Table of contents for January/February 2026 in Plane & Pilot

Welcome to the all-new Plane+ Pilot, your ultimate general aviation adventure magazine. Fueled by a deep love for new experiences, the thrill of exciting escapades, and, of course, the magnificent little airplanes that make it all possible, I am absolutely thrilled to reveal the first issue of our brand-new, explorative guidebook. While Plane + Pilot boasts long and storied roots, we are charting a new course. We’ll be spending less time on new products and historical reflections and more time celebrating the people, places, and personalities that make flying an experience meant to be enjoyed and shared. Our bold new logo, look, and feel are driven by a content strategy designed to inspire you to exclaim, “Clear prop!” Our deliberately chosen color palette reflects the Earth below, the sky above,…

THE RIGHT WAY THERE’S a place where rivers wind, mountains stand tall, and pilots are put to the ultimate test. It is here in the Idaho backcountry where a pilot’s skill set, decision making, and level of preparedness can forge a unique make-or-break relationship. One wrong control input, action, or lackluster flight plan could prove deadly. “It’s not a new concept, but I call it the Big Three,” said backcountry flight instructor and corporate pilot Art Dykstra. “It’s the pilot, the aircraft, and the weather. I look for the weakest link and most of the time, it’s the pilot.” For fliers that work to overcome Dykstra’s theory through proper time and training, high stakes turn into high rewards and a chance to leave the worries of the modern world behind.…

Created to inspire, motivate, and guide your well-deserved flying adventures, the revitalized Plane + Pilot is just getting started. After all, general aviation is about far more than the confines of the traffic pattern or making the usual $100 hamburger run. It’s about leveraging the incredible luxury of flight. I sincerely hope the stories within these pages have encouraged you to broaden your horizons, head west, and create truly unique memories. Whether that’s an airplane camping trip to the Dead Cow Lakebed or a luxurious overnight stay in downtown Missoula, Montana. I have worked diligently to make this issue a resourceful guide you’ll use time and again or to even share with a friend. From essential backcountry do’s and don’ts to setting up a visit at Hangar 180, we’ve compiled…

HANGAR 180 BOASTS 12 AIRCRAFT RANGING FROM A HISTORIC NORTH AMERICAN P-51 MUSTANG AND TRAVEL AIR 6000 TO BRAND-NEW CUBCRAFTERS CARBON CUBS. Located in Lewiston, Idaho, on the Idaho-Washington border, lies more than a dream destination for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Hangar 180 founder Gary Peters and a skilled team of devoted pilots, mechanics, and volunteers (including his daughter, Tyler) have created an airplane’s dream home. Hangar 180 boasts 12 aircraft ranging from a historic North American P-51 Mustang and 1929 Travel Air 6000 to brand-new CubCrafters Carbon Cubs. These legendary airplanes spend their lives in style, being pampered, flown, and doted on by Peters’ team and the local community. “Our name goes back to Ryan Aeronautical,” said Tyler Peters, Hangar 180’s sales and communications manager. “The company started off…

Approximately 260 nm south west of Boise, Idaho (KBOI) and 33 nm north east of Reno, Nevada (KRNO) sits a general aviation gathering like nowhere else. It’s a meeting of the backcountry, off-airport minds, STOL Drag adrenaline junkies, and believe it or not, average Jims and Janes. This is the High Sierra Fly-In, and it takes place on the Dead Cow Lakebed in the Nevada desert the first week of most Octobers. Known as the birthplace of the infamous STOL Drag racing series, the event is where founder Kevin Quinn and a dedicated team of friends, family, and volunteers invite pilots, racers, and even the FAA to the area for a fly-in that will leave you on the edge of your seat. “My version of STOL is real life,” said…

Humble beginnings for CFII Aaron Foster have turned into a tried-and-true, go-to reputation for Foster Aviation, a flight school specializing in backcountry and tailwheel instruction at the Missoula Montana Airport (KMSO) in the western part of the state. “I always wanted to be a pilot, but there are two limiting factors,” said Foster, 52. “I think everybody can agree on time and money. If you have more of one, you have less of the other.” The only pilot Foster knew, his uncle, gave him two key pieces of advice: “Don’t learn to fly in the middle-of-nowhere Idaho because you’ll always be afraid of busy airspace and radio work, and learn to fly in a taildragger.” With that guidance, Foster was well on his way. “I found myself doing a three-year…

Some people fly to the backcountry for solitude. You set up your tent, walk in the forest, listen to the birds, enjoy a campfire, and marvel at the Milky Way. ¶ Other pilots use backcountry airstrips as trailheads from which to begin hunting or fishing trips. ¶ But for many, backcountry flying is a chance to connect with other pilots, and for those folks, the fly-in calendar determines much of their schedule. It’s a bit early to get exact dates for most of these events, but they tend to happen around the same time each year, so Plane + Pilot put together a diverse list of fly-in events for 2026 in Idaho, Montana, and Nevada ¶ Any of these events could be canceled due to weather or other circumstances, so…