Wish me luck!

Bob Bement

Bob Bement

Pattern Altitude
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Jun 27, 2005
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Vale, Oregon
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Display name:
Bob Bement
I am going into Mackay Bar in the morning, and this will be my first time into this place. It is at 2000' elevation and is 1900' ft. long. It is on the bank of the main Salmon River. It is located about 25-30 miles upstream from Riggins, ID. This is a little video that someone else took of a down stream landing at Mackay Bar. Any suggestions? Bob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xli8EiEB_ZA
 
Uh,... take me with you! What time and where! :smilewinkgrin:

Wow, very challenging flying. Be safe, and take good video :D
 
Stay under gross and tithe 10%...
 
Rob Schaffer said:
Uh,... take me with you! What time and where! :smilewinkgrin:

Wow, very challenging flying. Be safe, and take good video :D
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Just meet me in front of the hangar between 7:30 and 8:00 MT. It is about 130 air miles from S49 to ID28. You can find it on AirNav.com under Dixie, ID. Mackay Bar Ranch ID 28. I should take about and hour and a few minutes. The weather looks good for the flight. Bob
 
Wow, challenging! You don't see that runway til short final... preparation to know right where it is and be on the money with config and speed are critical.

I can't wait to see your video! Hopefully it focuses outside and not on the inside of the window like this guy's one did. HAVE FUN!

P.S.--did Bob just find the next fly-in location? ;)
 
The trouble with this as a fly-in destination is that there is no Mountain Home close by. McCall is the closest and it is a far piece away. The Strip at Warren is on an old mine dredging pile and is at 5896 elevation. Not paved so all of the guys that couldn't land on grass at Gaston's would probably be out of luck. The road that comes from Dixie comes down the side of the canyon wall, and is a four wheel drive trail when it is open. I am all for it though. :D Bob
 
40 gallons of fuel, Early departure, and solo, meaning 750 undergross. I'd even take out the back seats and the extra oil. Tires at minimum specified pressure (biggest footprint).

I'd time both easterly pass and westerly pass, it obviously downslopes going downriver; the uphill landing to the east looks like a short dog leg on final at 65 mph.....with just BARELY enough room to maneuver. (T1-T2)/(T1+T2)*TAS = windspeed.

Yee Ha!
 
ah, if only I was flying there with ya and had my fly rod!

Have fun and fly safe,

Allan
 
I can wish you luck, Bob (and I do), but you have skill... and that's what matters most!
 
SCCutler said:
I can wish you luck, Bob (and I do), but you have skill... and that's what matters most!
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What Spike said. Man, I wish I were going to be along! :yes:

As for a future fly-in destination, Johnson Creek (3U2) is probably much more appropriate. It's still beautiful and challenging, but not quite as on the edge as Mackay Bar! It's around 3400 feet, slightly longer than Gaston's but VERY well-kept. Yes, it is higher (nearly 5000 MSL) and DA is a consideration, especially since instead of "the ridge" that we have at Gaston's, climbing out of 3U2 is a fairly long process with surrounding terrain 3-4,000 feet higher. It's also fairly close to McCall, so shuttling back and forth for fuel or to bring people in and out wouldn't be as tough.

In case you can't tell, I can't wait to go back! :yes:

web.jpg


(Hehe... I never get tired of posting that picture! I must have it in 10 threads by now!)
 
flyingcheesehead said:
As for a future fly-in destination, Johnson Creek (3U2) is probably much more appropriate. It's still beautiful and challenging, but not quite as on the edge as Mackay Bar!
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For the record, I was JOKING about it being a fly-in destination. That airport definitely requires a specific set of skills that most of us flat-landers don't have.


flyingcheesehead said:
In case you can't tell, I can't wait to go back! :yes:

(Hehe... I never get tired of posting that picture! I must have it in 10 threads by now!)
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I can't speak for everyone, but I never get tired of seeing you post it!!
 
Well, I made it in and out of Mackay Bar. It is a challenge. If you want you can look at Johnson Creek on there webcam. Johnson Creek airport webcam on google. I will try to post my landing but I didn't get the camera started on my takeoff so I will not have one. Bob
 
Well my advice was gonna be:

1) Go to the bathroom before you go
2) Take Video
3)Go early and go light.

But ya already left and returned without my advice:D
 
TangoWhiskey said:
For the record, I was JOKING about it being a fly-in destination. That airport definitely requires a specific set of skills that most of us flat-landers don't have.
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True, I'd want someone familiar along for the first trip going into Mackay. Johnson Creek, however, wouldn't be too bad! McCall is close enough for those who haven't had much or any mountain flying experience - Stay at 14,500 and as long as the winds aloft aren't too strong it's an easy ride to McCall. Then, we could shuttle those who don't want to land at Johnson Creek in from McCall, and/or maybe set up a group Mountain Canyon Flying seminar with Lori and her crew. :yes:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
True, I'd want someone familiar along for the first trip going into Mackay. Johnson Creek, however, wouldn't be too bad! McCall is close enough for those who haven't had much or any mountain flying experience - Stay at 14,500 and as long as the winds aloft aren't too strong it's an easy ride to McCall. Then, we could shuttle those who don't want to land at Johnson Creek in from McCall, and/or maybe set up a group Mountain Canyon Flying seminar with Lori and her crew. :yes:
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Even if this is just a once-every-3-or-5-years thing, we should do it!!!

What's the best time of year for this, weather-wise in the Idaho mountains?
 
Count me in for a shuttle driver. Did I tell you they have a webcam at Johnson Creek Airport. Try it you will like it. June is the best but they do have a lot of fly-ins there. Pilots use it as a home base and try out the other back country strips. Bob:smile:
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Even if this is just a once-every-3-or-5-years thing, we should do it!!!
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Yes, it would be seriously cool.

What's the best time of year for this, weather-wise in the Idaho mountains?
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Not entirely sure, but I would guess that late summer/early fall would work well. Maybe we could start at EdFred's fly-in and work our way through the wilds of the northern stretch of the US, take a couple of days to work our way out there... Hmmm. :) Hey, maybe we could stop in Hogeland, MT and pick Mark up on the way! :yes:
 
bbchien said:
Tires at minimum specified pressure (biggest footprint).
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I'm a bit curious as to why you'd want tires at minimum pressure. I would think this would extend the takeoff roll. Although, I suppose, it could shorten the landing roll.

Margins are too tight for me if I'm adjusting tire pressure between a landing and a takeoff at an airport :)
 
jesse said:
I'm a bit curious as to why you'd want tires at minimum pressure. I would think this would extend the takeoff roll. Although, I suppose, it could shorten the landing roll.

Margins are too tight for me if I'm adjusting tire pressure between a landing and a takeoff at an airport :)
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The tire pressure almost exactly equals the pounds per square foot on the tire's interface with the ground. Lower pressure spreads the load out over a greater surface area which means you sink in less if the runway surface is soft. Think of the difference between pushing a shopping cart with 1" wheels across a muddy runway vs pushing the same load supported by 6 inch wide tires. The same relationship between internal and external tire pressure is why higher tire pressures can go faster through standing water before hydroplaning.
 
gismo said:
The tire pressure almost exactly equals the pounds per square foot on the tire's interface with the ground. Lower pressure spreads the load out over a greater surface area which means you sink in less if the runway surface is soft. Think of the difference between pushing a shopping cart with 1" wheels across a muddy runway vs pushing the same load supported by 6 inch wide tires. The same relationship between internal and external tire pressure is why higher tire pressures can go faster through standing water before hydroplaning.
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Sure, but if the runway isn't soft, you're extending the takeoff roll. It seems to me like dropping tire pressure would be more of a soft field adjustment than a short field adjustment.
 
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