MU-2 into mountain grass strip.

stratobee

stratobee

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stratobee
MU-2's are too cool! Here's one going into Johnson Creek in the Idaho mountains. It's a 3500ft grass field at 5000ft elevation, very smooth. I was there a few years ago in my twin Commander for the Backcountry fly-in (I was the only twin there), and we had a blast. Highly recommend the place. Such a beautiful part of America.

BTW, having done the measurements on the map when I did my takeoff there, I estimate his takeoff roll to be about 2000ft. Not bad for a 10,000lbs twin with tiny wings!

 
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So you don't need a cub with giant wheels to land there... Hilarious.
 
Henning said:
If he has -10 engines he also has over 2000hp
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I was just at Johnson Creek last week before the Super Cub fly in..

I will say Citation CJ III's can get in and out without any issues...;););)
 
I may have to stop there on my way to Alaska.
 
N801BH said:
You should.....

It is PARADISE.........

Free camping..
Free firewood..
Free Hot showers...

Free Wi Fi.

etc,etc etc...
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What's the overnight limit? Once I get there, if I'm comfy I may just stay until I'm horizontal - as in, permanently.:D
 
docmirror said:
What's the overnight limit? Once I get there, if I'm comfy I may just stay until I'm horizontal - as in, permanently.:D
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No limit,,, Altho the bears do come out in late Oct and bulk up for winter..;);)..

Just change your name to Tim Treadwell... AKA, "Tim Bearscat":yikes::eek:...:redface:
 
N801BH said:
No limit,,, Altho the bears do come out in late Oct and bulk up for winter..;);)..
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Bears,, pfffft.

I went to a Lakers game one night on a bicycle wearing a big green Celtics hat. Bears -- yawn. :lol::lol:
 
N801BH said:
No limit,,, Altho the bears do come out in late Oct and bulk up for winter..;);)..

Just change your name to Tim Treadwell... AKA, "Tim Bearscat":yikes::eek:...:redface:
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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

That is a pretty runway. I have never landed on grass. Plenty of gravel/sand runways and beaches though.
 
The rice burner just looks so unstable during the rollout.
 
And the beta on the non free spinning TPE331s sure does have a bite to it too.

Honest that's one smooth strip, almost doesn't even qualify for backcountry if it wasn't for the hills.
 
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James331 said:
And the beta on the non free spinning TPE331s sure does have a bite to it too.

Honest that's one smooth strip, almost doesn't even qualify for backcountry if it wasn't for the hills.
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And I doubt that they would try to land that plane on a true backcountry strip.

I've landed on a few grass strips as well as on lakes but I would not consider any of it backcountry flying. Some day though....
 
This video just reminded me that Idaho (and MT, UT, WY, NV, & OR) has some amazing USFS airstrips. Johnson Creek, 3U2, is one such strip, classified by USFS as Category 4 mountain/remote. But the thing I wonder about is whether the FS dispatch office there enforces the experience and check-out requirements in the document linked above (which is now 15 years old), to wit:


CATEGORIES​
A. Category 1. These are major airports that have paved, lighted, multiple runways served by FAA approved instrument approach procedure(s). These airports are generally limited by their weight​
bearing capacity.​
B. Category 2. These airports generally serve small communities. They are equipped with at least one paved, lighted runway and services vary.​
C. Category 3. These are airfields with limited or no services. They may be unpaved, unlighted, and seasonally maintained. They are located either on Federal, State, County, Municipal, or Private land. Use approval must be obtained from the appropriate NF dispatch office.​
D. Category 4. These are mountain/remote airstrips and are restricted by the FS to day VFR flight only. Use authorization must be obtained from the appropriate NF dispatch office. Pilots must have an endorsement on their Pilot Qualification Card and meet specific currency requirements.​
PILOT REQUIREMENTS (Category 4)​
A. Initial:​
1. Minimum of 200-hours pilot experience in typical terrain and density altitudes; and​
takeoffs/landings into mountain/remote airstrips.​
2. Pass an initial mountain/remote airstrip flight check performed by a FS Inspector Pilot.​
B. Currency: Pilots must complete a minimum of 5-takeoffs/landings at 2-different FS classified Category 4 airstrips in the preceding 12-months. Pilots are restricted from operating at Category 4 airstrips, which they have not landed at within the preceding 12-months.​
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What is a pilot qualification card? Is the USFS maintaining a parallel flight standards/check-ride system?

Pretty difficult for most people to maintain that kind of currency at specific fields.
 
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petrolero said:
This video just reminded me that Idaho (and MT, UT, WY, NV, & OR) has some amazing USFS airstrips. Johnson Creek, 3U2, is one such strip, classified by USFS as Category 4 mountain/remote. But the thing I wonder about is whether the FS dispatch office there enforces the experience and check-out requirements in the document linked above (which is now 15 years old), to wit:

What is a pilot qualification card? Is the USFS maintaining a parallel flight standards/check-ride system?

Pretty difficult for most people to maintain that kind of currency at specific fields.
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Nobody that I know of has ever been checked there or any of the other strips. Perhaps it's just for internal forestry pilots?
 
stratobee said:
Nobody that I know of has ever been checked there or any of the other strips. Perhaps it's just for internal forestry pilots?
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N801BH said:
Yup...

It is a USFS add on...
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Good. I had never heard of this until I looked up Johnson Creek and found that document, which clearly states that it is for internal FS use only. So I will ignore it.
 
petrolero said:
Good. I had never heard of this until I looked up Johnson Creek and found that document, which clearly states that it is for internal FS use only. So I will ignore it.
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Looking at their recommended landing procedures (ie parallel the runway and make a U turn in the canyon onto downwind) it strikes me that a straight in would be safer.....

It also appears from Google Earth that departing 17 would be much safer than departing 35, but they recommend the opposite. I've never been there, however so maybe it looks different in person.
 
dans2992 said:
Looking at their recommended landing procedures (ie parallel the runway and make a U turn in the canyon onto downwind) it strikes me that a straight in would be safer.....

It also appears from Google Earth that departing 17 would be much safer than departing 35, but they recommend the opposite. I've never been there, however so maybe it looks different in person.
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There's the caretaker's/owners house at the departure end of 17 on a hill, right by the threshold. Therefore, almost all departures use 35 and land on 17. Just like the MU-2 did. There's also an extra 300ft to be had before threshold of 35 if you back right up to the hill, which could be useful for some aircraft.

When I landed there first time, I was very nervous. I took the long way around the village of Yellow Pine and came back up in the valley for a landing on 17 because I didn't know that I could safely turn within the canyon. Later on, after some practice in other canyons, I built up courage to do turn within the canyon. I learned a good lesson from landing at JC - know what your planes turning radius is. It can save your life in a jam.
 
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Those poor bastards on the flight line are surely deaf. That has to be the loudest bird ever made. The drome I used to fly out of had several based there. There was never a mistake as to who was firing up a plane when the props started turning.
 
pilot_dude said:
Those poor bastards on the flight line are surely deaf. That has to be the loudest bird ever made. The drome I used to fly out of had several based there. There was never a mistake as to who was firing up a plane when the props started turning.
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Listen to a P-180. You know a plane is loud when airports start banning it.
 
dans2992 said:
Looking at their recommended landing procedures (ie parallel the runway and make a U turn in the canyon onto downwind) it strikes me that a straight in would be safer.....

It also appears from Google Earth that departing 17 would be much safer than departing 35, but they recommend the opposite. I've never been there, however so maybe it looks different in person.
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The "old" pattern was to lose your altitude over the town and then just fly a final up the creek to the landing strip. Problem is you are blind to the strip for a bit of time on final, and can't see departing aircraft until you are both in the same area, same time.

2 (maybe 3-4?) years ago they had a mid-air at Johnson Creek, with one plane (if memory serves me) doing the old final, straight in, and another plane turning base to final. It was at the same group's fly-in that the video had.

The straight in approach at JC is not bad to fly, just the fact JC is probably the most used "back country" airport in Idaho results in tons of traffic. BCP usually has a big fly-in each year, and then one of the type-clubs usually reserves a weekend.
 
JoseCuervo said:
The "old" pattern was to lose your altitude over the town and then just fly a final up the creek to the landing strip. Problem is you are blind to the strip for a bit of time on final, and can't see departing aircraft until you are both in the same area, same time.

2 (maybe 3-4?) years ago they had a mid-air at Johnson Creek, with one plane (if memory serves me) doing the old final, straight in, and another plane turning base to final. It was at the same group's fly-in that the video had.

The straight in approach at JC is not bad to fly, just the fact JC is probably the most used "back country" airport in Idaho results in tons of traffic. BCP usually has a big fly-in each year, and then one of the type-clubs usually reserves a weekend.
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Personally I disagree with the "new" suggested pattern..... I think the old one where planes head for Yellowpine and then follow the canyon while hugging the right side and then sidestep to join final is FAR safer then having planes do the left downwind in the canyon. While those high wing planes decending to land have to bank sharply to the left will NOT see departing traffic... And that departing traffic is now told to shift right to be able to make a U turn in the same area landing planes are turning base to final... It is a recipe for disaster... IMHO

The conga line from Yellowpine is /was just like the conga line from Ripon to Fisk... A simple plan that works perfectly...:rolleyes:

Ps.. The mid air at the BCP fly in was caused by the Arrow doing a low pass and hit the other plane from behind.. Too bad the video of the entire sequence was pulled down because is was a great teaching lesson on what NOT to do....:sad::sad::sad::sad:
 
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