Second video is better quality and resolution, go for at least 1440, skip the 1st minute
an undeveloped landing area in Idaho, Dewey Moore is perhaps the most notorious airstrip in the legendary bush pilot's paradise known as the "Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness" on Big Creek in Idaho, about 19-miles west of the junction of Big Creek and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
This strip is rated as the second most difficult strip in "Fly Idaho".
Many planes have wrecked on this tricky little 700' landing strip. There is even an effort to close it down by 4 groups (No doubt headed by Karen's) that have sued the Forest Service
The groups — Wilderness Watch, Great Old Broads (told ya so, Karen's by the dozen) for Wilderness, Friends of the Bitterroot and Friends of the Clearwater — claim that Forest Service records dating back decades, including through the establishment of the wilderness area, confirm that the four dirt-and-grass landing strips were abandoned and that it is expressly illegal for aviators to use them.
But the Forest Service has for years engaged in an informal policy of not enforcing the prohibition on the strips' use, the lawsuit states. And in 2018, the agency implemented what the groups describe as an illegal policy of opening the landing strips to airplane traffic and planning formal maintenance on them, the lawsuit claims, all without environmental review or public notice. In 2022 and at the request of the state of Idaho, the Forest Service illegally cut down tall trees to improve the approach to one landing strip, the groups allege.
George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, wrote, "The Wilderness Act makes clear that the Forest Service must protect the wilderness character of the River of No Return, and it makes particularly clear that aircraft landings and other motorized activity are allowed only under narrowly defined conditions. The Big Creek Four airstrips were not in regular use at the time of wilderness designation in 1980, and they have never been lawful airstrips open to any public use. Establishing four more landing strips in the Big Creek drainage just chokes this spectacular area with incessant airplane traffic."
These groups are all about preventing anything with a spark plug anywhere near the wilderness.... so that? Hell if I know, if you can't get to the wilderness, then, what's the point of having one? Getting to it, experiencing the wilderness, the solitude, is the reason that they're WORTH seeing. It's WHY there's a national hiking trail, national parks, etc etc.
As you can see from this off season photo, there is a stream of rain run off that created this airfield, and that run off will likely cause the stream's bed to get very rough
thanks Marc!
I was curious about this location and found a video about what can go wrong at this air strip. Kind of a long video, but the key take aways -
ReplyDelete1. Have a satellite phone or texting device
2. Know what you have to do to land there
3. commit to landing, because you can't go around and try again. One of the other pilots says that if there were a deer on the strip, you'd be better off hitting the deer than trying to go around.
https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/one-way-strips-serious-business-dewey-moore-accident-23379
"what can go wrong"... it took me only seconds to come up with, crash, break legs, not die, eaten alive by coyotes, vultures, and bugs.
DeleteAnd yeah, you're spot on, have a satellite phone, or two. One might get broken, they always malfunction in the movies, just as the main character needs them. I believe in having a back up, and a charger that you can spin by hand, or a solar panel. All the things that can and will go wrong usually are listed, starting with no power.
And, yes, very nice, remote, etc... and I'd avoid it unless I told at least 2 responsible people exactly how to rescue me if they don't see me by the time I expect to get back.
Then hurry up with a rescue crew and EMTs to get my broken body, bring pain meds... and maybe a trauma surgeon!
The video I posted had a moment where the pilot mentioned that there's a stream on the side of the landing strip.
Which brings me to.... bring a damn lawn mover, and a lot of salt, and once you've mowed the strip, salt it.
At least, historically, if you wanted to prevent things from growing in your enemies fields, you simply salted them.
So, did you learn WHY there is an airstrip on the side of this river? Sure, it's nice to get to the middle of no where, and land safely, but what's the reason there's an airstrip there?
Ok, having said all that, now it's time to watch the video you linked to
I didn't look into why there's a strip there. My guess is that years ago, someone was flying through the area and decided there was enough space to land there, and then told their friends about it. It doesn't look like anyone maintains it at all, so it's just a sorta flat spot that is available to use.
DeleteI wasted SO much time on looking this up, and making a far bigger post, that I found out that there were about 7 to a dozen airstrips in that wilderness area (oh, yeah, all the links I added have ALL the info, and it's a waste of time to read) but the forest dept was told by the Karens, to fine anyone actually flying in and enjoying the forest, so, all you damn fishermen can just stay home, etc....
Deleteanyway, around 1980 the govt changed the area to a "keep out" area and promised to be mean to anyone that used a sparkplug anywhere in or over the area. This is one of 4 landing strips that the Karens hate to the end of time, because the back country fliers with bush pilots and super cubs enjoy flying there to test their landing skills.
That pretty much sums it up, no drug smuggling, no child porn, no pot farms.... just pilots, campers, and fishermen. Yeah, scum of the earth.
curious about the history of these places like this.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta wonder who was the first pilot to see this spot and think ;"I bet I could land there"
youd have to be fling really low in between the mountains right on top of the river to even see this place.
and, with the govt declaring these areas to be wilderness areas with no vehicle traffic, but the same govt forces every place to have a wheelchair ramp, so has no one in a wheelchair sued the fedgov for restricting access?
and why doest the fedgov put as much effort into securing the border as they do these wilderness areas?
the fedgov could declare a 1 mile wide strip at the border a wilderness area and arrest anyone caught in it.
lol... the govt told Border Patrol to help people across the border, I posted about that.
DeleteBut the forest service? They get the karens' all over their backs, like tattooed monkeys, and the forest service ain't going to stand up to Karens.
I agree, how the hell did anyone see this area, or get brave enough to try landing there?
I looked, but did not find info on the first person, not even any info on who Dewey Moore was.
LOL, that would be a hoot to declare a 1 mile border area a "wilderness" that hasn't prevented people from getting into the USA from Canada. I just posted about that last week.
Some folks grandparents built back country cabins. Only access by boat or planes, you can even stay at a couple of them on the Salmon River.
ReplyDelete