By PHILIP HANDLEMAN My first time at the controls of an airplane was 53 years ago. I have been a licensed pilot for 45 years and I currently fly a U.S. military aircraft of World War II vintage. My wife, Mary, and I operate a private airport in Michigan’s Oakland County, which we have owned for […]
backcountry flying
Picture of the day: A brief ray of backcountry sunshine
Patrick Romano, the force behind Backcountry Aviation, sent in this photo, explaining: “A Husky and Maule M7 enjoying a brief ray of sun in the Idaho backcountry.”
Still flying the backcountry at 81
By AMELIA REIHELD. One of the best things about flying is the ability to see wondrous sights from a point of view few people ever have. It’s a rare privilege to venture to some of the most remote parts of the country so quickly, especially considering the alternative might involve cross-country travel by snowshoe or […]
Picture of the day: A backcountry sunrise
Veteran backcountry pilot Bob Bement, still flying at 81, recently sent us this photo, snapped by a passenger as Bob flew down Hells Canyon, along the Snake River in Oregon, early one morning in his 1959 Cessna 182.
Lessons learned: Mountain flying
When I took off for Alaska from South Carolina in the summer of 2015, the sum total of my mountain flying experience was a few hours spent airborne years earlier in the Blue Ridge Mountains. That all changed last July when I had the opportunity in a few short weeks to cross the Great Smokies and […]
Reviving a passion for flight in the backcountry
By Patrick Romano For nearly a decade, I have had the privilege of accessing the backcountry by airplane. It is a passion that has led me down many paths and created many opportunities. In that relatively brief time span, I have been able to teach or fly in just about every type of light bush […]
RAF and partners reopen public-use airfield
By Carmine Margo Mowbray, Recreational Aviation Foundation Have you ever wanted a little island paradise all to yourself? That is very possible now, thanks to a group of hardworking pilot volunteers who partnered with the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) to reclaim the North Fox Island airstrip from years of neglect. Just 23 nm north of […]
Picture of the day: Backcountry camping
Patrick Romano, the force behind Backcountry Aviation, sent in this photo of a couple of Maules and a Stinson 108 at camp in the backcountry. See more of Patrick’s photos in the March 10 print issue of General Aviation News.
Picture of the day: A steep takeoff
Patrick Romano, the force behind Backcountry Aviation, sent in this photo of a Maule M7 departing a sandbar on the Canadian River. See more of Patrick’s photos in the March 10 print issue of General Aviation News.