About
There are books and web resources on using your plane to fly somewhere to get something to eat (the “$100 hamburger”), to golf, or to relax and see the sights. I’ve found very few resources over the years on using your plane for more adventurous activities. I think I know why too. When you consider the general population, there are not that many active pilots and there are not that many active adventurers. A book that targets the overlap of those two populations wouldn’t sell that many copies.
No matter, this is the Internet and I know (I hope) there are pilots out there that will find this and hopefully can use the information to put together some trips. One of the challenges in flying is the ground transportation, so I will usually mention how I get around once I’ve landed so someone else doesn’t have to do the research.
I am fortunate in that the work I do takes me all over the west coast to visit my clients – a wide variety of businesses. Some of these posts are business trips where the light was particularly nice for photos, or where I stopped on the way. Other posts are planned adventures with friends and family.
I have received great feedback on the trips, but what I’d really love is for someone to get inspired and take one of the trips in this blog. Then please tell me about it.
- Ney Grant
To contact me:
Hi Ney,
Great webpage! I’m a CFII up here in Oregon, and was especially interested in the section on flying to hot springs. I don’t see Sierraville listed. Not remote enough? You can’t beat the location – pretty valley, old lodge with wi-fi, and the hot springs are less than a 1/2 mile from the paved 3200ft airstrip.
I am planning on flying to the Alvord dry lake bed – never a x-wind! I’ll be interested to know if you go there or the hot creek NW of Denio.
Take care, Curtis
Thanks, Curtis, for the feedback. Yes, there is Sierraville and there is also one in Northeast CA that you can fly to, but they are commercial hot springs (I think) and I thought I should draw the line somewhere. I’ve flown to Sierraville, but have not visited the hot springs.
I do want to visit Alvord and got close one time but I wasn’t sure the surface was dry enough. Its on the list the next time I’m near there and its dry.
I love your site. I fly a ’67 U206B and am always looking for places to fly myself or my family. We have flown around the country and even camped at Oshkosh.
We are presently in Taiwan and hopefully they will loosen up their rules enough for me to fly here as well.
Thanks.
Jim
Jim,
Thank you! I sometimes wish I had a 206, what a great airplane. I may move over to one at some point when I no longer need the speed for business travel. Maybe I’ll see you out there when you return! – Ney
I’m on the final leg of getting my pilots’ license. I have one more long solo x country, then some night flying then the check ride. My whole reason for getting into flying was to use it to get to good fishing and hunting spots. I’m learning in my dad’s 170b…that’s right, a tail dragger. Haven’t ground looped it yet! I’ll bookmark your site for further use.
thanks
chris
Good luck! Go to http://www.backcountrypilots.org. There are a lot of guys with traildraggers that can point out some nice hunting and fishing spots.