Twice Lucky: A Close Call and a Hailstorm Dodge — Idaho Backcountry Training Pt. 1

On my way to Idaho for backcountry and mountain flying training with Amy Hoover, one of the best canyon flying instructors around, I got a lot more excitement than I bargained for. Right as I was taxiing out from Washington, a dog ran across the runway in front of my plane — a genuinely close call before I'd even left the ground. Then, once I landed in Idaho, a group of incredibly generous pilots moved their own airplane to a different hangar just so I'd have a safe place to park my 1956 Cessna 172 ("the Old Lady") and a place to stay myself. Turns out that favor saved my airplane — a massive hailstorm rolled through that same night, and if my plane had been parked outside on the ramp like planned, it likely would have been destroyed. This is Part 1 of my Idaho backcountry flying training series, documenting the trip, the training, and the people who made it possible. 🛩️ Aircraft: 1956 Cessna 172 📍 Location: Idaho backcountry 👩‍✈️ Instructor: Amy Hoover If you enjoy backcountry and mountain flying content, subscribe for the rest of the series! #BackcountryFlying #MountainFlying #Cessna172 #IdahoAviation #GeneralAviation #FlightTraining #AmyHoover #BushFlying