Private Pilots License?

[jayhawk]

Honestly, flying is too involved to do as a “hobby” a couple times per month. It’s fun, but it’s serious and unforgiving.

The level of proficiency you would need to maintain to make flying into the backcountry is unmanageable unless you are doing it almost every day.

So if you want to fly, go get your license and enjoy. But if you want to fly for hunts, charter a plane

 

[pbroski]

I did it. Bought a small plane specifically for getting into areas otherwise difficult or impossible to get to. Equipped it with skis for winter and amphibious floats for summer. I logged 750 takeoffs and 750 landings, mostly bush flying. Did a lot of solo ice fishing, some summer fishing, one sheep hunt and one grizzly hunt. Planned to do more grizzly hunting, then they closed the season.

I agree with others. You need to fly a minimum of say 100 hours a year to stay current for bush flying in the mountains. Weather can be a factor, especially winds. If in a remote location and the winds pick up, you may have to wait it out. Then there's the challenge of tying the plane down securely if on a backcountry hunt. It's not always easy to do.

I ended up buying horses and planned to keep flying. Found out that the cost and time it took for both was too much. The horses won out. I loved flying and had a blast doing it. I wish I could have done more, but it is what it is. If you have the money, time and skill to do it safely, I would recommend it.

 

[Geewhiz]

For starters most planes that are affordable (call that sub $200k) aren’t going to have the useful load or capability to land in the back country and haul out an elk (with gas and one or two people). Mine is pretty close (1350lbs of useful load) and I’ve talked myself out of it 3 times in recent years.

What do you own? You could certainly do a fly in hunt with far less usable than 1350 assuming you have the right kind of airplane and experience to go with it.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I got my ppl about 4 years ago with an interest in off airport bush type flying. I bought a cub and haven't hardly landed on asphalt since. If you buy a plane purely for the utility of it I don't believe it will last long, you've got to have a love of aviation. It's not really something you can do on the side. You either do it and go all on, or do yourself a favor and don't at all. There are many significant costs associated with owning an airplane.

Lots of guys have dreams of owning a super cub and using it to access land locked parcels that nobody else can get to and shoot giant bulls every year. Realistically things just don't tend to work out that way. Last year I drew a bull permit and made plans to fly into 2 different land locked parcels that I always knew would be dynamite. Well as luck would have it I got absolutely skunked and ended up hiking from the highway and killing a bull 2 miles from the asphalt. Lots of "wasted" logistical planning to not have even needed the plane.

Like @ndmarine said, off airport flying is very high risk and it isn't for the faint of heart, but people do it safely and successfully all the time.

On a side note, the cheapest mid time supercubs on the market right now are in the 130-160k range. One single 35 inch bushwheel is $2703. My annual inspection last year cost me over $3500. One certified wheel bearing (need 2) for a 1/2 inch tailwheel axle is $190.

That being said, its the coolest thing I've ever done. Sunday morning before church I flew down south to scout out a creek fishing spot and moseyed my way back, logging 7 or 8 landings on misc. ridges, hillsides, and 2 tracks.

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One other thing to note, if you want to use your airplane to fly into high risk off airport undeveloped type places. I very much doubt you will be able to find anybody that would be willing to partner with you or that you would be able to rent an airplane from, which realistically means the expenses associated with sole ownership.

You’re way cooler than previously thought!

 

[Geewhiz]

You’re way cooler than previously thought!

Funny, your mom always thought I was this cool.