The Mountain Hunting Thread

Ha yea... I was 300 litres into filling the Wilga at Nimpo and had another 50L to go, the fellow on the dock said,

“We’d get more people here if it wasn’t for the price of the fuel.”

Nozzle click as I let go of the lever... “How much is the fuel.”

“$2.50 a litre!”

“Turns out I’m full!”

He gave me a cabin for the night though as it was getting on for daylight, so fair trade. Unfortunately the engine couldn’t run Mogas, woulda been a big help.
 
45ACPKING said:
I'll still get out hunting this year , but for things with fins on the west coast.
we keep a 22ft extended transom Hewes in Tahsis
here's a nice mountain shot while waiting for smokies to grill on the SeaBQue on the bow and the lines down for chinook off the back end :)
One of my favorite Nootka pics
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Beauty. Those Hewes are nice boats. My experience has all been on my Dads trawler, slower than slow but chugs all day and barely sips diesel with twin Lehmans.
 
Ardent said:
Ha yea... I was 300 litres into filling the Wilga at Nimpo and had another 50L to go, the fellow on the dock said,

“We’d get more people here if it wasn’t for the price of the fuel.”

Nozzle click as I let go of the lever... “How much is the fuel.”

“$2.50 a litre!”

“Turns out I’m full!”

He gave me a cabin for the night though as it was getting on for daylight, so fair trade. Unfortunately the engine couldn’t run Mogas, woulda been a big help.
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How much would you pay for the last litre if you came up one short? ;)
 
hoytcanon said:
How much would you pay for the last litre if you came up one short? ;)
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I think the Wilga holds something like 130 gallons, he better not come up 1L short. In fact I think he has a fuel drogue he can let out to refuel other, less fortunate, guys from his tanks. In the event of a crash he also gets the longest and hottest fire.

“We’d get more people here if it wasn’t for the price of the fuel.” Haha, sounds like you met James.
 
45ACPKING said:
I'll still get out hunting this year , but for things with fins on the west coast.
we keep a 22ft extended transom Hewes in Tahsis
here's a nice mountain shot while waiting for smokies to grill on the SeaBQue on the bow and the lines down for chinook off the back end :)
One of my favorite Nootka pics
acyMmym.jpg
Click to expand...

Amazing place with some of the oldest history on the west coast. Love it!
 
Ardent said:
You climbed that bench right above me in the pic there and know that place well ;)

That your boy coming out heavy Chuck? My eldest is 9, the era is fast approaching and looking forward to it.
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That is! It’s actually a moose shed. We passed it on horseback in some nasty terrain and he opted to hike the two miles back into the basin he spotted it in to retrieve it. :)
 
MattW said:
In the event of a crash he also gets the longest and hottest fire.
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Posted, "tongue in cheek," of course... but...

Not being an "aviation guy," other than how to get in and out... the occasional air pocket where you drop 50 feet and your gullet ends up in your sinuses, occasionally brings to mind that long, hot fire, which, hopefully I am not around for.
 
This thread is great. Getting a pilot's licence and flying floatplanes, never mind owning one, has always been one of those things I wish was more accessible. I'd love to do it. The adventures and the locations you can experience are second to none. Maybe someday I'll get the chance.
 
It’s actually really not that unreasonable, but it definitely takes a diligent application of good planning and willingness to learn as there are no second chances in mountain float flying in particular. But for the price a new 1 ton you can get a reasonable plane, and get after it. In BC it’s a game changer for where you can go, I’ve never seen another hunter anywhere I’ve flown into. And the trip is half or more the adventure.
 
Ardent said:
It’s actually really not that unreasonable, but it definitely takes a diligent application of good planning and willingness to learn as there are no second chances in mountain float flying in particular. But for the price a new 1 ton you can get a reasonable plane, and get after it. In BC it’s a game changer for where you can go, I’ve never seen another hunter anywhere I’ve flown into. And the trip is half or more the adventure.
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Oh for sure. It's the expense of the schooling, cost of an aircraft, then maintenance and fuel that puts it out of my reach. $12 - $15K for flight school from what I can tell. Every plane I've happened across in casual searching is $100K+, but I don't really know what models can be found and used on floats for cheaper. You say new 1 ton, that tells me $80K+. So I'm into it for $100K minimum and that's before fueling up. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're not making a day trip for under a few hundred bucks in fuel.

Maybe some day. I don't finance toys though and I sure don't make the kind of money where I can drop $100K on a past time.
 
Bull_it said:
Oh for sure. It's the expense of the schooling, cost of an aircraft, then maintenance and fuel that puts it out of my reach. $12 - $15K for flight school from what I can tell. Every plane I've happened across in casual searching is $100K+, but I don't really know what models can be found and used on floats for cheaper. You say new 1 ton, that tells me $80K+. So I'm into it for $100K minimum and that's before fueling up. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're not making a day trip for under a few hundred bucks in fuel.

Maybe some day. I don't finance toys though and I sure don't make the kind of money where I can drop $100K on a past time.
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I was once where you are, it can seem like a tall order at first. The flight school is pricey and time consuming but it doesn't all happen at once, they bleed you dry over a year or so typically. For the plane, find a partner, that's what I did, cuts all your costs in half except fuel. Personally I'm burning mogas (automotive gas) and in my 180 that puts the fuel costs at $35-40/hr typically but during this corona time with fuel so low I'm flying at a little less than $20/hr in fuel. Depending on where you are you may be able to get by with a lesser plane, in BC you have to get out of little lakes and be able to climb hard, Saskatchewan not so much, Northern Ontario probably same as Saskatchewan that way. Another way to put it is that you can easily spend the same on a jet boat and still find yourself rubbing elbows with a lot of other hunters.
 
MattW said:
I was once where you are, it can seem like a tall order at first. The flight school is pricey and time consuming but it doesn't all happen at once, they bleed you dry over a year or so typically. For the plane, find a partner, that's what I did, cuts all your costs in half except fuel. Personally I'm burning mogas (automotive gas) and in my 180 that puts the fuel costs at $35-40/hr typically but during this corona time with fuel so low I'm flying at a little less than $20/hr in fuel. Depending on where you are you may be able to get by with a lesser plane, in BC you have to get out of little lakes and be able to climb hard, Saskatchewan not so much, Northern Ontario probably same as Saskatchewan that way. Another way to put it is that you can easily spend the same on a jet boat and still find yourself rubbing elbows with a lot of other hunters.
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Those are good points. I figured fuel would be pricier.
 
Totally agree with Matt, a floatplane is no different than a fishing boat on the coast, I spent more buying and running the 25’ ocean boat than the plane. We’re talking for business I couldn’t afford to have done both for personal fun alone. The Wilga is about as much power as most will run recreationally (300hp constant rated) and burns 48L-56L/hr in cruise. Insurance for private is around $1500 a year for liability and non-moving coverage (all you’ll likely opt for initially, as low hours will make moving coverage exorbitant, but that can be revisited later with more experience). Annual maintenance, around $3500-5000 for private use hours.

Overall it’s a lot like a little RV, or mid sized fishing boat. Not cheap but not nearly as out of reach as many figure. And frankly the learning process in flight training and getting around your province is a lot of hands on fun, rather than overly academic. I’m really impressed with what Matt does frankly, as I’d been flying a dozen years or more before I started to really travel in my own aircraft to the places Matt’s doing. Straight floats (non-amphibs) are a whole other level of logistics and learning curves particularly in BC’s mountains and coast, it’s one of the hardest skill sets I’ve set out to acquire. So when I meet private guys killing it like Matt out there, it makes me grin, as it takes an adventurous spirit and diligent planning.

If you guys are ever after a third partner in the 180, give me a shout Matt I would look hard at that.

Angus

HK0DyOP.jpg
 
Bull_it said:
Those are good points. I figured fuel would be pricier.
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Fuel will be pricier if the plane will only burn avgas. My 180, and most 180's, has a low compression engine so I burn mogas. Anything larger, like the Wilga or a 185 and it's avgas only. At the same time I think the 180 is about the minimum I'd consider in BCs mountains on floats. There are other planes that use that Continental 0-470, like a Super Stinson, but they have other drawbacks. There are a couple Maules with a low horsepower Lycoming 0-540 that would probably also burn mogas and get it done.
 
Ardent said:
Totally agree with Matt, a floatplane is no different than a fishing boat on the coast, I spent more buying and running the 25’ ocean boat than the plane. We’re talking for business I couldn’t afford to have done both for personal fun alone. The Wilga is about as much power as most will run recreationally (300hp constant rated) and burns 48L-56L/hr in cruise. Insurance for private is around $1500 a year for liability and non-moving coverage (all you’ll likely opt for initially, as low hours will make moving coverage exorbitant, but that can be revisited later with more experience). Annual maintenance, around $3500-5000 for private use hours.

Overall it’s a lot like a little RV, or mid sized fishing boat. Not cheap but not nearly as out of reach as many figure. And frankly the learning process in flight training and getting around your province is a lot of hands on fun, rather than overly academic. I’m really impressed with what Matt does frankly, as I’d been flying a dozen years or more before I started to really travel in my own aircraft to the places Matt’s doing. Straight floats (non-amphibs) are a whole other level of logistics and learning curves particularly in BC’s mountains and coast, it’s one of the hardest skill sets I’ve set out to acquire. So when I meet private guys killing it like Matt out there, it makes me grin, as it takes an adventurous spirit and diligent planning.

If you guys are ever after a third partner in the 180, give me a shout Matt I would look hard at that.

Angus

HK0DyOP.jpg
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You're making me blush over here man.
 
It’s impressive :cheers: I’d flown all over BC and admittedly thought floats would be more of the same, but it was a very steep learning curve. Even just docking in a wind and current between pilings or other aircraft let alone all the flying. Lotta judgement calls to be made way ahead of the curve, in the heli we get to hold off commitment to the spot a lot longer and a lot bigger “Nnnnnope!” window. Mountain floats pilots know more about commitment than a catholic marriage.

Client (so ignore the pack rigging) at a 2000’ long alpine puddle the first time landing the Wilga at it. On departure, you gotta call yay or nay halfway or you don’t have room to stop.

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Matt and Ardent, thanks for all the info. The numbers you're throwing out are much more reasonable than I had thought. I may actually be able to fulfill my dream of flying someday.
 
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