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Unread 05-01-11, 08:19 PM
atsiii atsiii is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: KDIJ
Posts: 30
atsiii is an unknown quantity at this point
Idaho back country...

I live and fly a T337 in Idaho, and am based in Driggs, ID (KDIJ) at the foot of the Tetons (6220 MSL). While my Skymaster is both turbo and STOL, for most of the Skymaster-friendly Idaho back country strips, the STOL is not really needed. Turbo is always nice at high density altitudes, but since you will almost always be flying early--normally aspirated is fine.

I think one of the biggest consideration with Skymasters in the back country is the rocks and gravel. Most back country strips in Idaho are high, dry and rocky... with emphasis on the rocky. There are not many good grass strips in Idaho's mountains, and Herb listed most of them (with the exception of Johnson Creek--my personal favorite). Many of the back country strips have lots of loose gravel--and your rear prop will not like that. My suggestion is to look closely at photos and call nearby FBO's to determine what the runway surface is really like. Most strips are not watered, so the surface can change a lot during a long summer.
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