Steve Roper - pilot?

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Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic

Sula

Trad climber

Pennsylvania

Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 12, 2017 - 05:48pm PT

I heard this story a while back, and it sounded as if it might be true. But it's incomplete and I'm not sure I recall all details properly. I was wondering if anyone can correct it.

As the story goes, Steve came into a decent amount of money (an inheritance?) and decided aviation might be a good way to spend some. He ended up with a pilot's license and a Cessna 210 - a fairly complex, fast (and expensive) single-engine aircraft.

The focus of the story was a flight to Ventura (from where?). He'd agreed to ferry Yvon C. home, and on the way they decided that the efficient plan would be to avoid inconvenient airports and simply land on a handy road. The landing and subsequent takeoff went without a hitch, but the unusual goings-on attracted attention, and one onlooker contacted the FAA. This resulted in Steve having his pilot license suspended for a month or so (would probably be a lot more today).

Not too much later Steve's financial situation weakened to the point that a private plane was well outside any sustainable budget, and the Cessna was sold.

ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Apr 12, 2017 - 05:58pm PT

royalties from his Sierra High Route book no doubt funded the apocryphal Cessna purchase

guido

Trad climber

Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific

Apr 12, 2017 - 06:09pm PT

Nope, I was there, wrong pilot.

But there are indeed some great Roper flight stories.................

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Apr 12, 2017 - 06:12pm PT

Stories fueled by Roper's wine cabinet are what we need here.

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Apr 12, 2017 - 07:59pm PT

Stories fueled by Roper's wine cabinet are what we need here.

I drank a fair amount of wine with Roper. Well, okay, more than a fair amount (and mostly Argentinian plonk Allen Steck bought by the case). But whatever stories were told over those days and evenings are long since lost in the haze. But I don't think the subject of flying airplanes ever came up.