First time on the Ice today

[C5Engineer 1170]

I flew 120NM East today into the Sierras to play on some Ice with another group. The ice was plenty thick and the snow was about 3 inches deep down to almost nothing depending on where you landed and what lake it was. We landed several spots. Had a BBQ and did some Ice fishing... pretty amazing around here considering at 4pm when I landed back at Sea Level it was 66 degrees. This morning when I landed Truckee it was 13. The first lake we hit was 7000ft. The Avid and my 582 with the Hacman leaned way out performed awesome as usual.

Well it kind of looks like we were all taking the same types of photos but I'll go ahead and add mine

Little VFR on top over Sac this morning

Headed up the hill

One of a few firsts today...First landing on Ice/snow... First landing in the 7000ft range...First landing at 13 degrees in Truckee this morning!

Kev you should be a CFI. Awesome job today telling us what we needed to know to do this smart and safe. Here he is explaining the approach into the next stop.

Another shot of Rob

Can't have too many pictures of your own airplane

Shot this one spiraling out to head home

Sac Int'l on the way home

[akflyer 1427]

Looks like an AWESOME day! Kev is about to head back up here for another season of heli skiing. I hope the snow firms up as we have some very dangerous avy conditions right now.

Amazing the performance difference in nice cold air huh! I keep forgetting about that pesky density altitude thing as we really don't need to worry about it with our temps here. Although, it is still a huge performance difference coming off the same lakes in the winter versus summer here. About the closest we could come to simulating density altitude during my initial training was taking off with the carb heat on do kill some of the engine performance.

[RDavidson 183]

That is awesome!

I love the shot from above the lake!

I went ice fishing for the first time a couple of years ago, in Colorado, with my buddies from Oklahoma. We drilled our first hole, the ice let out a "CRACK". And you had 4 Okies laying flat on the ice! The locals got a good laugh at that!

Anyway, I thought of that when I saw the shot from above with what looks like a couple of large cracks.

Awesome pics...now I'm motivated to build again!

Thanks,

Ron

[SuberAvid 617]

Looks like a fun day Joey, you can't beat those clear crisp winter days on the snow! T.O. and landing at 7000' is something that I have never done so that would be good experience; the cold temps are definately a plus. One of these days Leni and I would sure like to get down there and join you on your ID pilgramage run.

I know it is just an excuse to get out, but did you catch anything? I got this 14" Dolly and lost a nice 20+ rainbow this weekend (I know, the big fish story).

[EDMO 1078]

That is awesome!

I love the shot from above the lake!

I went ice fishing for the first time a couple of years ago, in Colorado, with my buddies from Oklahoma. We drilled our first hole, the ice let out a "CRACK". And you had 4 Okies laying flat on the ice! The locals got a good laugh at that!

Anyway, I thought of that when I saw the shot from above with what looks like a couple of large cracks.

Awesome pics...now I'm motivated to build again!

Thanks,

Ron

I learned about ice fishing when I was displaced to Michigan to go to high school. I was driving for an older man to take him places. We went from Flint up to his cabin at West Branch, passing the edge of the big lake and looking at all the cars and little shacks and people fishing on the ice. When we got to the lodge, the old man said, "come on and I will teach you how to ice fish."

I didnt like the sound of it, but I was on his payroll, so I complied.

We went from the cabin and drilled 5 holes in the ice, and then he set up a little tripod with baited hook and line and a little red flag on a pivot at each hole.

We then went back to the cabin, sat in front of the fireplace, drinking whiskey, and looking out the picture window for a little red flag to go up.

For a Southern boy, that is the only way to go ice fishing!

ED in MO

[Bandit 286]

Don't you just love that? Winter flying is the best. Ron don't worry about the ice cracking, that is a good sign. When you hear it cracking, it is making ice. Try fishing Lake Of The Woods in northern Mn. It will shake your whole shack when its making ice there.

[C5Engineer 1170]

Tossed together a vid today

[C5Engineer 1170]

Weather here has warmed up all week. Heard the lakes we landed are all soggy. I feel fortunate we got the opportunity to do this. Be sure to check out the video in the above post.

[Av8r3400 1178]

Cool video and photos, Joey. Looks like fun.

A bit of warning, though. I watched a guy flip a very nice Avid IV last winter landing in 3-4" of snow on a lake. He was on the same Douglass wheel and "King Fox" tire combination you have. The snow was just a little slushy on the bottom so when he touched down he stuck like glue and over he went.

Snowy lakes and tires on airplanes don't mix well...

[JustNorm 14]

Thanks for taking us flying today. I am amazed that you can fly to Ice fish and then home to the beach.

Tossed together a vid today

[C5Engineer 1170]

Cool video and photos, Joey. Looks like fun.

A bit of warning, though. I watched a guy flip a very nice Avid IV last winter landing in 3-4" of snow on a lake. He was on the same Douglass wheel and "King Fox" tire combination you have. The snow was just a little slushy on the bottom so when he touched down he stuck like glue and over he went.

Snowy lakes and tires on airplanes don't mix well...

Larry if you've been following the thread on BCP you know the Kevin was nervous about bringing us up there. He was out there every day last week and also the evening before we came up. He was intimately familiar with the conditions. I would NEVER try to land one of these places on wheels without someone standing on the ground with first hand knowledge of the conditions. It's nearly impossible to read the surface of snow with my limited experience flying off it. The lake where the video was shot had about 1/2" on top of the smooth as glass ice. It was just like landing on a dry lake bed....perfect conditions. Sounds like none of them are even useable now due to warm temps all week.

[akflyer 1427]

Larry if you've been following the thread on BCP you know the Kevin was nervous about bringing us up there. He was out there every day last week and also the evening before we came up. He was intimately familiar with the conditions. I would NEVER try to land one of these places on wheels without someone standing on the ground with first hand knowledge of the conditions. It's nearly impossible to read the surface of snow with my limited experience flying off it. The lake where the video was shot had about 1/2" on top of the smooth as glass ice. It was just like landing on a dry lake bed....perfect conditions. Sounds like none of them are even useable now due to warm temps all week.

unless your using full lotus floats for your ski's

That is one HUGE safety factor that has given me an edge many times in the past. Where others are stuck in overflow, or super light fluffy snow and sunk in to the windows, I stay right on top nice and dry! The down side to it is the decreased climb performance.

[Guest]

Wow Joey you inspire me!

That looks like so much fun! The closest I've come to doing that is landing on our local runways after its snowed, so that doesn't even begin to count. (Although it is a lot of fun!)

So what's with the photo of the snowboarder? One of you guys? That looks a whole lot more fun than Ice fishing to me. Done a fair amount of back country skiing hiking for my turns and a TON of inbounds skiing. That would be almost as fun as flying to kayak!

You've just given me new possibilities. However, I can see there are many more things to consider and experience I would need to gain before heading off to the Idaho or Cascade mountains in the winter to land on a lake and hike for turns!

Chris B

[akflyer 1427]

Wow Joey you inspire me!

That looks like so much fun! The closest I've come to doing that is landing on our local runways after its snowed, so that doesn't even begin to count. (Although it is a lot of fun!)

So what's with the photo of the snowboarder? One of you guys? That looks a whole lot more fun than Ice fishing to me. Done a fair amount of back country skiing hiking for my turns and a TON of inbounds skiing. That would be almost as fun as flying to kayak!

You've just given me new possibilities. However, I can see there are many more things to consider and experience I would need to gain before heading off to the Idaho or Cascade mountains in the winter to land on a lake and hike for turns!

Chris B

Chris

The guy that has that beautiful 180, Kevin, is the "ring leader" and operates a heli ski business up here in the winter. He will be heading to AK in 2 weeks to get the season kicked off. The snow boarder in the picture flys the 170. Kevin and his wife fly up to the areas pictured and hike up a ways and ski, Rob was doing the same with the snowboarding. It is a kick to fly out to an area and ski just as you did with the kayak. The biggest thing you would probably need is a set of wheel skis and you would be ready to start playing in some kick as back country areas!

[SuberAvid 617]

Cool video and photos, Joey. Looks like fun.

A bit of warning, though. I watched a guy flip a very nice Avid IV last winter landing in 3-4" of snow on a lake. He was on the same Douglass wheel and "King Fox" tire combination you have. The snow was just a little slushy on the bottom so when he touched down he stuck like glue and over he went.

Snowy lakes and tires on airplanes don't mix well...

I had the same combination of wheels/tires on my plane with a whole 10 hours on it when I did my nose stand on a lake with overflow (in the dumb stunts section). Best to use skis when there is anything over the ice unless you have ground confirmation. You may still get stuck but you probably won't flip.

[SuberAvid 617]

:snack:src="http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/public/style_emoticons/default/snack.gif"> unless your using full lotus floats for your ski's :lol:src="http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smilielol.gif">

That is one HUGE safety factor that has given me an edge many times in the past. Where others are stuck in overflow, or super light fluffy snow and sunk in to the windows, I stay right on top nice and dry! The down side to it is the decreased climb performance.

:BC:src="http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/public/style_emoticons/default/BC.gif">

Note to all; never follow Leni's tracks.

[SuberAvid 617]

Wow Joey you inspire me!

That looks like so much fun! The closest I've come to doing that is landing on our local runways after its snowed, so that doesn't even begin to count. (Although it is a lot of fun!)

So what's with the photo of the snowboarder? One of you guys? That looks a whole lot more fun than Ice fishing to me. Done a fair amount of back country skiing hiking for my turns and a TON of inbounds skiing. That would be almost as fun as flying to kayak!

You've just given me new possibilities. However, I can see there are many more things to consider and experience I would need to gain before heading off to the Idaho or Cascade mountains in the winter to land on a lake and hike for turns!

Chris B

Chris,

A buddy of mine uses his Supercub as a ski lift to drop off and pick up his kids where he can land high and low on a ridge/ drainage. It wouldn't do you much good flying solo though. I would highly recommend having a second spotter plane with you when you are looking for good locations and gradually work into the steeper stuff. I can't say that I am there yet.

Also, wheel skis may be your only option in the warmer climates but they greatly cut down your takoff performance vs straight skis.

[1avidflyer 1983]

Looks like fun Joey, I'm going to a ski flyin on a lake about 45 miles away on Saturday. Don't think the ice will be melting though. It was about -30F last night but it's supposed to warm up to a balmy +10 F Saturday. My heater works, but isn't all it could be at 0. I've been on straight skis for the last month. Love the winter flying up here in northern Mn. Take care, Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Looks like fun Joey, I'm going to a ski flyin on a lake about 45 miles away on Saturday. Don't think the ice will be melting though. It was about -30F last night but it's supposed to warm up to a balmy +10 F Saturday. My heater works, but isn't all it could be at 0. I've been on straight skis for the last month. Love the winter flying up here in northern Mn. Take care, Jim Chuk

It is supposed to be 68F here Tuesday - If the rain stops, think I will go check on the J3, and look for a frozen lake. :lol:/>

I enjoy your photos and videos - about the most excitement here is finding black ice on the concrete with a crosswind!

ED in MO

Edited 26 Jan 2013 by Ed In Missouri