Density Altitude and the Summer Trap of Thin Air
Density altitude - pressure altitude corrected for temperature - robs summer lift, thrust, and power, so plan for the airplane you actually have.
Towermountain flying
Johnson Creek, the Grass Strip at Yellow Pine, Idaho, Where You Fly Into a Bowl of Mountains, Camp Under the Wing, and Soak in the Hot Springs a Short Walk From the Runway
Johnson Creek (3U2) is Idaho's crown-jewel backcountry grass strip - here's what flying, camping, and soaking in it really takes.
RampSulphur Creek Ranch, the Dirt Strip in the Frank Church Wilderness, and the Backcountry Lodge Where You Land for Pie and Watch Elk From the Porch
Sulphur Creek Ranch is a fly-in guest ranch deep in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness where pilots land on a dirt strip for pie and elk.
RampThe Recreational Aviation Foundation Backcountry Strip Exhibit at Oshkosh and the Idaho Gravel Bar That Lives on the Show Grounds
The RAF's backcountry gravel bar exhibit at Oshkosh shows pilots how wild airstrips survive - and why keeping them open matters.
RampJohnson Creek, Idaho - Landing on the Grass Strip in the Heart of the Backcountry
Johnson Creek (U45) is Idaho's crown-jewel backcountry grass strip - here's what makes it fly-in essential and how to arrive safely.
RampBig Creek Airstrip: Idaho's Wilderness Canyon Where the Only Road In Has Wings
Big Creek Airstrip in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness offers 2,200 feet of grass runway at 5,600 feet MSL - accessible only by air, earned only through preparation.
RampCircling Rainier: Mountain Flying and the Volcanic Summits of the Pacific Northwest
A late-June orbit of Mount Rainier captured in AVweb's July 6 Picture of the Day illustrates both the appeal and the serious operational demands of flying the Pacific Northwest's volcanic summits.
TowerJohnson Creek, Idaho: The Grass Strip That Backcountry Pilots Dream About All Winter
Johnson Creek (3U2) is Idaho's most iconic backcountry grass strip - a 3,400-foot meadow runway at 5,000 feet elevation that rewards prepared pilots with one of aviation's finest experiences.
RampThe Density Altitude Trap: What Hot, High, and Humid Does to Your Takeoff Performance
Density altitude silently degrades engine power, propeller thrust, and lift simultaneously - learn to calculate it, read the charts, and make sound go/no-go decisions before every departure.
PatternJackson Hole Airport: The Only Commercial Airport Inside a National Park
Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC) is the only commercial airport inside a U.S. national park, combining stunning Teton approaches with serious high-altitude operational demands.
RampMoose Creek Ranger Station - Flying Into the Heart of the Selway-Bitterroot
Moose Creek Ranger Station in Idaho's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is one of the most remote and demanding backcountry GA airstrips in the continental United States.
RampJohnson Creek Airport - The Backcountry Strip That Built a Community in the Idaho Wilderness
Johnson Creek Airport (3U2) is a 2,800-foot grass strip in Idaho's Payette National Forest - a beloved backcountry destination that demands serious mountain flying preparation.
RampJohnson Creek and the Idaho Wilderness Strips - The Backcountry Flying Mecca You Have to Earn
Johnson Creek Airport (1U2) is a 2,400-foot grass strip in Idaho's Boise National Forest - one of the most demanding and rewarding backcountry destinations in the lower 48 states.
RampDon Sheldon and the Mountain House - The Glacier Pilot Who Built a Home at the Roof of Alaska
Don Sheldon pioneered high-altitude glacier flying in the Alaska Range, built a wilderness hut at 5,800 feet by airlifting materials in a Cessna 180, and left behind a tradition that still defines Talkeetna flying today.
TaildraggerJohnson Creek Airport and the Idaho backcountry strip where pilots camp under the wing and the elk walk the runway at dawn
Johnson Creek Airport (3U2) is Idaho's premier backcountry strip, where pilots camp under the wing in the Frank Church Wilderness.
RampJohnson Creek airstrip in the Idaho backcountry and the grass runway that disappears into the wilderness
Johnson Creek (3U2) is a stunning 3,400-foot grass strip in Idaho's backcountry offering camping, creek-side solitude, and world-class mountain flying.
RampThe hot afternoon departure from the seven-thousand-foot strip and the density altitude number you calculated but did not respect
Density altitude can double your takeoff roll and slash climb rate - here's how to make safe departure decisions at high-elevation airports.
PatternJohnson Creek and the Idaho backcountry airstrips where the wilderness is the runway
Johnson Creek and Idaho's backcountry airstrips offer pilots access to some of the wildest, most beautiful terrain in the lower 48.
RampSkardu Airport and the visual-only approach through the Karakoram
Skardu Airport has runways longer than O'Hare but no instrument approach - every flight threads a Karakoram valley by sight alone.
TowerTelluride Regional Airport and the box canyon runway nine thousand feet above sea level
Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) sits at 9,070 feet - here's what pilots need to know before flying in.
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