month ago. Something about crazy winds and high DAs (3900 MSL 100 degrees) does not equal good. He crashed into about 2 feet of river and was able to walk to shore. The cliff in the background looks intimidating but you just turn right down the river and follow it out. The runway is soft in a few spots but not horrible. Great chance to put all of those soft field techniques to use.

[sdfcvoh]

Now THAT is what I call a wide runway!



Great video - and you took your dog! How many times have you taken your dog up? Must be a pretty mellow golden.

[Crism]

Nice video. Sounded like you were dropping bombs in Iraq and when you landed the gear fell off! Not a bad landing, but just the sound is that it sounded like.

[bLizZuE]

Man I wanna do that!

[MikeBurbank]

I love the dog! all that drama and then you land on a surface that should have shred the tires and the dog was just hanging out bored.. haha

[ElyJs]

Tucker and I have flown from coast to coast in a 172. I have "mutt muffs" that I give to him if we are going to be flying for a long time. He does pretty well unless its really turbulent, mostly he just sleeps in the back. I was flying through Kentucky once on flight following and told center that I had to divert to one of the nearby airports. I guess I shouldn't have used the word divert because he immediately came back "is there something wrong? what can
I do to help?" I told him no problem but the dog in the back really needs to used the bathroom! He says "always nice to have some one along". If he needs to use the bathroom or anything he just puts his head in my shoulder and will bug me until we get down.

I am really falling in love with backcountry type of flying. I love flying VFR into challenging strips in single engine pistons. I may hold off on airlines for a while and find a gig doing the type of flying I want to do. Flying into strips like that for 70 hours a month would be amazing to me! You generally get paid faily well as a bush pilot and you are home everynight. I just hate to think that if I get stuck doing that for 5-10 years where does that leave my pilot career? I would have 5000 hours of piston single time worth very little in the grand scheme. Any thoughts?

-Jason

[aloft]

That looked unsafe as hell.

[MikeBurbank]

Thats dangerous stuff brother - if you decide to do that 70 hours a month, you got bigger problems than getting multi-time. You better think about that. Whatever you decide - good luck!

[ElyJs]

I tend to look at it like a calculated risk. There is much more risk than landing at your average paved municipal airport. I fly down the strip once fairly low to check for any new obstructions. There is actually quite a bit of wing clearance so the major variable is what the strip condition is. It is plenty long at over 2,200 feet. Slow approach and touch down at stall roll out add a little power to keep her moving. BTW 207's filled with paying customers land here all of the time.

There is always a certain amount of risk when you step in an airplane, and gaining valuable experience can sometimes be a catch 22. We all do our best to learn from the mistakes other pilots have made but sometimes we just need to do it to actually gain the experience. Problem is without actually doing it you really don't have the experience. A CFI can teach you the fundamentals, technique and get you through the first few scary hours but ultimately you are the PIC making your own judgements. The level of risk I am willing to take may vary with the experiences that I have had and the type of person I am, but everybody is different. I have a ton to learn about backcountry type flying and proud to say this is my most exciting strip yet (hence the video). My blood was pumping but I felt it was well executed. I resent being call unsafe.

-Jason

[SkyCougar]

Love the Dog! Where in Utah was that?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by aloft

That looked unsafe as hell.

What? He had to add power to get to the end of the strip. . . That'd be a bush pilots' dream in Alaska!

[fly22]

Looks like the strip where I keep my plane only no antelope.

[PilotBeckfizzle]

Great video, good flyin. Anywhere near Moab?

[Swen]

Very good share! Sweet deal!

It sounds like you were very prepared and knew what you were doing. Nice work.

[ElyJs]

Mineral Canyon, Utah

[SmoothLanderJ]

That looked pretty cool and......I also love the dog.....just cool and calm.......

[Pilatapus]

AHHH, the memories. Only landed at Mineral Bottom a couple times because the strip was closed to commercial ops for some kind of bird study. Flew over it many times on the way to Hite (UT03) in a 206/207 or 182 to pick up the rafters off the river. I hope you flew over Upheaval Dome and the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers just a little ways downstream.

It's a beautiful area down there and I miss it every time I have to go over it instead of being down at 500-1000 AGL. It's the scorching heat this time of year that I don't miss so much. That and the 6 on 1 off schedule. It was still a lot of fun, challanging flying. Thanks for reminding me of that area.

[skidz]

Was that the stall warning going off for the whole time as you descended? That would make me nervous a bit. Seems that your passenger was pretty happy after you landed It looks like a cool thing to do, you can still do it occasionaly even if you work for airlines, what's stopping you?
I don't think I could do it for a living though, too dicey.

[ElyJs]

The stall warning was starting to make a little noise. That was not a full stall landing and the warning was never going full blast. I have flown that plane enough that I know how it stalls very well. It makes certain noises and the controls feel a certain way. For those that say that a 172 is hard to fully spin I will post a video in the next few days showing how it can easily be done for as long as you want.

-Jason