Off-airport landings
Doing it on purpose
But as this is our “backcountry” issue, an off-airport landing is not only an OK thing, it can also be a fun thing—or a necessity. Whether you want to explore an area that has no airstrip in Idaho or a challenging site on a glacier in Alaska, planning ahead for an off-airport landing is crucial. Flying in the wilderness and landing without an airport is the very basics of flying; after all, the Wright brothers did not have an airport. And in places like the remote reaches of Alaska, not only are there no roads, there aren’t airports. But that does not mean it’s easy, and probably the best advice before you consider taking a trip into the wild is to be absolutely, positively good at landings on an airport. Nail that centerline, nail that glidespeed, nail that spot. With the popularity of STOL (short takeoff and landing) airplanes and competitions, we’ve become enamored with flying to out-of-the-way places. The airplanes have big tires, heavy-duty landing gear and shocks, oversize propellers and flaps—modifications that are designed to make it safer to explore the backcountry. But before you go, receive specialized training and be as proficient as possible.
