AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2021 - 20

WAYPOINTS
Hitting the slopes
A versatile fleet exploring the mountains
BY THOMAS B. HAINES / Editor in Chief
EVEN WITH TWO OF US ON BOARD and a good load of fuel, the little
CubCrafters NX Cub leapt off the grass runway at Driggs, Idaho,
elevation 6,200 feet. Soon we snuggled up next to a Cessna 185 in
which senior photographer Chris Rose was sitting cross-legged
on the floor next to where the co-pilot's door should have been.
He was happy in his perch, his camera framing the NXCub against
the Grand Teton Mountains.
Later I plunked the strange looking nosewheel " Cub " onto
the turf only to be remonstrated by Brad Damm, CubCrafters vice
president of sales and marketing. " Oh, no, " he chastened from the
back seat. " We're going to try that again and this time you're really
going to stomp on the brakes. " So away we went around the patch
again. This time I all but stood on the brakes as soon as the mains
touched. The fat nosegear slammed down, the airframe lurched
a little on the grass, and we stopped in probably 200 feet. " That's
more like it, " I heard from behind me. Introduced a couple of years
From our aerial machines, we saw vistas that only
a few generations of humans have ever witnessed,
but birds have been seeing for millennia.
ago after years of development, the nosegear Cub takes off shorter
and lands shorter than the tailwheel variant, according to Damm,
who predicts that within a couple of years it will outsell all the
tailwheel variants from CubCrafters.
My quick intro to NXCub flying was only the start of a remarkable
weekend of mountain flying for a small group of pilots exploring
the backcountry. It was mostly " backcountry-lite " as many of the
places we visited were accessible to most light GA airplanes-and
even to the Daher Kodiak turboprop that joined us the next day.
Over the couple of days, I flew or flew in a Cessna 185, an Aviat
Husky, and the Kodiak-in addition to the NXCub. We traversed
parts of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, spotting Old Faithful from
the air, Yellowstone Lake, the Tetons, and a big swath of the mountains
north of Yellowstone National Park.
Saturday morning a dozen airplanes landed at Nine Quarter
Circle Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana, for breakfast. The
ranch has numerous cabins and a grass runway, open to guests
20
AOPA PILOT / November 2021
with prior permission required for landing. The regular guests,
none of whom had flown in, stood along the split-rail fence and
watched excitedly as one after another of the airplanes plopped
onto the runway, which most days is " mowed " by grazing horses.
Watch where you step.
The ranch hands quickly had a full breakfast in front us.
What was most remarkable about the lineup of airplanes was
how diverse they were. We had a Flight Design CTLS light sport
airplane, a kitbuilt Glasair Sportsman, a couple of Aviat Huskys,
two Kitfoxes with turbocharged Rotax engines that performed
remarkably well at high density altitudes, a Cessna 180, three
Cessna 185s, a Piper Super Cub, and the Kodiak turboprop.
This unusual collection motored easily among the mountains
on the pristine weather days we were afforded, our airplanes proving
to be remarkable viewing platforms. In the hands of pilots
who knew the area well, we safely flew through passes and canyons
oohing and aahing at the wonder of nature and geology. One
really does feel insignificant, our time here but a nanosecond in
geologic time. From our aerial machines, we saw vistas that only
a few generations of humans have ever witnessed, but birds have
been seeing for millennia.
Although the temperatures were warmer than usual, the
winds were lighter than normal, allowing us plenty of flying
opportunities over the extended August weekend. No doubt about
it, mountain flying is alluring on days like that. But not all days
are like that. Winds, clouds, icing, and, of course, density altitude
can make many days not flyable at all. Winds in particular can
limit flying many days to only early mornings. By afternoon, turbulence
can suck all the fun out of flying in the lee of the ridges.
Every year, pilots lose airplanes and sometimes their lives
because they don't respect the limits of mountain flying.
Be smart if you go. Take a mountain flying course and then
fly with someone knowledgeable about the local terrain and
weather conditions. Sharing the experience with someone
else is half the fun and flying
with someone who knows
the ropes quells much of the
stress of flying among the
peaks and valleys.
thomas.haines@aopa.org
Editor in Chief TOM HAINES
has flown GA airplanes in 48
states and enjoys watching
the terrain unfold from the
left seat.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2021

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