By Curtis Penner, EAA 1103560
Wizardry: (noun) wi-zər-drē; surprising and/or clever accomplishment. Requiring significant skill and expertise.
OZ: (noun) ˈoʊ zɑrks; an area of low mountains in northwestern Arkansas.
Mission: FLYOZ was added to my bucket list after seeing them at AirVenture a couple of years ago. We flew south from our base in Manitoba, Canada, on October 1, 2024, to check it out.
Previous backcountry trips, including one with similar geography with Virginian Smoky and Appalachian Mountains strips a few years ago, had me confident in my ability to handle whatever Arkansas could throw at us. However, as we have all learned, just when you think you know it all is when you realize how limited your knowledge, skill, and experience actually are. Looking back, the word to describe this Ozarks trip would be “surprising.” Let me recount some of the unexpected…
- The airstrips. Short, uphill/downhill, and obstacles… I’ve seen them all before. But…
- Side slopes. I’ve never seen one that is both uphill and downhill (a saddle in the middle) and banana shaped. Welcome to Thunder Ridge (45AR). Oh… by the way, it also has a significant side slope. After a noneventful landing, I continued taxiing up to the far end, turned, and started the downhill takeoff back toward the saddle. I was anticipating that the airplane would move to my right (down-slope). However, the tail went that way, and the nose headed for the trees on the left and things got interesting really quickly. That was very nearly my undoing, but fortunately the Patrol had enough power to get airborne before things got completely out of hand. I learned right there that a side slope acts like a crosswind, and the tail goes with the slope and the nose points to the hill. No matter how much we think we know, flying can serve up humble pie anytime!
- Steep grades. Banks Ranch (62AR) has five unique runways. Log Ride is a 650-foot strip that climbs about 80 feet (12-percent grade) from south to north. After landing uphill and taxiing to the top, I turned around on the flat area at the top for the downhill takeoff. Simple, right? Not really. The runway drops away so fast that it’s impossible to tell where it is. All you can see is the sky, and once you go over the edge, you are committed. I shut down, climbed out, walked to the edge to set a target, then got back in the airplane… about three or four times… before actually pushing the throttle forward. And as if that wasn’t enough, the takeoff run was much longer than anticipated. Why? The tail could not go down when the stick was pulled back because the slope was so steep. It was already on the ground, even though the airplane was pointing down. This disconcerting experience was another new one in the logbook!
- The views. The privilege of flying Alaska’s Denali, Idaho’s Frank Church, and Utah’s red rock country had made me somewhat jaded. However, the amazing vista at the John Harris (AR06) strip was a completely unforeseen bonus. The landscape dropping away under us lifting off runway 28 at Trigger Gap (17A) was another unforgettable view.
- The off-airport opportunities. The Arkansas River flows through the area, and it offers additional opportunities for memorable experiences. We had not anticipated gravel bar landings on this trip.
- The facilities. Camping was made easy with facilities like the showers at Petit Jean (KPMJ), the fireplace and shelter at Trigger Gap (17A), an air-conditioned lounge at Sugar Creek (58AR), and Byrd’s (51AR) courtesy vehicle, restaurant, and store. Carroll County (4MI) had fuel and courtesy vehicles to get into town for supplies.
- The other activities. Gaston’s (3M0) has great fishing, hiking is everywhere, and floating down the rivers is another popular activity. The big surprise for me was that Arkansas is a world class, premier cycling destination. Did you know that Arkansas lists 1,485 bike trails? Me neither.
- The people. It’s always about the people, right? The airstrips are almost all privately owned. The gift of their use to the aviation community is something unique and precious in our self-centred world. Not only does this make FLYOZ possible, but meeting these people was a wonderful surprise. As Canadians, seeing a homemade backyard cannon fire after it was loaded with 1/2 pound of gunpowder, hearing an Air Force veteran’s stories, having people tell us that the snake in the swimming hole next to the Richland Creek (4AR9) airstrip was a water moccasin, and the man expounding on his chestnut trees were all unique and memorable. And of course, sharing it all with friends is another priceless privilege. In my case, my passenger Rick is a photographer and videographer. His video of our experience can be seen here:
2024 Flying Arkansas Ozarks Backcountry
Stats: 2,800 miles in 24.3 hours over 7 days
16 unforgettable FLYOZ airstrips
Conclusion: FLYOZ is the consummate illustration of wizardry. Reality surpassed our expectations every day, putting it on a level with other bucket list destinations. To quote their website, “The Northwest Arkansas…plateau…is a stunning combination of rivers, bluffs, and hills with a relatively low density altitude. We’ve combined a network of airstrips with a premier flying club ‘to’ become the most accessible region for recreational flying in the US. Each FLY OZ airstrip is a gift from the landowner to the aviation community.”
I would like to thank the FLYOZ community and the ever-amazing RAF (Recreational Aircraft Foundation) for their role in promoting backcountry aviation and for their efforts in making this special place accessible. The private airstrip landowners that allow access to the aviation community deserve recognition, thanks, and the respectful use of this amazing resource. This special flying opportunity exists because of this very unique cooperation that is without parallel anywhere else.
Wizard of OZ is a familiar historical icon. A gem to discover today is the Wizardry of OZ.