At FLY OZ we believe there’s a lot more to backcountry flying than just taking off and landing short. It involves a completely different pilot mindset which encompasses things like survival, stewardship, planning and assessment. Additionally, it isn’t just about flying. For those looking for outdoor experiences, there are lots of opportunities for cycling, fishing, hiking, and camping.
Our goal is to provide a well rounded introduction to the backcountry flying environment. We do this with a combination of ground and flight training utilizing your aircraft or ours.
Our training begins with a ground discussion focused around developing your backcountry mindset.
The first flight with one of our highly experienced instructors will be to assess the performance of the aircraft we are flying and get a feel for the various gaits of flight. We’ll also begin to develop some short field skills on our 2,500′ turf runway where there are no obstacles and approaches and departures are standard.
We offer individual backcountry training, or if you have a group interested in meeting up in the Ozarks to polish their skills, let us know!
Basing out of Thaden Field, your training will have the support of a restaurant, maintenance team, and a retail area where you can pick up pilot supplies.
FLY OZ BACKCOUNTRY TRAINING
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
We charge $130 per hour for backcountry flight instruction – both air and ground. We offer day rates as well.
CAN I USE MY AIRPLANE?
Yes, you can use your aircraft at the discretion of our instructors. It must be fully insured for private airport use and dual instruction. Also, we require that you have shoulder harnesses for both you and the instructor. We do teach in some experimental aircraft if we have an instructor with relavant experience.
CAN I USE YOUR AIRPLANE?
Yes! We have a Piper PA-18 Super Cub we can use for the training if you are already tailwheel endorsed.
CAN WE FLY FIVE TIMES A DAY?
We understand the desire to get your money’s worth when you visit, but there is a diminishing return doing this kind of flight training. We find that two or at most three flights of one to one-and-a-half hours each is a good estimate for most people.
CAN YOU TEACH ME HOW TO WATER SKI AND LAND ON SANDBARS?
Sorry, we don’t do that kind of training. See FAQ item one.
WHERE WILL THE TRAINING BE CONDUCTED?
Initial skill building will be conducted at strips near the KVBT airport. Once you have mastered the techniques, we can move to working at the many airstrips within thirty miles or so.
WHERE WILL I STAY?
There are a number of lodging options in the Bentonville area from fancy to spartan. Have a quick search using your favorite search engine to explore the many options. If you’re interested in camping we can help with that too.
WHAT IF THE WEATHER DOESN’T COOPERATE?
Like most places the weather here is not always easy to predict. We do our best to stay in touch with you as your scheduled training approaches to make alternate arrangements if necessary. There is no cancellation fee.
ARE THERE THINGS TO DO AROUND THE AREA FOR MY SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
There is a lot to do in Bentonville and the surrounding area. There is no better resource than Visit Bentonville for all of the latest information. Their website can be found here: Visit Bentonville.