Johnson Creek News

Here's a document Aeronautics Division of Idaho Transportation Department ginned up to address the killer (literally) congestion that happens at Johnson Creek.

http://idahoaviation.com/images/news/JC SOP Revision 14-01.pdf

It's helpful in many ways, but few pilots will even know of its non-regulatory, no NOTAM existence. It does, unfortunately, bloviate what could be simple. You'll read about the "GAP" reporting point. It's utter nonsense since it's inches from Yellow Pine on an aeronautical scale. Yellow Pine is charted, it's commonly known and referenced, so just say you're at Yellow Pine or three miles downstream or north of Johnson Creek. Reporting "GAP" will lead to all sorts of head-scratching wonderment. Confusingly, Profile Gap is a well-known, frequently used reporting point only six miles north.

Since the milk-crate's out, ITD's reporting phraseology examples are excessively wordy. 122.9 is badly congested so make your position report brief, concise, accurate. Shouldn't take more than three seconds, and don't say "approximately" or "about"; are you lost?

And for us RVers, cease using "experimental". (Anywhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know about ATC.) "Experimental" is as useless and bone-headed as saying "standard" when you're piloting a spam can. Say your type, and maybe a color. That's useful.

Consider also, or instead, Garden Valley, Smiley Creek, and Cavanaugh Bay. Same amenities and RV-friendly surface as JC but without the hoards of bucket-listers.

John Siebold
Boise, ID

After the stories I heard last year about the crowds at Johnson Creek, I figured we had missed the opportunity to see the Idaho Back Country the way it should be. Then last week I spent a couple of days flying with the "Brand K" guys out of Boise, and did a day of back country training where we stopped at Garden Valley, Deadwood Reservoir, and a few other short and very cool strips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon - with breakfast at the Flying B. Restored my faith in the fact that there are still out-of-the-way places to find, if you have the right plane.

I'll be back up to the area, but Johnson Creek itself won't necessarily be the target....

I will be back

I flew into Johnson Creek last summer about 4-5 days after Osh. There were no more than 8 planes on the ramp the entire 4 days we were there. I think it was during the week.

It was my first time in and I was uncomfortable making the base and final as depicted on the map. It seemed kind of steep and I was worried about coming in too fast, but I am not a mountain flyer. I flew around the airport above the ridge line and studied it for a few laps. I entered the valley from the south, flew the downwind leg over the airport and continued along the the valley to the north and did a 180 over yellowpine. There was no other activity at the time so I flew the dog leg valley from Yellowpine and stated position reports alot as well as monitored the radio. If it was busy this would not have been a very good approach.

I am from Houston and turning towards a mountain was a bit intimidating. Judging how tight a circle you can safety turn inside a valley is not easy.

After watching some other planes and seeing this map I believe stating you are south of yellow pine entering the upwind for 17 would work and flying the pattern as shown.

If it was real crowded I would likely go to one of the others.

The facilites there are great and we will be back.

Calendar?

Does anyone have a comprehensive Calendar for Johnson Creek ? Or the best way to find out what is going on during an upcoming weekend? I have found events like the Cub fly in Jun 19-22 in random spots, but nothing consolidated. Is Idahoaviation.com the closest thing?

I know hitting it during an organized fly in is bad news and I want to try to get in there this summer sometime. Will probably try to fly in during the week, but still want to avoid the crowds as much as possible.

Thx

You'll find calendar info at idahoaviation.com. Since you ask, obviously you need to join. It's a worthwhile organization watching out for all aviation interests.

John Siebold

Idaho Pilots Assn

RV7ator said:

You'll find calendar info at idahoaviation.com. Since you ask, obviously you need to join. It's a worthwhile organization watching out for all aviation interests.

John Siebold

Click to expand...

Amen John,
As a Jurassic backcountry aficionado since 91" I recommend guys help themselves and the state by joining the Idaho Pilots assn. I also recommend exploring other than Johnson Creek. After 16 trips in my RV4 over 10 years I found several favorite haunts. Later, after becoming a member I gained a greater appreciation for how fragile the USFS strips very existence hangs in the balance. The strips besides JC get most of their maintenance from Pilots who "give back". My Visits now always include runway R&R (repair and refurbish) as a mandatory item during my stay.

Advice? Don't abuse the privilege, visit less frequented strips or go off season (Sept/May) . Get some instruction if you have never flown into the mountains or unprepared surfaces. Don't ruin it for the rest of us..

V/R
Smokey

I went to JC for my first time last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Learned a lot about flying in the mountains too. It helped a lot to have someone in our group who was experienced too. We plan to go again this June and have intentionally scheduled our trip to avoid the big fly-ins. This year the BCP is holding their fly-in somewhere else, and we've scheduled our small group to be there early in the week before the supercub event and be out of there before the crowds arrive.

Avoid the fly in dates

It is still a great place to hang out, just go during the week and NOT on the days of the big fly ins...

As for the new "suggested" pattern......

Personally, I am totally against it as it will lead to a mid air at the base to final turn. 90+% of the planes flying in there are highwings and the wing will hide any departing aircraft climbing steeply out to the north... A "conga" line starting at Yellowpine is alot safer IMHO... It works at OSH perfectly, just substitute Yelowpine for Ripon... Incoming planes form up and space themselves and then just hug the right side of the valley and sidestep during short final. Departing planes make a right offset on clearing the trees and by doing that there will be no conflict. IMHO.

Conga approach

That is pretty much how I landed my first time in.

n801bh said:

It is still a great place to hang out, just go during the week and NOT on the days of the big fly ins...

As for the new "suggested" pattern......

Personally, I am totally against it as it will lead to a mid air at the base to final turn. 90+% of the planes flying in there are highwings and the wing will hide any departing aircraft climbing steeply out to the north... A "conga" line starting at Yellowpine is alot safer IMHO... It works at OSH perfectly, just substitute Yelowpine for Ripon... Incoming planes form up and space themselves and then just hug the right side of the valley and sidestep during short final. Departing planes make a right offset on clearing the trees and by doing that there will be no conflict. IMHO.

Click to expand...

Herding cats...

I think an important point is being missed here.

The fact that Ripon approach works well has something to do with the procedures AND a lot to do with the CONSISTENCY. Expectations are clear and for the most part there aren't pilots who decide they know a better way in to Osh.

The ITD, div of aeronautics is the entity willing to step up and try to make these high density periods safer. I say let them coordinate. If the procedures doesn't include your favorite landmark, then call them up and discuss it, or get signatures and change their point of view rather than encourage it to be flown different on an online forum.

I've saved the PFD to my foreflight docs. If I want to brave the crowds again at Johnson creek, the ITD SOP is what I'll be referencing.