I scared myself in Idaho.

**Clarification—The squawks I talk about in the video were not known until I debriefed this flight with myself. I WOULD NOT KNOWINGLY TAKE THESE SQUAWKS INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY. While this is a brand new airplane fresh out of Phase 1 flight test and a recent ADAHRS swap, I thought everything was “Code 1.” I was fat, dumb, & happy with a 900-1,000rpm idle. This trip really forced me to become intimate with these systems and I found areas I need to tweak on the trip. I apologize for not being more clear in the video. **

I am not a CFI and humbly offer up my hard lessons learned to you with the expectation that you keep the comments constructive and respectful.

Learning to fly in the backcountry is serious business and I know only enough to have a healthy respect for it. But I decided to try and bag Wilson Bar on my own and it almost bit me. Wilson Bar itself was fine—it was landing back at my friend's private sky park on the South Fork of the Salmon River just downstream from Mackay Bar. Here are some lessons learned:

1. Afternoon winds in the mountains are not kind.
2. STABILIZE THE APPROACH over Mackay Bar (modified straight in) and penetrate the confluence wings LEVEL.
3. CRM means using all available resources like your friends with radios on the ground to tell you what the winds are doing.
4. Fix the idle and bring it down from 1000 to 660rpm.
5. Consider landing opposite direction if winds support.
6. Recalibrate AOA warning.
7. Practice flying slower.
8. Practice flying even slower.

On a lighter note, the Backcoutry Bogey will be in the Continental Motors booth at Oshkosh Airventure 2024 I have 4 wristbands / passes to give away! Stay tuned for details on how to score them and visit us in a meetup!

For the full (FUN) Idaho backcountry episode:    • Bogey's First Idaho Adventure.  

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