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| Current Events & News |
June 15th, 2006: THREE NORTHWING 912's IN 2006
We work in design & engineering of composite parts and also create exploded views, diagrams & owners manuals for several industries. Northwing is one of our 'fun' clients. We've been working side by side with Kamron Blevins to develop a 912 trike that fits the budget, exceeds expectations & lacks the outrageous international exchange rates and shipping fees. I'd say we've done it. I've already taken delivery of, and sold the first 3 off the assembly line this spring. One will be fitted with the new Antares floats. More on that next month. What an amazing aircraft. Dual mast (no yaw)(protection), dual rear hydraulic brakes(no more skidding rocks into your prop), the 2 largest pilot & passenger seats in the industry (2-3 hours of comfort easily), standard wide tires & wheels, full (I mean FULL) fairing with functional air induction, storage & rigid construction. I weigh 200lbs and have stood on the floor of these fairings with no damage. All the 912's will deliver with standard Instructional Package, standard with Assisted Lift System for Mast/Wing and full instrumentation. He's even throwing in covers! I'm really impressed with how far Northwing has come with both innovation & reliability in the just the last 3 years. Kamron also has something else in the hangar that will rock the wing market. The new Quest 14.5 is something to try if you have a chance. Huge speed range and very approachable even for intermediate pilots seeking their change to a xcountry wing. I have flown this wing 4 times and seen 92mph in level flight with a 26mph landing in calm conditions. This wing with the 912 would be the best xc machine on the market in the mid $30K range. You just can't match the Northwing 912 without spending another $7600 for an import. And, they're right here in the US doing everything they can to keep you happy. You can't find that overseas. I promise.
May 15th, 2006: NEW TRAINER: AIR CREATION TANARG w/ IXESS WING
Just returned from to Phoenix after taking delivery of our new instructional aircraft for 2006. We've purchased an Air Creation Tanarg. It is considered to be most innovative trike in the global market. It has been the grand champion of both performance and innovation at over 26 air shows & competitions world wide. We are lucky to have such a machine with a typical waiting period of over 6 months. The airframe is a welded tubing structure vs the conventional mono-keel. It was developed over the course of 4 years in cooperation with BMW. The aircraft actually has sensors that tell us if the trike is fully assembled or not. It is full equipped with a ballistic emergency parachute that saves the entire aircraft and passengers in case of an accident. It will also quickly adjust for the leg lenths from 5'6" to 6'6". The wing is the unmatched Ixess with adjustable trim and an honest speed range from 51mph to a sweet spot at 85mph. I have personally owned 12 trikes and 22 wings in the last 7 years. I have never experienced an aircraft like this. A whole new world of capabilities has been opened with this aircraft and an unmatched piece-of-mind. The room for passengers and solid feel in the air is pure luxury. There are only 3 of us in the United States offering instruction in such a high-end trike.
March 15th, 2006: OUR TRIKES & PILOTS IN NEW CHUCK NORRIS MOVIE "THE CUTTER"
The Movie, "The Cutter", starring Chuck Norris and co-starring Danny Burkhardt (bad guy from The Matrix)has been released on DVD and purchased by Sony Pictures. The movie was filmed here in Spokane in the winter of 2004. The producer had been looking for a hang glider to use in this movie and we crossed paths via a local business relationship. The producer, writer and local film crew all came to the hangar to check out the planes and operation. We scouted the local terrain looking for something that may ressemble the Sinai Desert... but it was Spokane and the middle of December... We settled on the area sounth of Sprague, WA. 2 days later a full camera crew, lights, trucks and the full production came to life at 4th of July Lake by Sprague. Denying the use of a helicopter for safety reasons, we rigged Mik's Air Creation Twin 503 for the camera and camera man. I flew the Aerotrike Cobra as the character plane with a Northwing 19m wing. You all know I'm the lightest complected guy on the block so you'll notice a distinct contrast between the guy flying the trike, and Danny Burkhardt climbing out of the plane. I have to say it was one of the funnest challenges we've had since starting the company 6 years ago. We've worked on several movie & media projects since. If you like the filming, please send your compliments to Mik Cole. His flying ability of the camera plane for 9 hours is to be commended.
January 15th, 2006: TECHNICAL FORUM PAGE ON WEBSITE
Have you had technical questions but can't find anyone to help with any accuracy? Used a trike chat group, but found it hard to follow the format? We're going to invest some time & money to make it all easier. We're constantly needing information on things like Tuning or Synchronizing Carburetors, Flushing a Coolant System, Torque Specifications, Pitching Props, Optimal Operating Temperatures, Oil Debates, Wing Tuning, Weather, Crosswind Landings, Mounting Floats or Skis, Fabricating Widgets, Trailers, Hangar Doors, Sport Pilot Transitions etc etc... The list goes on and on and nobody has all the answers. Fortunately, the knowledge that exists between all of us is quite extensive although we don't have any way of storing or accessing it all at one time. I often find myself taking educated guesses, saying "I think so-n-so had that problem too...", or calling a few resources to refresh my memory at the expense of time. In an effort to begin collecting or intelligence as a group (often an irony in society) we have contracted our website developer, WhyDevelop, here in Spokane to create a Technical Forum page that will allow all of us to have 'organized' collaboration on any topic. We will all have the ability to create a category or subtopic, respond to others, add supporting documents, add pictures and links, or just glean the information you need on a particular project. What will these topics be? Anything related to our sport but I'm most interested in creating a technical archive and storing topics that seem to be crucial, yet repetitive. We frequently research & answer many of the same or similar questions and this seems like an efficient way of compiling all of our information and leaving something helpful for the next guy.
December 15, 2005: ARIZONA EXCURSIONS & LESSONS
As we have done for the last 3 years, we are taking down names of current pilots & newbies insterested in taking a long weekend down in Arizona to either do a cross country excursion or your training. We can do your Solo Certitfication, Basic Flight Instructor Certitification, and now your Sport Pilot Certification as well. And, it's all done in the sun! We have a complete facility in Phoenix with 12 aircraft, accomodations & daily activities such as fishing, golfing, mountain biking or whatever... Training will take place from 7am-9am and again from 3pm-6pm. The rest of the time is yours, so don't be afraid to bring the family. Give us a call if you're interested.
November 15th, 2005: COMPACT RADIAL ENGINE TRIP TO CANADA
My assistant Rocky & I spent last week at Compact Radial Engines in Surrey British Columbia learning how to trouble shoot & rebuild the MZ-202 motors. The MZ is one of the most affordable engine alternatives to the growing cost of Rotax. Rotax, built in Austria, currently dominates the ultralight engine market. Unfortunately, our dollar is only worth about 80 cents in Europe right now, and the costs of shipping are ridiculous. To add to the mahem, Rotax will be making another 3-5% jump as of the 1st of the year. Anyway, back to Canada... Leon, owner of Compact Radial Engines, also runs an impressive CNC Milling & Machining operation in Surrey called Southern Cross Machining. Even as an engineer, I was thoroughly impressed by his operation and counted at least 7 of the most advanced CNC mills I've ever seen in one place. Leon, like many of us has a real job but loves the sport of ultralight flying. I'm sure it was genuine because he spent some late evenings & even his day off demonstrating many great aspects of the MZ-202 as well as rebuilding two of them in front of our eyes. We brought the motors back to Leon & MZ in the first place because we simply didn't have the education necessary to tune or maintain the engines properly. The trip was exactly what we needed. We are thrilled by what we experienced from the education & genuine personality of both Leon & Compact Radial Engines. Leon said that he appreciated the fact that we were willing to come learn about the motor instead of just making inaccurate judgements agains the motor to the public like some people have done. Realizing that our sport is very small & unique, I think we can agree that we're all test pilots to degree & have a small responsibility to give constructive feedback to the manufacturer of any part or assembly we fly with. Leon is a paramotor pilot and flies weekly but typically with the smaller motors. As trike guys who fly 400-500 hours per year, we will be testing, reporting & supporting local pilots for Leon over the next few years and willing to answer any questions.
October 25, 2005 TUNDRA TIRES & DUAL BRAKES FOR THE APACHE TRIKE
We're currently prototyping a complete Tundra Tire Kit for the Northwing Apache 2-Seat Trike. This process has involved several versions & revisions but will hit the market this winter. It will include a front fork modification that the owner can do with the parts supplied in the kit. It will also include the tires, wheels, axles, spacers & all hardware. We have completely retrofitted the rear axles to accomodate dual rear brakes too. They will use your current master cylinder & be simple to complete on your own. We expecting the cost of the kit to be around $1400 for the complete kit.
REALLY OLD NEWSLETTER & BASIC INFO BELOW:
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Who is Backcountry Aerosports & what do they do?
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We are a 3-year old Light Sport Aircraft retail, service, support, & instructional facility in Spokane, Seattle, & Davenport. Specializing in AirCreation, Northwing, Cosmos & Aerotrike, we actively offer sales & service for more types & brands of light sport aircraft than anyone in the nation. We also have display models of all these brands for educational & instructional purposes. "We pride ourselves in being 'unbiased' as to any particular aircraft or brand. But rather, offer our services, fleet of aircraft, flying events, storage facilities and instruction as part of an integral process of 'matching' you with an aircraft that meets your budget, skills, performance expectations, general comfort, & dreams of flight. 100% of our soloed students and aircraft owners participate in some form of our social events, seminars, cross country flights, international trips, airshows & general weekend get-togethers. We invite you to join all of us as just an enthusiast, or as a student, instructor or owner, in the thrill of this lifestyle.
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Website: Better than a brochure!
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Our website is up and running with current information, aircraft types & brands, pictures & locations. It can be reached at: basports.net or backcountryaerosports.com
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Student to Instructor Development:
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Most of you are asking about the general nature of instruction. For example, do you have to have it? Do you need a license? Can I carry two people? Quickly, you do not have to acquire training at all for a single-seater. but we recommend it for all aircraft. We will not sell you an aircraft if you refuse adequate training. You must have instruction as well as pass a test to fly a two-seater. You must then pass another test in order to take a student or passenger. Always remember, this training is fun, and the tests are meant to help you, not keep you in anyway, from flying.
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Arizona Flight School & Family-Based Vacations:
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Sunshine, Pool, Excursions, Best Flight School in America! Although flying in the winter actually provides the calmest air and incredible sights, its cold. So, we have dialed in something that really might, well just read on
Family Adventure Vacation!. Just pack your bags and we handle the rest. Basing our operation out of Phoenix, Arizona and the accredited Kemmeries Ultralight Flight Center, we continue instruction all winter. Typically the student-pilot is busy only in the early mornings and early evenings which provide plenty of family time during the day. We will organize accommodations and some great family activities & excursions during the day. These activities have included fishing trips, golf, catered 4-wheel Jeep excursions, horseback riding, waterparks, mountain biking, glider rides, hiking, the mall, endless go-kart
racing and of course, hammock napping & snake-hunting for the kids! We will continue organizing vacations for families with a student pilot well into the spring so give us a call if youre interested. The Adventure Vacation is affordable & a great way to learn to fly.
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Seminars & Orientations:
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9 planes and almost 20 people will be leaving Thursday morning on a 4-day cross-country flight to Sun Valley, ID. We will be providing ground support & and two equipment trailers. Last year we went to Seattle, Seaside, and back up the Columbia Gorge, through Goldendale & Sunnyside, to Davenport. It took us 3 days and although we were headed for Medford, OR, we always try to fly with the weather so... We will be stopping this year along the way at some of the backcountry airstrips to do some camping & fishing. None of us have ever flown much in Idaho although it sounds incredible, so it should be a good trip.
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Interested in Floats or Snow Skis?:
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In the summer, we will be putting together 2 seminars for people who are interested in amphibious flying(floats). We need 5 or 6 people to register in advance. If you are interested in flying off the snow, it's quite simple to fugure out and we are taking orders for factory-built skis all year. Expect 2 months for delivery. Making your own is not impossible by we recommend buying the brackets from the manufacturer of your aircraft. Even as an engineer, I learned many things that I never would have even considered when we flew in the mountains of France last Spring. Snowboards are the key, but... wood cores vs. foam cores... where to put skags... toe-in angles... how the skis fly...
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Beyond Backcountry Aerosports:
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Denny, instructor for Backcountry is a design engineer for Triton Design & Development which is a small marine engineering & product design firm in Seattle & Spokane. Coincidentally, he ended up doing a new product design for Northwing Aviation, the largest domestic manufacturer of trikes & hang gliders. "We've made some awesome changes that will better enable our industry & products to resemble that of the Personal Watercraft, Motorcycle, and Snowmobile industries." (see picture below) So, the new model year will be exciting for us as a unique Retail & Instructional facility, as well as in new product design. We publicly introduced our new equipment this year at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Sun-n-Fun in Florida, & the Arlington Washington Fly-in. Backcountry Aerosports is one of the few Dealer & Instruction Schools that is involved with manufacturing as a new product designer and developer. We look forward to passing along the education weve received from this experience.
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Want to Schedule an Introductory Flight or Lesson?
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Although all flights are instructional in nature, we regularly enjoy wildlife, fly the rivers, soar the mountain ridges, skim the fields & enjoy endless views when we include a high-altitude gliding experience. Flights are done by appointment only. Please contact us via the website or by phone at least two days in advance @ 509-721-0989.
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Read The Previous Newsletter
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