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Johnson Creek App and Landing

Great video.
I was hoping to do JC this year but the wife convinced me to take our other RV. Our Class A Motor Coach that is. We will at least be close as we'll be in McCall for a few days.
 
Very cool!

If all goes well / according to plan, I'll be landing there myself next Thursday in my RV-6 :D
 
texdog said:
Is it suitable for a RV6A?
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Many -A model owners have successfully landed there and posted pictures, YouTube videos, etc, so that would suggest that JC's runway is smooth enough for a nosedragger. Lots of RV-6's been there too, even with only 150hp O-320's and don't seem to have trouble with takeoffs as long as the prudent weight and density altitude rules are followed.
 
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Dang!

What a masterful approach and landing. I especially liked the water cannon salute on rollout.

From that approach, you looked like a real pro. Have you received any special training for mountain flying like this?
 
Steve Ashby said:
What a masterful approach and landing. I especially liked the water cannon salute on rollout.

From that approach, you looked like a real pro. Have you received any special training for mountain flying like this?
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Thanks for the compliment

A few factors:

A beautiful calm day - I have been in there before when the wind was kicking up a bit. If I filmed that day it wouldn't look as good.

First time in there I flew shotgun with Scott Schmidt in his 10. It really helps to go in there as an observer before you go in as a pilot, especially in the same make and model. Plus Scott is a great pilot.

I grew up flying in the mountains. Living in SLC I always had the mountains to contend with.
 
Very cool video

As you approached the valley that the airport is in, I noticed that you're not that high over the ground. I'm talking about at the beginning of the video before you turn to downwind. I don't have any mountain flying experience but I would have thought you would want to increase your distance from the terrain until you get over the valley where the airport is, then spiral down. I can see that you don't have much choice on the downwind but you can turn to safety towards the valley at that point in case of an engine failure, etc. You don't have many nice places to put down as you cross the mountains however. Are there any negatives (turbulence etc) in approaching at a higher altitude?

I plan to break out Sparky's book again soon.

Thanks.
 
bad idea, pretty tight in there view wise, can trick you. the way he did it is the best. I would also have the flaps all the way down on downwind, even if you need to decent on base you should be able to maintain 80kts, that's with a constant speed prop and all the way to idle.

I've been in there with my airplane (trike) with no problems. I will say if you take off in the morning before the sun hits the airfield you might end up with a bunch of dew. it likes to stick around and fog up the windscreen. my solution was to stay just off the runway and then pull up off the end pretty steep, than I got into the sun pretty quick and the dew that was built up on the inside dissapeared very quick. also the grass was pretty wet and held me back a little but the io360 overcome that one as well. nice field, I will say I've landed in much much rougher spots. this field is a panzy for a back field landing spot.
 
Health of the Trees

I enjoyed the video. Thanks

Many of the trees you flew over did not look very healthy. Was that an illusion, or is there some problem with the health of the forest? Anyone know?
 
Fires have taken a toll in that area. Also I don't know if Johnson creek has a Pine Beetle problem. but due to years of drought conditions, Beetles have ravaged millions of acres in the west.
 
Johnson Creek is RV-A friendly. Getting proper mountain flying instruction is Highly recommended from someone who knows what they are doing.

Another one to visit is Cavanaugh Bay (66S). It's more civilized than Johnson Creek. A bunch easier for the green mountian pilots. When I spoke with the caretaker this weekend he said they redid the runway a couple years ago, specifically due to requests by RV pilots.

It's a smooth RV friendly manicured strip. My landing Saturday morning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia2ZFz69BAo

9193f004411d328c40e15116662727d1_zpsb0e99224.jpg
 
+1 for Cavanaugh Bay. I want to get back up there soon.

JC is something to see but it's too dry for a Georgia boy there. I'm pretty sure if you stack the firewood just right it will light off with no external help.
 
Strasnuts said:
Brian, I will try to be at Smiley Creek the weekend of July 13th. Are you going?
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Not going to make Smiley. Hopefully we'll still be at the Oregon or Washington coast.

We have the 4th of July Fly-in here, then on July 6th I host the Big Sky Air Race here this year. Then it's Kris's choice for a weeklong vacation starting the 7th. If I'm lucky we'll get to fly to Arlington Fly-in as part of that get away. BUT I'm not in-charge of summer time this year. :D
 
hydroguy2 said:
Not going to make Smiley. Hopefully we'll still be at the Oregon or Washington coast.

We have the 4th of July Fly-in here, then on July 6th I host the Big Sky Air Race here this year. Then it's Kris's choice for a weeklong vacation starting the 7th. If I'm lucky we'll get to fly to Arlington Fly-in as part of that get away. BUT I'm not in-charge of summer time this year. :D
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I wish I could go to the Big Sky Air Race. I went the first year you had it and had a great time. I have to fly for work out of the country that week. I get back just in time to go to Smiley. Hopefully next year I'll make the race.
 
Yak52Driver said:
I can only imagine how the creek would have felt if the engine quit.
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Yeah, it might get a just a little upset at all the avgas and oil getting spilled into it from the wreckage. :p

In 8 more days, I'll get to experience for myself just how high the pattern really is. Watching these videos is now making my adrenaline pump as I imagine what it's going to be like landing my own plane there.
 
Yak52Driver said:
I can only imagine how the creek would have felt if the engine quit. :eek: Your pattern was way to low for me.
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I flew into Johnson Creek and several other backcountry strips when my friend took the Mountain Flying course out of McCall. We were in a 182 with the wheel pants off. The video looked exactly how we were instructed to fly the pattern. The canyon is not wide enough to do it any other way. You hug the side of the canyon, make your turn and drop in.

Johnson Creek is one of the easier strips they take you to in the mountain flying school. There is one strip on the Snake River that is REAL scary. We skipped that one! Jason Elam was in the course and flew his beautiful Beaver into places I wouldn't take my ATV.

This is where we went to the flying school. http://www.mountaincanyonflying.com/

The owner - Lori is great and the ground school is as good as the flying
 
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The most used approach into JC is to descend to pattern altitude-ish over the hamlet of Yellow Pine, approx 5 northwest. Then follow the canyon SE to a long final leg for a landing to the south.
 
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