My relationship with the mountains began on hikes with my family, camping trips up into the farthest corners of Glacier National Park that could be reached with a 7-year-old (me) and a toddling 4-year-old (my little brother) in close formation. We took what we could carry in our little packs—supplemented heavily with the resources my parents stuffed into their own.
Fast-forward to my early flight-instructing years in Colorado, where one of my greatest joys was introducing pilots to the high country— famously high-altitude airports like Leadville, Telluride and Aspen. The “real” backcountry beckoned, though, and about 15 years ago, I took a condensed, one-on-one mountain flying course with well-known backcountry instructor Lori MacNichol, through McCall Mountain Canyon Flying Seminars. The flights I made there cemented my love for the high country and, more so than that, provided me with a skill set that could be applied to much of my everyday flying.
Indeed, these lessons that the mountains bring to us know no gender, age or aviation background. So, when Christina Tindle from WomanWise Aviation Adventures dropped me a note on Twitter, asking my interest in joining them for an upcoming seminar in Cascade, Idaho, I was intrigued by two things: how flying with like-minded pilots would enhance my experience (or detract from it) and how much I would recall from my previous time flying into the Idaho wilderness.
A psychologist and counselor by occupation—and backcountry pilot—Tindle launched a series of seminars in 2011 with a fly-in to Smiley Creek, Idaho. In 2019, she conducted four events in Idaho and Colorado, focusing on backcountry flying but also touching on other areas of flight based on the requests of participants, including upset and recovery training, aerobatics, floatplane flying, and primary tailwheel instruction.
SETTING GOALS
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Flying.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Flying.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Temple of Speed
Reno entices even this altitude-oriented pilot.
Flat Sixes
Fanatical artisans
Blue over Green, Tent in Between
I’m old , I’m cranky. Why do I keep air-camping?
Gulfstream Reveals G400, G800
The product lineup gains large-cabin and ultralong-range mounts.
Every Airplane Requires a Checkout
Embrace the challenge of mastering a new machine.
Fuhggedaboutit
Fifty-plus years of f lying forgetfulness
THE MAULE FAMILY APPROACHABLE AIRCRAFT
Choose your mount —the Maules do it all.
Sisters
“ Women certainly have the courage and tenacity required for long flights.” —Mildred Doran
INSIDE OUT OR OUTSIDE IN?
What kind of pilot should you be?
WE FLY: CESSNA CITATION CJ4 GEN2
THE FLAGSHIP CJ JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT BETTER.