HYDRAULIC SKIS allow landings on snow and hard- surface runways (above). Kirk Wicker flies his Piper J-3 over Millinocket, Maine, near Mount Katahdin, the state's highest peak at 5,269 feet (right). Calm winds at dawn foretell an ideal day for ski flying (below). Winter sports such as snowmobiling and cross-country skiing keep The Birches busy during what used to be the offseason (facing page, bottom). 78 | AOPA PILOT November 2019