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View Poll Results: 2015 Kitfox Factory Fly-In at McCall or Homedale?

Voters
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  • McCall ID

    22 56.41%
  • Homedale ID at the factory

    17 43.59%
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Thread: 2015 Factory Fly-in

  1. #91
    Rooster's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    Wow! Wow! Wow!
    You people don't realise how much those pictures mean to me, as I have just finished a book on Idaho back country flying by Dick Williams and another by Harold Dougal!

    It is stunning to see the airstrips that they write about in your photo's.

    And that sign "Salmon Air", made me relive the stories those pilots have written about......

    Thanks guys, and I wish we South Africans could join you lot for one of those fly-inns.

    Reid

  2. #92
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    looks like a good time. I had to make a decision based on safety. between here and there was very bad. Looked like a lot of smoke there. I followed the reports and at McCall was with a poor vis on Saturday and sunday looked real bad also. I been trying to fly around here with 5 mile vis and it is real tough. Last night at about 6 I went up and did some pattern stuff, it was 5 vis. I thought, I'll go out for a little run about 10 miles away. I was playing around and kept the tower for felts on. A super cub went up for pattern work and all of the sudden the tower told the super cub that the vis is going down. He set up for landing and I raced back. I do 120mph so I did make it back right after that, but 3 miles out it was like bad. Tower was concerned and I was talking to him. I had to use the gps and follow the river back, I could see that. I have 3000hrs out of this airport, it still scared me. I got lined up and when I was 1000 feet out I could see the runway real good, I told the tower, his response back was, I can't see the runway, I said, I can. landed and that was that. I didn't like it. The tower guy said it was like 2.5 to 3. to him. THis came up real fast, I think within 5 minutes at best.
    steve
    slyfox
    model IV 1200-flying
    912uls
    IVO medium in-flight
    RV7A-flying
    IO-360
    constant speed prop

  3. #93
    Administrator DesertFox4's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    Steve, I can sympathize with your visibility concerns. 3/4 of mine and Dan B's flight from Phoenix to Homedale was in like smoke and visibility. The back country strip flight was worse. Really couldn't have made the back country strips without Paul Leadabrand and Preston and Aaron and John McBean and Brandon leading small flights in and out. Really spooky at times with no horizon. I was happy I had synthetic vision on the IPad and the Stratus 2B. Dan had a Dynon and he and I had Aaron to keep us well. We had a blast and all but safety was upper most. I couldn't imagine trying to lead 8 or 9 aircraft in two gaggles as planned. Would not have been wise.
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    DesertFox4
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  4. #94
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    Quote Originally Posted by DesertFox4 View Post
    Steve, I can sympathize with your visibility concerns...... I couldn't imagine trying to lead 8 or 9 aircraft in two gaggles as planned. Would not have been wise.
    This pretty much says it all as far as my decision not to venture out. I had a wing man lined up but he wasn't able to complete some work on his airplane. I would have felt much more comfortable with another set of eyes, ears and brains to help evaluate what we were doing.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  5. #95
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    I myself ain't gonna fly unless I can see and respond on my own.
    steve
    slyfox
    model IV 1200-flying
    912uls
    IVO medium in-flight
    RV7A-flying
    IO-360
    constant speed prop

  6. #96
    Administrator DesertFox4's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    We could always see about 3 airplanes ahead with good spacing and could see down so small gaggles were ok with experienced leaders who by the way knew exactly where they were at all times. You had forward visibility even in the worst smoke and could see the mountains , but some would not feel comfortable in this situation I understand.

    My advice to those thinking of Idaho back country adventures. Get some training from the experts in this type of flying if you've never flown there before regardless of how many hours you have in the log book.


    DesertFox4
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  7. #97
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    I fly in the mountains all the time, taken several mountain classes. the biggest thing I've always been told is make sure there is good visibility and no winds over 15 kts.
    steve
    slyfox
    model IV 1200-flying
    912uls
    IVO medium in-flight
    RV7A-flying
    IO-360
    constant speed prop

  8. #98
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    To make clear the safety of this flyout, we were all on our own in small groups of 2 or 3, no official leadership or encouragement to go by the Kitfox people. I was with Scott and Doug who had been here in the backcountry before. There was safe spacing between the groups. We had about 3 miles visibility at all times and could see the ground and canyon walls to the sides and the planes in our small group. A canyon wall coming up was easily seen in plenty of time to maneuver (the climb rate and maneuverability of the Kitfox really gives a great safety margin here). Most of us also had GPS moving maps as a backup for terrain reference and elevations around us. The only thing I found somewhat stressful was the lack at times of a defined horizon ahead, but by frequent reference to my attitude indicator it was no problem to keep wings level, along with constant reference to the ground.

    This is just my take on the flyout as a relatively new 400 hr pilot and certainly no expert on the subject. I found it to be a valuable experience and a lot of fun and at no time felt unsafe.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  9. #99

  10. #100
    Senior Member DanB's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2015 Factory Fly-in

    Great pics Doc!
    Dan B
    Mesa, AZ

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