Flying over desert videos, visiting remote landing strips

[Greg]

I've always loved flying, I studied Aviation Science at UVU several years ago, but wasn't able to complete my education and get my pilots license. When my Dad was young, he owned a Cessna 172 and he also loved to talk about flying and remember the experiences he had with his small plane.

It seems that some lucky folks have been able to combine their love for flying with a shared interest in exploring Utah's vast desert, landing at some of the remote landing strips and heading out for a hike.

I subscribed to a user on YouTube, due to his great moto videos, but apparently motorcycles aren't his first love... he's always adding new videos where he and a friend head out for some low flying fun over the CO & UT desert. After watching a few of those videos, I came across other videos of guys flying out to remote air strips, then exploring by foot from there. I know Kurt has talked quite a bit about these travels and there is a Utah based club that routinely takes trips to these landing strips and helps with maintaining them, so they will be around in the future.

Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to share some of these videos... we explore Utah in 4x4's, these guys do it by airplane. I love the contrast, but I will admit that I'm a bit jealous.

(Don't forget to change the video quality to HD, better picture!)

[video=youtube;jKXMM1H0rJA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKXMM1H0rJA&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;Su5q84CcEmg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su5q84CcEmg&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;6LqdtVgaDSQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LqdtVgaDSQ&feature=related[/video]



Anyone else into stuff like this?

 

[Greg]

More...


[video=youtube;ixJO7IPxiww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixJO7IPxiww&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;bi-eH7iYvR0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi-eH7iYvR0&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;yU_6KMLzoPw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU_6KMLzoPw&feature=related[/video]

 

[Cody]

Simply awesome. Seriously on my bucket list to be able to do this sort of thing.

I remember the first time I stumbled upon that air strip at Hidden Splendor. I sat in the middle of it staring at the windsock thinking, WTF is going on here. It probably shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to figure it out.

 

[spencurai]

My buddy Kevin does a lot of back country flying. He just rebuilt an Alaskan bush plane that has 31" tall tires on it...totally nuts. Unfortunately I do not fit in those planes from back in the day so I stick to top loaders I can plop down into...at least that is the excuse I am sticking with. It is a rich mans hobby but it can be done on a budget if it is the only thing you are into...with AVgas pushing 5$ a gallon it gets pretty expensive pretty quick.

 

[sixstringsteve]

that's amazing. I'd love to do this someday.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

... I know Kurt has talked quite a bit about these travels and there is a Utah based club that routinely takes trips to these landing strips and helps with maintaining them, so they will be around in the future...

The Utah Backcountry Pilots Association, they maintain and fly to all of the remote air strips throughout Utah. There is a neat thread on ExpUt with more photos of the strips. One of their very active members (past president?) is a member and has contributed some neat things. I'd love to get up with him sometime

 

[LT.]

Here are a few for ya.
[video=youtube;LO8lDvTqS3E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO8lDvTqS3E[/video]

[video=youtube;n0xInsh1oFE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0xInsh1oFE[/video]

[video=youtube;5cB402QYlJ8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cB402QYlJ8[/video]

LT.

 

[kmboren]

That is funny. In the first Video you have posted the guy on the left or in the passenger seat at the start is my cousins husband. I knew he flew but did not know he did this. I will have to talk to him and see if it does it frequently.

 

[4Chin]

That's beautiful. I wasn't going to watch any, but I got hooked really quickly. Thanks for sharing.

 

[newtoy]

From a fellow pilot that is cool. I have only made 2 dirt landings ever, but one was with no motor.