Off Airport Clinic 2023
Three years ago, we put on our first Off Airport Clinic after being asked by many people if we would provide some training in Bush flying. If you're curious how it went, Geoff Oliver put together a great video highlighting the week and can be found below. We are now planning year number four and we're excited for another chance to share our passion for flying in the backcountry. This clinic will focus on intermediate/advanced level backcountry skills to include:
-Read terrain and make an assessment as to whether it is safe to land and takeoff from.
-Know exactly how long it will take you and your plane to get on and off the ground.
-Non standard approach and departures that are common to off airport flying
-Uphill landings
-Mountain flying
-One way strips
-One wheel landings
-Knowing where your plane will stall in any attitude at any weight with out using the airspeed indicator
The course will run from July 8-11, 2023. This course is for the pilot who is comfortable with their Maule and know their current limitations but are interested in refining their STOL skills and learning how to explore the backcountry. We will start with showing you some drills we still practice regularly that help improve our skill and feel of the aircraft. After that we will work on gravel bars, transitioning to mountain strips and continuing by introducing skills necessary for finding your own strips where no one has landed before. The drills we will be practicing will help you be able to feel when your plane is close to stalling regardless of your orientation to the horizon or your airspeed.
This course is not for most pilots. It is designed for those of you who are not just coordinated and skilled but also working hard every time you fly to improve your game. Individuals wanting to attend these clinics will have to provide their own bush plane with bush tires and be a licensed pilot with the skills mentioned below. Pilots will pay for their own fuel, oil and maintenance. This is specifically designed to focus on Maule flying. The following outline the minimum required skills.
1) Be able to touchdown in a 20x 20 foot box with minimal bounce
2) Be able to touchdown and get stopped within 500 feet with no wind on a standard day.
3) Be able to take off within 500 feet on a standard day with no wind.
Each Clinic is $3,500 to attend. Food is provided. We will base out of our home strip in Trapper Creek. Last year we camped out in the mountains one of the nights and had a blast. Bring your own camping gear if you would like to camp out.
-Read terrain and make an assessment as to whether it is safe to land and takeoff from.
-Know exactly how long it will take you and your plane to get on and off the ground.
-Non standard approach and departures that are common to off airport flying
-Uphill landings
-Mountain flying
-One way strips
-One wheel landings
-Knowing where your plane will stall in any attitude at any weight with out using the airspeed indicator
The course will run from July 8-11, 2023. This course is for the pilot who is comfortable with their Maule and know their current limitations but are interested in refining their STOL skills and learning how to explore the backcountry. We will start with showing you some drills we still practice regularly that help improve our skill and feel of the aircraft. After that we will work on gravel bars, transitioning to mountain strips and continuing by introducing skills necessary for finding your own strips where no one has landed before. The drills we will be practicing will help you be able to feel when your plane is close to stalling regardless of your orientation to the horizon or your airspeed.
This course is not for most pilots. It is designed for those of you who are not just coordinated and skilled but also working hard every time you fly to improve your game. Individuals wanting to attend these clinics will have to provide their own bush plane with bush tires and be a licensed pilot with the skills mentioned below. Pilots will pay for their own fuel, oil and maintenance. This is specifically designed to focus on Maule flying. The following outline the minimum required skills.
1) Be able to touchdown in a 20x 20 foot box with minimal bounce
2) Be able to touchdown and get stopped within 500 feet with no wind on a standard day.
3) Be able to take off within 500 feet on a standard day with no wind.
Each Clinic is $3,500 to attend. Food is provided. We will base out of our home strip in Trapper Creek. Last year we camped out in the mountains one of the nights and had a blast. Bring your own camping gear if you would like to camp out.