Marble Creek, ID

Flying in the Idaho backcountry basing out of Sulphur Creek and flying to Marble airstrip, Cougar airstrip, Soldier Bar airstrip and Vines airstrip.

Kinda sporty

Landing at the the Cold Meadows backcountry airstrip in Idaho. From tail camera.

The clip was recorded in September 2019 during a backcountry tour in a Kitfox. I never intended to post it on Youtube, but finding only very few videos of Bernard and none showing an approach to RWY 17, I changed my mind.


The approach to Bernard is interesting due to steep rising terrain just north of the airstrip, which makes runway selection like a pick-your-poison situation.


The airport database makes it easy, though: Recommended landing RWY is 35 and RWY 17 for departure. However, there is also a note stating "go arounds on RWY 35 are not recommended" - which is obviously not great. Before the approach, the pilot has to define a decision point, after which the only option is to land. And if a decision is made to go around at that point, due to the narrow canyon it is situated in, a one-eighty may not be possible and the only way out is straight ahead through the canyon at a high pitch and with limited visibility..


Approaching RWY 17 requires an approach through the canyon, with the airstrip coming in sight very late. The biggest problem are the obstacles on short final, though. You can't be lower and you can't be slower, but you still carry too much energy. I suggest you add a healthy margin to your landing distance calculation, simply because you won't cross the threshold at screen height / normal approach speed. The good part though is that you can always perform a go around. With the Kitfox being a STOL aircraft with enough margin we decided to use RWY 17.


The video starts about 1.5 miles north of Bernard, already only 400' above the airstrip, which is way lower than necessary. That is mostly due to me being unfamiliar with the area, the airstrip, the airplane, basically everything and thus constantly operating under a high workload. It was my sixth day ever in a taildragger, and my second day flying in the mountains, and obviously the first time approaching Bernard. I would never have attempted this approach without an experienced instructor.


During short final I cleared the obstacles as closely as I dared to do, which was both very fun and also scary, but the subsequent dive to the ground increased my airspeed, leading to an extended flare. Touchdown was just about halfway down the airstrip and only a second away from a call to go around. Had I been more experienced/skilled I might have slipped it in, but this close to the ground you really need to know what you are doing.


All in all, I was pretty happy with my first approach to Bernard airstrip. It was a LOT to take in during my two days in the Idaho backcountry, with this approach being one of the most memorable ones - I can't wait to go back.

high altitude Idaho mountain airstrip
#Idahomountainflying

The camping cousins met up in Spokane, WA to fly into the Moose Creek Airstrip (USFS 1U1) inside Idaho's Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness, the third largest in the lower 48. Moose Creek Airstrip and Ranger Station, which sits at the convergence of Moose Creek and the Selway River, is an oasis inside this massive 1.3 million acre wilderness area. Andrew and I have been camping together since we were kids and take a trip or two together each year. This time around, I brought my son along for his first backcountry camping and fishing adventure. Although the fishing was slow, the trip was fantastic and definitely one for the books! Our cousin Andrew flew us in his Cessna 182q Skylane II with upgraded Airlgas landing gear, a three blade prop, and new engine. This "Suburban of the skies" allowed us to pack in some extra goodies like root beer and chicken. Caed and I used predominantly DIY camping/fishing gear and filmed the whole trip on an iPhone7 and GitUp Git2P action cam. Looking forward to the next adventure, gents!

PS: Obviously, chili peppers are not a cure for giardia or questionable berries. We were being facetious, folks.

Come along with me to the Idaho Backcountry. Today we adventure to Thomas Creek Airstrip and Cougar Ranch. They are absolute beautiful places where every pilot should try to fly there. The Idaho backcountry and the multitude of airstrips available are an absolute playground for pilots.

This is a multi series video. Thanks for coming along with me. If you missed Part 01, you can see it by clicking here:

https://youtu.be/zQny-cQGVvI

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The Music I use comes from: https://player.epidemicsound.com/

Cameras I use:

Airplane outside: Sony Action Cam FDR-X3000
Airplane inside: GoPro HERO 4 Silver - http://amzn.to/2l1Nhit

Ground shoots:
Iphone 6S
Gopro 4 Silver
Sony RX100 V

#Redfox #Kitfox #Bushplane #HighSierraFlyin #TrentPalmer #bushflying #StickRudder #KitfoxTraining #MavicPro #cirruslife

My first trip to Johnson Creek airstrip in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return (That is the actual name). Considered to be one of the best fly-in campgrounds in the US. Idaho has over 100 backcountry airstrips in beautiful remote areas. This flight was an amazing experience.

Landing at Mahoney Creek Airstrip in the Idaho Backcountry in a modified 1965 Cessna 182. Some of the modifications include larger tires, airglas nose fork, and a Stene Aviation Sportsman STOL kit.

The Instructor is a long time and very experienced backcountry instructor Jim Hudson and the Pilot is Tad Jones. This is not an instructional video. It is for entertainment purposes only. Always seek instruction from a certified flight instructor that is proficient in specific backcountry operations before attempting to operate an aircraft in the backcountry environment.