AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022 - 65

On hot days, the electronic sign will display the density altitude of Big Bear Airport to remind sea-level-based pilots
of the thin air; Mark Cole and the author ride a ski lift to one of Snow Summit's slopes; the airplane packed with
light but bulky gear for the day; enjoying a break in the sunshine at Snow Summit.
It's early enough that the GA traffic is light, and we mostly
hear airliners as we're transferred to each SoCal Approach sector.
Cole is at ease in the right seat with the quiet confidence
of a highly proficient flight instructor. He answers any question
I have quickly and thoroughly and never gets lost in the
GPS, knowing exactly where each press of a button or turn of a
knob will take him. He tells me how grateful he is to fly a technically
advanced aircraft, and how he
anticipates that it will help him in his
upcoming SkyWest training.
The visibility is unlimited, and
we can see from the Santa Monica
Mountains to the snowcapped
San Gabriel Mountains and south
toward San Diego until the coastline
dips in past Dana Point. We fly
right over Disneyland then angle
northeast toward San Bernardino,
pointing out to each other and Rose
every little GA airport along the way
(Fullerton, Flabob, Chino, and so on)
and telling brief stories of our visits
to them. Ahead of us, snow in the San
Bernardino Mountains looks meager,
and I really hope there's as much
snow in Big Bear as the resort's website
promised.
With an airport elevation of 6,572
Summit. We circle the resorts for a moment-we're early
enough that they aren't even open yet. The empty runs are
braided like clean white ribbons down the mountainside.
There's a chill in the air as Cole greases us in and we taxi to
transient, grinning that the first big step of the day is complete.
We quickly unload the airplane and head into the terminal. We
change into snow gear, and half an hour later, a shuttle arrives
to take us to Snow Summit, one of
the two resorts in town.
We head over to gear rental
Perfect timing
While we were never in a rush, timing
throughout the day was important. Here's
how it broke down hour by hour:
6:47 a.m.: Arrive at Sling Pilot Academy
7:34 a.m.: Start the engine and depart
TOA to L35
8:37 a.m.: Circle the resorts at Big Bear,
land 10 minutes later
10:36 a.m.: First lift of the day at
Snow Summit
12:47 p.m.: Burgers for lunch
2:31 p.m.: Depart Big Bear
feet, flying into Big Bear can be tricky
even on a cool winter day, and density
altitude's effect on our ground speed
and turning radius will factor into
the approach. The airport is located
in a valley surrounded by rising terrain
(like the resorts to the south
of the field) so any go arounds or
maneuvering in the pattern requires
a heightened awareness relative to the sea level fields of the LA
Basin. We're planning to land on Runway 8, which will allow
an approach over Big Bear Lake-preferred for superior terrain
clearance and noise abatement.
Cole clicks off the autopilot as we cross the ridge to the
south of Big Bear and are greeted, thankfully, with plentiful
snow on the north facing slopes of Bear Mountain and Snow
3:05 p.m.: Fly right over Disneyland on
our way back to TOA
3:20 p.m.: Check the surf at Bluff Cove
3:24 p.m.: Land at TOA, drive to Bluff Cove
4:15 p.m.: Walk down the trail, surf
5:31 p.m.: Watch the sunset
where I pick up skis, boots, poles, a
helmet, and my lift ticket for the day
(all pre-purchased online). Cole and
I shuffle over to the lift he's decided
we'll take and I'm filled with apprehension.
Now that we're here, I'm
more and more aware of just how
long it's been since I've skied.
There are times in life when you
can choose to have a bad time or
choose to laugh at how badly you're
failing at something. There are times
when you think gee, wouldn't it be
cool if a photographer was here to
capture this amazing and unique
moment of my life, and other times
when you think wow, I'm so glad no
one got a picture of that. All I can do
is laugh as Rose captures me falling
down Snow Summit on the easiest of
runs. As it turns out, skiing is not as
much like riding a bike as I'd anticipated,
and my basic knowledge of
" pizza to stop " and " french fry to go "
was not quite enough.
" When you said you were
a beginner, I didn't realize you
were that much of a beginner, " says Cole, who drags me to
the bunny hill while I internally curse Rose, who is goodnaturedly
enjoying my struggles from behind his lens. But
all I can do is smile and try again, and I do eventually have a
few enjoyable moments of not falling. Hey, a little humility is
good for everyone, and I am certainly feeling humbled by the
time I turn in my gear.
AOPA PILOT / July 2022
65

AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022

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