Five weeks of adventure with my Super 170

[170dreams]

Hello everybody, I've already posted elsewhere about my 5 week camping trip last year, but I thought I'd share some posts here too as this is the most comprehensive C170 platform. By the way, I've since listed my bird, details here: http://170bsale.com


September 7 was the day.

Almost exactly four years after I returned from my first trip across the eastern U.S., I took off from 28M to do what I had dreamed of doing since I was a kid: flying a 170 across the country and camping under the wing.

It was a very difficult four years, with Covid, a slowly dying O-300, and bills upon bills after we decided to upgrade to an O-360 and a new panel.

All that was forgotten when I pushed the throttle forward and the MT propeller, powered by 194 horses, pulled me and a fully loaded Whiskyblue, as I call my bird, into the morning sky.

Needless to say, I was a little nervous, scared: how would this brand-new-pilot-seat-forward machine behave on a longer trip, away from the support at home base?

Practically everyone I asked recommended that I spend a lot of my time in the West and get there as soon as possible, and who was I not to take that advice?

After waiting out a series of showers and thunderstorms in Pennsylvania, my first day ended in Upshur County, West Virginia, where a friendly fuel manager offered me a back room with a couch for the night.

[GAHorn]

It’s unfortunate that what, in the U.S. is known as “Basic Med”, is not recognized by the rest of the flying world. Since the aircraft has a U.S. registration…and therefore I presume you have a U.S. Airman’s Certificate (pilot license)… Basic Med would be a great solution for most age-related physical conditions (not knowing the details of your European Medical requirements and (due to privacy concerns how you might not meet those requirements.)

I suppose you could plan to spend the rest of your flying here in the U.S. and then be able to justify keeping your airplane…?

Best regards and Good Luck!

[voorheesh]

I am happy for you that you realized at least part of your dream and did so in a really nice Cessna 170. Since you brought up you medical dilemma, I have some advice, although don’t know your entire situation. (If it’s advice you don’t need, apologize in advance)

If you hold a US pilot certificate, based on a foreign license, you need to keep a current medical certificate from the issuing country unless that country does not consider a current medical as a requirement for their pilot certificate to remain valid. The FAA issues restricted pilot certificates to the holders of foreign licenses but these are only valid when accompanied by the foreign license which must remain effective for flying in the US. A US medical in this case does not count because it is not required by the foreign country.

If on the other hand, you hold an unrestricted US pilot certificate (US Test passed) and hold a valid US pilot medical, you can then operate a U.S. registered aircraft in the US and in a participating foreign country without meeting the medical certification requirements of that country. My understanding is that citizenship, is not a factor in this privilege which is based on ICAO reciprocal agreements. For example, you might be a citizen of Germany but fly a U.S. registered Cessna 170 here or in Germany using your US pilot and medical certificates. There are designated medical examiners, US authorized IAs, and US certificated instructors based in Europe. Your operations of US registered aircraft in a foreign country must meet both US and that country’s regulatory requirements. For example, annual inspections, ADs, flight reviews, etc. parts 43, 91, 61, 67, 39 all continue to apply. As do the country’s operating regs. This way, you could continue to own and fly your airplane in Europe.

BTW, I do not know for certain, but seriously doubt that Basic Med is valid for any flying outside of the US with possible exceptions of Canada and Mexico, due to its lacking ICAO recognition (unfortunately).

Again, I bring this advice in case you haven’t considered it and for the chance it may help you keep this airplane you have put so much into. You should independently verify my info. Best of luck whichever way you go and as someone in your general age vicinity, I know the feeling.

[GAHorn]

Thanks for clarifying that, Harlow!

[170dreams]

As the subject of flying N-registered aircraft in Europe is more complicated than it looks at first glance, I will leave it aside for the time being and continue with my trip report.


For the next two days patience was the keyword as my urge to head west as fast as possible was slowed down by excessive humidity.
It wasn't until 11 a.m. that the sun had dissipated the dense fog and lifted the low-hanging clouds enough for me to feel comfortable enough to take off.

In the afternoon I was able to enjoy the cloudscapes for a few hours before increasing shower activity forced me to make an early landing.

On day 4 I even had to retreat after an early start. Apparently the cloudbase hadn’t read the forecast and came down rather than going up.
I was getting squeezed between a lowering overcast and slowly rising terrain.

More patience!

Improvement came two hours later and I still made it to South Dakota.

Getting closer !!

[170dreams]

First goal achieved - I made it to Montana!

There are no mountains where I landed, but there is a huge hangar with room to spare for Whiskyblue and my tent, and a bar within walking distance with cold beer, huge hamburgers, and the local high school football stars for company.
Can anyone guess?
Yes, Winifred, MT, a village of less than 200 people and a football stadium with red AstroTurf that can be seen from miles away.

For a change, there were no low clouds or morning fog in SD, so I was able to get an early start.
After a stop for gas and lunch in Beach, ND, I arrived here in the afternoon.

Since the part of my trip that was supposed to get me to my destination quickly was now pretty much complete, I decided to relax a bit and stay two nights.
The extra time and a quiet ramp would also allow me to do the 25-hour oil change.

And the chats with the outfitter, who flew his Super Cub in the early morning and late afternoon scouting for the upcoming hunting season, were an added bonus.

[170dreams]

Anticipation was building when I taxied out for an early take off from Winifred.

So was my adrenalin level.

After all, this day was supposed to be the beginning of the backcountry part of my trip.
Well, the beginning of my backcountry-flying, that is.

I had an invitation to stop by at a private strip of a Skywagon owner north of Missoula and wanted to get there by mid-morning.

After a fuel stop in Choteau I climbed into an increasing headwind.
When I scanned the sky for the best route towards my destination, the clouds gave it away: wind and mountains = mountain wave!

Well, old (soaring-) habits never die: a bit of meandering and I had found a line along which the atmosphere added perfectly smooth 1000fpm to my climb rate.
Much of Nature’s gift I couldn’t use since cloud base on the upwind side of the range was around 10000ft and I was on “final glide” altitude already.

When I turned north along the Swan Mountains, looking up at Fisher Peak, I suddenly realized:
Can you believe it, I’m flying my Cessna 170 in the mountains of Montana!!!

[GAHorn]

Beautiful! Truly enjoying this journey.

Interesting your 170 has the original “shark-fin” heated pitot. That’s only the second one I’ve seen on a 170. DId you install that or was it already on the airplane when you acquired it?

[170dreams]

Thanks George!

The "shark-fin" heated pitot was already on it when I bought the plane.

[170dreams]

Exactly one week after leaving Cranland Airport, I took off for my first real flight into the backcountry.

We had briefed a flight of two to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, where my guide in his Skywagon would take me first to the Chinese Wall and then to Schafer Field.

I had never heard of a Great Wall of China in the U.S., let alone seen a picture of it.
Imagine my surprise when we turned the corner and I was faced with that gigantic rock face.

And then Schafer, the perfect spot for my first landing on a strip in the mountains.
Not only because it's easy to get into, but even more so for it's beauty.

It took only this flight of a bit over an hour to confirm that this was the part of the country where I wanted to spend a big chunk of time during my adventure.

[170dreams]

My boyhood dream of an adventure trip across the USA in a C170 was sparked by a book about ferrying one up to and flying in Alaska.
One day I would fly into the wilderness myself and land on small runways in the forest, I fantasized, because that seemed to me to be one of the greatest challenges and adventures of aviation.

And just now, more than sixty years later, I had landed without much difficulty on the strip at Schafer Meadow in the Great Bear Wilderness.
Ok, on this beautiful and calm day it was probably deceptively easy to land there, I thought.
Throw in a bit of a crosswind and the usual turbulence triggered by thermals, and it might well have been a different story.

So when my friend suggested that for a real wilderness experience I should camp at Meadow Creek (0S1) I felt a lot of apprehension.
After all, the notes for 0S1 on the RAF airfield guide advised: ”Recommended for experienced pilots..”

Perhaps I ought to be building some experiences at less challenging strips first and return to Meadow Creek later?

OTOH, I didn’t see much risk in flying over there and checking it out.
So that’s what I did.

During pass one I determined that the strip was in good condition, and pass two confirmed that the wind favored the recommended runway.
I decided to give it a try.
The approach was straightforward and - thanks to the excellent slow flight characteristics of the Cessna wing with the Sportsman cuff - the landing spot on.

Then I got out and looked around.

What a place!

My childhood fantasies had become reality!

[GAHorn]

I recall when, as a new pilot, I made my first attempts at landing on out-of-the-way remote strips…. and how exhilarating it was.

I look back upon some of those now….and realize how much I was tickling the tail of the dragon….or, more accurately, how the tree-leaves occasionally left streak-marks on the lower wing skins.



Fantastic Photographs, Wolf!

Keep the story going!

[170dreams]

I felt it for the first time at the campfire in Meadow Creek: my backcountry vibe.
This feeling of being far away from civilization (cell phone reception included), in solitude (which doesn't necessarily mean loneliness), surrounded by the beauty of nature.
It resonated even more strongly with me here because it was associated with flying to a place that is best, perhaps even exclusively, reached by airplane.

This was what I hoped to experience when I set out on my trip.

Now I was primed to get more of it.

I had made a list of places recommended on the RAF site (theraf.org) and on various fb-groups, but I wasn’t sure at all if those endorsements were based on a similar interpretation of the term “backcountry”.

Since Ryan Field, MT, was on top of that list, and closest to Meadow Creek, I headed there to find out.

I landed long, parked Whiskyblue and set off on foot to explore the place.

When I arrived at "center stage" I realized that I had indeed come to a different "backcountry".
Not better, not worse, just one with an entirely different vibe.

If you qualify Meadow Creek as backcountry version "wilderness", this could be the "country club" version... LOL, what with flush toilets, hot showers, wifi, sprinkler system on the lawn,...
The RAF has indeed done an outstanding job to make Ryan Field an attractive destination.

I was there off-season and only shared place and facilities with a couple who had flown in in a Husky.
We got together for dinner and had a wonderful conversation, something I much prefer to a big party.

They left the next morning and I spent my second night in one of the cabins.

Next stop?
Back to the "wilderness", I think.

[170dreams]

After two weeks of traveling, my morning pack-and-go routine was practically on autopilot.
Occasionally though, typically during preflight, my thoughts would wander and interfere: what if xxx gets damaged, stops working, breaks…., what could/should I do for preventive maintenance?

Almost 3000 miles away from home base, on my first extended cross country trip, it's probably normal for me to be a little nervous from time to time..
After all, I don’t have 10+ years of airplane ownership under my belt.

To alleviate some worries a friend of mine had provided me with some contacts just in case.
One of them was close enough to my planned route into Idaho that I decided to stop by: Stene Aviation in Polson, MT, home of the Sportsman STOL wing cuff.

Great decision!

Willie gave me a tour of Stene's large hangar and the airplanes they were working on, treated me to lunch, told me more stories from his life in aviation and gave me recommendations for places to visit.
Back at the shop he had his mechanic assist me with the oil change, and finally he himself cut up the oil filter, inspected it and gave the oil, and thus the engine, a clean bill of health.
Thanks Willie!!
One small worry to cross off the list before heading out into the Idaho backcountry.

First landing in Idaho: Moose Creek

[Joe Moilanen]

Hi there!
Moose Creek is one of my favorite spots to camp. I lived and grew up in Washington State and discovered the Idaho back country about 34 years ago in my '53 170B. I vowed that when I retired I'd move to Idaho. A year and a half ago I retired at the age of 65 and within one week I was living here in Idaho. I live just outside of Kooskia which is minutes from Moose Crk. I got lucky and found a 60 by 30 hangar for sale on Kooskia (S82) airport. It's a 1,900' grass strip. The hangar was built in the '40's but doesn't leak and I got it for 7K!! In 21 more days I'll have owned my 170 for 35 years. Still running 145 hp (0-300D) but have a Sportsman STOL and 8043 climb prop. Been in most of strips back here except for a few. Really enjoyed watching your adventures!

Joe
4518C