Flight Training - May 2023 - 34

T
he backcountry is one of the most alluring realms of aviation. It requires
exceptional skill, usually an exceptional aircraft, and it can take you to truly
exceptional places. But it is also an environment unforgiving of mistakes
that requires additional preparation and training to be done safely. Here's a
primer on the backcountry, factors to consider, and how you can get started.
When you first think of the backcountry, you
might think of the jagged peaks of Alaska and the
glistening creeks of Idaho, and you'd be right, but
the backcountry is broader than that, and there's
almost certainly a backcountry-esque experience
somewhere near you.
One way to define the backcountry is to consider
how much information you as the pilot have
to provide for yourself. Think about it: At a busy
Class C airport, you'll know the current weather
and forecast, the runway conditions, when you're
cleared to take off and land, and how many maintenance
providers are on the field. There might even
be a crew car for you to use at the FBO, and if not,
a taxi is probably easy to find. In the backcountry,
you'll have to take care of all this yourself. Weather,
runway condition, maintenance, fuel, and even
cell service aren't givens in the backcountry. There
might not be any roads for a taxi.
To fly in the backcountry, you'll need an
airplane to suit the environment. Experienced
off-airport pilots often prefer fixed-gear, high
power to weight ratio aircraft, especially taildraggers,
which have good propeller clearance over
rough terrain. Professional backcountry pilots
also need their aircraft to haul a lot. Retractable
gear aircraft-with more moving parts that could
break-are rare in the backcountry, as are low wing,
low clearance aircraft. This leaves a pretty short
list. Cessna 180s and 185s, Cessna 206s, Piper Super
Cubs, CubCrafters Carbon Cubs, and Aviat Huskys
are favorites. The right pilot with the right energy
management can also enjoy the backcountry with
something like a Cessna 120, 140, 150, or 172.
Weather, which is always a huge factor in flying,
is even more of a factor in the backcountry. Mountain
weather is notoriously changeable, and on top
of that, many mountain strips don't have weather
reporting. You'll have to rely on limited weather
resources, pireps, and local knowledge to make
critical go/no-go decisions, although tools like
ADS-B and SiriusXM satellite weather will help.
Air density significantly affects aircraft performance
across the board, and most backcountry
flying takes place in high density altitude environments.
Density altitude is pressure altitude
corrected for nonstandard temperature, more
easily understood as the altitude where the aircraft
" thinks " that it is flying. Most backcountry flying
takes place in the summertime, and while the
elevation at your airfield might be 5,000 feet, the
density altitude could be thousands of feet higher,
and your cruise altitude even higher than that.
You'll need to factor density altitude into your flight
planning, and likely will need to fly in the early
morning when it is cooler.
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