My airstrip

[Joe Moilanen]

Thought I'd try posting pics to see if I could. Here is are some pictures of my strip, all 650 feet of it.

Joe

[GAHorn]

Where, exactly is this? Do you have a Google link?
Is it one-way? Elevation, slope? Nice photos.
(Great challenge!) Good use of facility.
Tell us about your techniques for arrivals/departures.

[W.J.Langholz]

Beautiful !!!!!!!

Hey George notice the grass is worn all the way to the edge of cliff. Nice !!!!!!!!!

[GAHorn]

I notice the engine on that thing is standard.... That's a testimonial!

[flat country pilot]

Living your dream

If you launch off the cliff without being airborn, you could always push down and gain airspeed real quick.

Bill

[blueldr]

That's a really nice looking airplane, Joe. I like the colors and the trim scheme.

[Abe]

Nice place Joe....It's nice to see your place after you telling us about it up at Minam Lodge....if I get some carb ice can a guy make an emergency landing to check things out....the plane that is....Hell, I may even have some stale ale in the ailing plane....any chance of getting the lat & lon....

[doug8082a]

Those of you who may still have a 2007 C170 calendar lying around will find Joe's plane on the March photo.

[buzzlatka]

I thought mine was short at 1100 ft. I have 50+ ft trees at both ends so my usable runway is close to yours. Put the new 7651 prop on and like it. Are you using the 80 inch prop for that or the 76.

[GAHorn]

Aerial view of Joe's place:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... :panoramio

[johneeb]

I prefer mine we evan have a cross wind runway, however wake vortices are sometimes a problem!

[Joe Moilanen]

The strip is one way, it's 30' lower at one end than the other. The end where the cliff is is the high end, I wish it was the other way around. The trees at the approach and departure end are about 10'-15' higher than that end of the strip, and 300' beyond the end. I only fly in and out by myself and low on fuel. My 170 is stock other than the 800 tires and 8043 prop. The 8043 prop is the answer although I've had a friend with a '56 172 land here with a stock prop. On take off, I get right up to the edge of the cliff, full power with brakes on, tweek the mixture for those extra couple of rpm's, and "side step the clutch". Neutral elevator and minor rudder inputs to keep control surface drag to a minimum. About 2/3 the way down the strip I slowly pull on 20 degrees flaps and hold it in ground effect until I'm either at the end of the strip or at best angle, whichever comes first. I don't actually have to climb over the trees, if I turn slightly left the tree line descends and I can fly level or actually decend slightly if I want to. The strip is on top of a hill at 700' AGL and MSL. I fly the approach at about 55 indicated with full flaps. As I skim the treetops I slow down to a full stall 3 point right at the first usuable spot. A rarely use more than the first 250' to 300'. A go-around is pretty easy with the cliff at the far end, as long as you make the decision quick!

The picture with the dozer in it was taken right after I finished leveling it in '06 before the grass grew. That's my '52 D8 2U Caterpillar that made it all possible.

Let me know if you get over this way Abe, I might even have some stale ale in the fridge. lat 46.190913 lon -123.009371. Give me a call and I'll meet you at KLS (Kelso/Longview Regional) and I'll drive you out to it and let you look at it from the ground first. It gives you a better perspective of what you're in for!

Thanks Blueldr, thats my 24 year old Imron paint job still looking like new.

You want to land in the first few feet, not the few feet before...like my friend in his chief did.

Joe

[GAHorn]

... I get right up to the edge of the cliff, full power with brakes on, tweek the mixture for those extra couple of rpm's, and "side step the clutch". Neutral elevator and minor rudder inputs to keep control surface drag to a minimum. About 2/3 the way down the strip I slowly pull on 20 degrees flaps and hold it in ground effect until I'm either at the end of the strip or at best angle, whichever comes first. I don't actually have to climb over the trees, if I turn slightly left the tree line descends and I can fly level or actually decend slightly if I want to. ...

A picture being worth a thousand words, you wouldn't per-chance have time to snap a photo thru the windshield just before the point where you turn left to descend would you...?

Nice flying! What was your heart-rate first time you tried it?

[Jimmy M.]

I have 50' trees at each end but the runway is 12 miles long..

[Joe Moilanen]

... I get right up to the edge of the cliff, full power with brakes on, tweek the mixture for those extra couple of rpm's, and "side step the clutch". Neutral elevator and minor rudder inputs to keep control surface drag to a minimum. About 2/3 the way down the strip I slowly pull on 20 degrees flaps and hold it in ground effect until I'm either at the end of the strip or at best angle, whichever comes first. I don't actually have to climb over the trees, if I turn slightly left the tree line descends and I can fly level or actually decend slightly if I want to. ...

A picture being worth a thousand words, you wouldn't per-chance have time to snap a photo thru the windshield just before the point where you turn left to descend would you...?

Nice flying! What was your heart-rate first time you tried it?

That might be a precarious time to be be snapping a shot, maybe I'll mount a video cam in the plane one of these days and get the takeoff and landing.

heart-rate was pretty high...

Joe