Amy L. Hoover - Mountain, Canyon, and Backcountry Flying

Mountain, Canyon, and Backcountry Flying
by Amy L. Hoover and R.K. Dick Williams

Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
7005 132nd Place SE
Newcastle, Washington 98059-3153

2019 Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.

See ASAs website at www.asa2fly.com/reader/mountain for the Reader Resources page containing additional information and updates relating to this book.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher, Amy L Hoover, and R.K. Dick Williams assume no responsibility for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

None of the material in this book supersedes any operational documents or procedures issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, aircraft and avionics manufacturers, flight schools, or the operators of aircraft.

ASA-MOUNTAIN-EB
ISBN 978-1-61954-742-1

Cover photo: Todd Huffman/Pipeline Digital Media, LLC

Dedication

James Larkin with his Waco UPF-7. (Photo courtesy Bev Larkin)

This book is dedicated to one of our personal heroes, the late James Larkin. Jims love for flying started as a young lad in 1927 when he got a ride with a passing barnstormer. He served as a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, including time in the Himalayas as a Curtiss C-46 pilot flying The Hump over western China and Burma, and ferrying Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and other aircraft to South America and all over the world. After the war, Jim flew the Idaho backcountry for Johnson Flying Service and later formed his own company, Larkin Air. Jim used his Cunningham Hall PT-6F freighter to haul supplies, deliver mail and medical supplies, support backcountry ranches, and launch rescue operations for downed pilots, logging thousands of hours on wheels and skis in all kinds of conditions. He was a Designated Pilot Examiner for the venerable Ford Trimotor.

As an airline transport pilot (ATP) rated in more than two-dozen fixed-wing types as well as helicopters, Jims 67 years of flight experience made him one of the most experienced backcountry pilots of all time. He flew for the U.S. Forest Service and still holds the all-time longevity record (31 years) as a card-carrying smokejumper pilot. Jim later served as Director of Region 4 of Air Operations for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Even after retirement, Jim continued to fly the backcountry and could often be spotted helping carry supplies and people into ranches or giving flight instruction to aspiring mountain pilots. Some of our favorite memories of Jim include his time flying Harrahs Middle Fork Lodge de Havilland Twin Otter with Dick Williams and his time as the premier flight instructor for Amy Hoovers mountain and canyon flying school in McCall, Idaho.

The de Havilland Twin Otter Jim Larkin flew with author Dick Williams. (Photo by R.K. "Dick" Williams)

Jim received numerous awards, including 2 Million Miles of Non-Accident Safe Flying; the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award; FAA Safe Pilot Award; and induction into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame. Jim flew until the age of 84, shortly before his passing.

With all his vast experience, Jim could usually be seen attending aviation seminars and workshops, saying there is always more to learn. Our friend Jim was a master storyteller, and memories of his escapades live on through the vast knowledge, experience, and advice he gave about flying and life in general. A generous, humble, and thoughtful man, Jims attitude and sense of humor have been a source of constant inspiration, as is his memory.

Foreword

A confession: I love books. Several thousand of them rest on shelves throughout my home. Being intimately familiar with nearly all of them, I feel as if they are my children. At least that explains why I occasionally point to one and say, Whos your daddy? Thats why I felt as if I had just adopted the brightest student on campus when I received a copy of Dr. Amy Hoover and R.K. Dick Williamss book, Mountain, Canyon, and Backcountry Flying.

In my opinion, all pilots should own a copy of this wonderful book, especially if they intend to fly anywhere beyond the borders of Florida. Think about it: If the highest terrain in the state is 345 feet MSL, you dont need to know about mountains, only molehills. Unfortunately, more than a few flatlander pilots have run their ships aground on craggy mountain slopes while unintentionally installing authentic, life-size, pine cone air fresheners in their cockpits. This should be a warning to any pilot who believes that a subscription to Field & Stream is sufficient education to set off on a flying adventure into the backcountry. Its not.

The honest truth is that the steepness of the terrain often reveals the shallowness of ones backcountry flying knowledge. While its who you know that determines your success in business, its what you know that ensures your safety in the mountains. Safety, however, shouldnt be the only reason to inspire deeper and practical knowledge in this area. The fact is that you wont have that much fun during your backcountry flying adventure unless you know how to behave properly in, near, and around that terrain. Herein lies the great value of Mountain, Canyon, and Backcountry Flying.

Packed with more general and specific knowledge than Ive seen in most educational books, this volume can rightly be called the babushka doll of practical ideas on backcountry flying: Its like one practical idea reveals another useful tool, tip, and technique. Within these pages, youll find valuable information on backcountry pre-flighting, flight planning, navigation, terrain-specific meteorology, emergency operations, approaches, landings, departures, and much more. Without a doubt, it will be the recognized source for backcountry operations for years to come.

There were two things, however, that took this book over the top for me. First, I love axioms and rules of thumb. Despite being general in nature, they are concentrated bits of wisdom that help train our intuition and confirm our performance calculations. For example, one of Amys Axioms (which are sprinkled throughout the book) is: If the rocks and trees are your enemies, keep them close! While your untrained intuition might suggest staying as far away from the terrain as possible, certain situations require snuggling up to the side of a mountain or canyon. While its not possible to mention all the fantastic rules in this book, rest assured you wont be opposed to using these rules of thumb.

Then there is the other feature that allows this volume to pack a punch beyond the weight class of most educational books. Im speaking of its many educational, entertaining, and sometimes eyebrow-raising first-hand stories about backcountry flying. What a wonderful treasure this is for any pilot who wants to identify the physical risks and psychological traps of mountain and canyon operations. Read even a few of Amys and Dicks sidebar storiessome personal, some about others, some by othersand youll profit as if you were flying an airplane with a slow-running Hobbs meter. Go? No go? Commit? Abort? Fail to plan properly? Didnt see that coming? These are just a few of the many themes covered by these educational stories.