Home

America Air Tours

Flight Courses

Pilot Store

 Speaking Engagements

Magazine Articles

Email Reg

Links

Pilots are creatures of habit. Good habit patterns are essential for the conduct of safe flight. Careful pre-flight routines (route planning, NOTAM review, weather brief, weight and balance, flight plan activation, aircraft servicing and preflight) become habit patterns as a result of training, repetition, and experience. Likewise, we develop in-flight habit patterns (use of checklists, personal minimums, situational awareness, etc.) which allow us to safely get from point A to point B. The type of flying we do, the airports we visit, and the geographic area in which we generally fly become part of our habits and comfort level as well. For many of us, these comfort levels keep us from gaining new and fulfilling flying experiences, such as mountain flying. As most of us realize, this is an activity that obliges pilots to receive some instruction and orientation before striking out on their own.

Why not consider a guided self-flying western adventure as a way to gain mountain flying experience in a beautiful state like Montana. A guided vacation for you and your companion, flying your own aircraft, will take out the uncertainty, stress, and headaches of conducting such a trip on your own. Safety will immeasurably be enhanced as you learn some basic mountain flying techniques, fly proven legs, and transit known locations.

Blue Goose Aviation offers summertime guided flying vacations ranging between three and seven days in length. The Montana Big Sky tour has proven to be one of the most popular. Montana is a flyer’s paradise with spectacular scenery, unlimited visibility, and is a gateway to western history and exciting activities. Summer and fall in Montana cannot be matched. Nowhere will you find more numerous gorgeous locations to spend your time. Long daylight hours facilitate the enjoyment of awe-inspiring wild life and the soul-stirring grandeur of the mountains in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. You will not be crowded in Montana; yet you will be impressed with the friendliest people in the West. Aviation and Montana are a sure-fire combination to provide an unequalled adventure.

The guided trip makes the most of Montana’s great attributes and is all-inclusive (meals, lodging, transportation, adventures). All you do is look after your aircraft servicing. Typically, between three and eight dual occupancy aircraft, along with the guide aircraft fly in a group to a new destination each day. Wonderful friendships and exhilarating camaraderie develop as the trip progresses. The account of the day’s adventures, past adventures and flying creates common bonds that make everyone’s experience memorable for a life time.

All charts and flight plans are provided in a trip book for each participating aircraft. A typical day begins with breakfast while your guides check weather through online services and the flight service station. A preflight briefing covering the day’s flight, weather and scenic highlights is conducted at the hotel or the airport before crews attend to their aircraft in preparation for departure. Takeoffs are targeted for eight a.m. to take advantage of sweet flying conditions (smooth air, light winds, good visibility) and the hops are generally no longer than two hours. The Montana Big Sky trip is about 12 flying hours based on Cessna-172 speeds. The trip is conducted over a span of seven days. The routes are designed with absolute safety in mind, yet they take advantage of the spectacular scenery Montana offers. Altitudes range between 7,500 – 10,500 MSL so oxygen is not required. By the time aircraft are serviced and tied down at the destination, transportation is there to take the group to lunch, the afternoon’s activities, and lodging. Activities vary each day and by tour and there are even backup options should weather become an issue. Some of what you’ll see in Montana will be described in more detail later.

Participants in the Montana Big Sky adventure will gather in Billings, Montana. At the hotel, a four hour ground school on mountain flying data and techniques is taught by the Blue Goose staff before departing the next day. Throughout your trip, help and advice are available from your guides. While the routes you’ll fly are planned with absolute safety in mind, the ground school provides the foundation which makes your mountain flying experience meaningful. In fact, the Montana Department of Transportation has several recommendations before mountain flying is accomplished. Your ground school staff covers these and more in detail.

Remember, you’ll be flying in a huge and sparsely populated territory. Therefore, navigation is critical and the use of pilotage will be your primary method. Your GPS is a good backup and will be an aid to maintain situational awareness. Some basic mountain flying practices with which you’ll become familiar are listed below:

Remember, if unsure of your personal capabilities; take some dual instruction from a CFI experienced in mountain flying.

Keep your aircraft as light as possible (reduced fuel, limit passengers, cut baggage).

Study your route of flight and your destination airport (field length, elevation, airport diagram, special procedures). Check field conditions with FSS and the local FBO.

Get a thorough weather briefing. Marginal VFR = IFR in the mountains.

Fly in the early morning hours. Turbulence is greatest between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Stay out of the mountains if the forecast winds aloft exceeds 25 knots below 12,000 MSL, as velocities can double in passes and canyons.

Never fly up a blind or narrow canyon.

Air on the lee side of a mountain may be extremely turbulent--fly on the upwind side of the valley as much as possible.

Crosscheck your altimeter with known terrain frequently. This maintains situational awareness and helps avoid illusory visual horizons.

Maintain airspeed in downdrafts. Always have an opportunity to turn toward lower terrain.

Approach ridges at a 45 degree angle to help you turn away if required.

Fly over valleys to the maximum extent possible.

Have a good survival kit on board and keep the VHF emergency frequency (123.5) on your number two or hand held radio.

Be aware of performance limitations your aircraft experiences as a result of high density altitudes.

Know the physiological effects of high altitudes.

As mentioned, these concepts are explained in your ground school. Additional safety is provided on the Montana Big Sky tour because the routes are flown as a group and led by experienced mountain pilots. The tour transitions from the Montana plains to the mountains which greatly aids in pilot orientation. Mountain flying is safe and accomplished routinely. Following good habit patterns makes this possible.

Now for a description of what makes this adventure so memorable and exciting. Following the mountain flying ground school on Day 1 of the trip, the tour departs Billings on Day 2 for Helena, Montana. Heading west with Yellowstone National Park to the south, you will cross your first ridge just North of Bozeman. Letting down adjacent to beautiful Canyon Ferry Lake, you will be landing at Helena Regional Airport. Following lunch, a short, scenic bus ride takes the group to the foot of the Rocky Mountains on the Missouri River. This is where the heroic members of the Lewis and Clark expedition worked tirelessly to move upstream. Steep rock embankments made towing impossible and the deep channel forced the men to row rather than pole their boats. As they moved upstream and rounded a bend, there suddenly loomed before them towering rock formations and limestone cliffs rising to 1,200 feet. At each bend in the river, the great stone walls seemed to block the passage, only to open at the last minute as one drew near. Meriwether Lewis named this place the "Gates of the Mountains."

Aboard a comfortable open air boat, the group will explore the Gates of the Mountains found by Lewis and Clark. The same great towering walls of limestone stand over the Missouri River. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats and deer can be seen in the rocks high above. Ospreys, eagles and other birds of prey soar in the updrafts found in the canyon. Wildlife such as mountain lions, black bears, beavers, and otters may also be seen on the spectacular trip up the river. The highlight of course, is the apparent opening of the spectacular Gates of the Mountains as the boat rounds the bend. What an exciting beginning to your Big Sky adventure.

Day 3 is a two hop day, the only time you will fly twice in one day on the trip. The first 30 minute hop is to Great Falls where tours of both the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the Charles M. Russell Museum are taken. Later in the evening, when the air is smooth again, you’ll fly one of three popular routes (weather dependant) to Kalispell at the foot of Glacier National Park.

On the banks of the great Missouri River with the Great Falls in sight, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a 25,000 square-foot facility which includes exhibit halls, a158-seat theater, a room for hands-on activities, and a gift shop. The center imparts an awe-inspiring sense of our national history as it traces Lewis and Clark’s expedition west. You’ll begin to understand President Thomas Jefferson’s vision of westward expansion through actual expedition accounts, visual representations of the Great Falls portage, the environment of native peoples and more. The center brings to life the harsh and exhilarating experiences of Lewis and Clark’s command while celebrating the indomitable spirit of human discovery. You will not be disappointed.

On the other hand, the Charles M. Russell Museum is a place where the old West is still alive. The prolific works of Charles M. Russell, a cowboy turned artist, capture the landscapes, the spirit, and the culture of the West in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His celebrated artwork is entertaining while giving the viewer a distinct window into the past. The museum features five galleries dedicated to the life and art of Charles M. Russell as well as other exhibitions including the unequalled Browning Firearms Collection. You will also be able to tour Charles M. Russell’s home and actual art studio. This museum is an exciting follow up to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

By arriving in Kalispell the same evening on Day 3, the tour is positioned to spend the entire next day (Day 4) exploring Glacier National Park. As you tour the park by bus, you’ll experience Glacier’s pristine forests, alpine meadows, clear rivers, rugged mountains and lakes. One of the most amazing highlights of the park is a drive on the Going to the Sun Road. An engineering marvel, the road traverses 50 miles of the park’s wild interior winding around mountains and offering some of the best sights in northwest Montana. Logan pass is truly a spectacular experience. Glacier, as its name implies, still has twenty-seven glaciers within the park boundaries. A stop by the lodge for some refreshments or coffee will offer you the feel of what a magnificent vision the creators of our national parks had for us. Your experience in the Kalispell area would not be complete if you did not sample some of the huckleberry ice cream and buffalo burgers that can be found along the way.

Day 5 and there is so much more to do and see! Departing Kalispell, a beautiful flight along the shore of gorgeous Flathead Lake, past Missoula, takes you to Bowman field, an uncontrolled airstrip in Anaconda near Butte. You’ll be lodging nearby in a hotel featuring bathing pools fed by hot springs that exist in the area. This will prove absolutely relaxing after a day exploring the colorful history of Butte. A historical mining town, Butte was controlled by the "copper barons" in the early part of the twentieth century. As such, your visit to a real mine brings to life the rich industry on which the city was built. Your visit includes exploring an open air museum of mining artifacts, buildings, and equipment. The highlight is a descent into a real mine shaft, observing the actual operation of historical mining equipment as demonstrated by a retired miner.

Butte was a boom town in its heyday with the copper barons representing one end of the spectrum and the unscrupulous elements brought by rapid growth on the other end. The town holds historical secrets you’ll discover on a fun and exciting walking tour led by local historians. You’ll have access to buildings, information and sights rarely experienced by the average visitor to Butte. This part of your trip is guaranteed to hold your attention as several surprising and little know pieces of history are revealed.

Departing Bowman Field on Day 6, you will fly through a spectacular narrow canyon, landing at West Yellowstone on the west edge of Yellowstone National Park. Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America’s first. Your tour will of course include a visit to Old Faithful and the world’s most extraordinary collection of geysers and hot springs. The park is home to grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk, some of which you are sure to see. The Old Faithful Inn (1903) lobby, which features a 65-foot ceiling, a massive rhyolite fireplace, and railings made of twisted lodgepole pine, reflects the chaos of nature as envisioned by its designer, Robert C. Reamer. Many other wonderful structures in the park date back to its early days and are totally in sync with the natural settings. A view of the spectacular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone alone is worth the park visit. While at leisure that evening back in West Yellowstone, you’ll want to explore the many events, shops and exhibits available.

Day 7 takes you to Cody, Wyoming, the end point of the Montana Big Sky tour. Don’t despair though, as there is still great fun to be had. The flight to Cody is arguably the most scenic of all as it takes you across Yellowstone National Park with the Grand Teton Mountains visible to the south. Another stunning canyon leads you directly to Cody. The afternoon is spent at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and following a western dinner, you’ll attend an authentic cowboy rodeo.

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is five museums in one. There is something for everyone, including the Draper Museum of Natural History, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art. The museums are first class and envelope the visitor in western history and culture. This truly magnificent experience will only whet your appetite for repeat visits. Many people living in Wyoming use the phrase "Cody is Rodeo." The Cody Nite Rodeo is the longest running rodeo in the United States. Having operated for over 60 years, it perfectly represents the local catch phrase. Many of the nation’s greatest cowboys began rodeo careers in Cody and the Cody Nite Rodeo truly upholds this tradition. Any visitor must experience this original cowboy sporting event which includes all of the big competitions from bull riding to barrel racing.

By the time it is time to depart for home, you’ll look back on your western adventure as one of the best you’ve ever had known. New friendships, great experiences, and beautiful flying will entice you to take another trip with a whole new set of sights and activities. The benefits of having experienced guides, planned itineraries, and group travel makes this type of flying vacation truly wonderful for both the pilots and the traveling companions. For more information on available guided self-flying vacations as well as mountain flying instructional opportunities, visit www.bluegooseaviation.com.

Back to Magazine Articles