AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 73

THIS SKIPLANE has

landed, turned around,
and stopped, facing
downhill, to facilitate its
next operation: a glacier takeoff. Stan Steck,
with a turbine Otter, is a
veteran glacier pilot.

Landing on a glacier

'Even if it's downwind, you're landing uphill'
A pilot approaching a glacier
should know something about it
ahead of time, said veteran glacier pilot Stan Steck. "We know
the elevation of the snow on
top of the ice, within a few feet,
and there are landmarks that we
will use to help us as key parts
of the approach," he said. The
landmarks will help the pilot set
up for a stabilized approach, and
they make the long, stabilized
approach easier.
"Because many of our locations are one way in and one
way out, we have to have a
go-around point chosen ahead
of time." If a pilot continues, it's
because he or she sees something on the snow-whether
it's runway markers, another
airplane, or even people-that
helps in determining where the
surface is, he said. "You have to
have the landing zone acquired
before you get to that abort
point," otherwise, you'll break it
off and try another approach, or
go elsewhere, Steck said.
"Then, since our landing zones
are fairly short, we have to be
on speed and on target choosing a touchdown spot, because

our field may not be very flat.
It may have some rollers in it
that are caused by crevasses
that are covered with some
very thick snow bridges-but
they'll still droop."
Steck said it's hard to
get used to the illusion that
you're way too high-and
it's always going to look
that way, because you're
landing uphill. "Even if it's
downwind, you're landing uphill. It may not be a
constant slope-it can have
several different angles to
it." In flat-light conditions,
it's harder to acquire the

landing zone, "and we have to
adhere to that abort point."
Keep moving after you touch
down. "You're going to slow
down pretty quickly, but you
don't want to stop while going
uphill, because that makes it
much more difficult. So you carry
some speed after the touchdown, into a turnaround," he said.
The next challenge is the friction of the skis on the ice crystals, which can heat your ski to
the point that when you come
to a stop, you get stuck to the
snow. "It's easy to get glued to
the snow," he said. "We'll stop,
just for a few seconds, and go
again; stop for a few seconds,
and go again; until we stop.
What we're doing with these
progressive stops is cooling
the ski down so we don't glue
ourselves down to the ice.
"We shut down pointing
downhill, so that we can configure for takeoff and get ourselves going," Steck said. After
unloading climbers, or unloading and reboarding sightseers,
the downhill takeoff is slightly
less demanding-and even
more exhilarating.
-MC

www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 73



http://www.aopa.org/pilot

AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018

Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 10
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 12
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 16A
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 17A
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 22
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 28
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 32
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 38
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 92
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 100
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 102
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 104
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 107
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 112
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 113
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 114
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 115
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 116
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 117
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 118
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201103_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201011demo
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot0308
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com