Mountain Flying

Introduction

Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado offer incredible natural beauty, from desert mesas and arroyos to snow-capped 14,000 ft peaks. This landscape also presents a wide variety of challenges for all pilot experience levels. Narrow and sloping runways, one-way airports, density altitudes in excess of 10,000 ft and difficult-to-predict mountain wave will test your decision-making abilities and skills as a pilot.

Safe and enjoyable flying in the mountains requires a solid understanding of aircraft performance, the operating environment and most importantly, your abilities as a pilot. The proficient mountain pilot will carefully assess each of these factors when planning any high density altitude and/or mountain flight. The goal of this course is to provide the pilot with the basic tools of knowledge, skill and judgement to fly safely in mountainous terrain, while having a challenging and rewarding experience.

Because of the low student-instructor ratio, the course can be customized to any certification level from low-time private pilot to ATP. Our mountain instructor-pilots are intimately familiar with the topography and airports of the area.

Ground School Topics

The package will include roughly 12 hours of ground school, including some or all of the topics listed below. These sessions will include a mix of lectures, discussions, videotapes and problem-solving. As a minimum, students should read The Mountain Flying Bible by Sparky Imeson prior to attending the course.

·  Aircraft Performance Review (2hr)

·  Weight and Balance
Density Altitude
Takeoff and Landing Distance
Part 91 Regulations

·  VFR Flight Planning in Mountainous Terrain (1hr)

·  Route Planning
Filing a Flight Plan
Communications Limitations

·  Seasonal Weather Characteristics (1hr)

·  General Mountain Meteorology
Canyon Meteorology

·  What Makes a Runway Short (0.5hr)

·  Flight Through Passes and Valleys (1hr)

·  Approaching a Pass
Using Ridge and Thermal Lift
Turn Radii for Given Airspeeds

·  Emergency Procedures (0.5hr)

·  Off-airport Landings
Engine Failure after Takeoff (attempting a turn back to rwy)

·  Induction and Airframe Icing (1hr)

·  System Failures, Recognition and Appropriate Action (1hr)

·  Survival Gear and Techniques (1hr)

·  Accident Statistics in Mountainous Terrain (1hr)

·  Introduction; Entrance and Departure Exams (2hr)

Flying Topics

The package includes 6 hours of flight instruction, normally completed in 2-3 days. Further instruction is available if the student so desires. Time allotment will vary with student skill and recent experience. In order to maximize the time spent on mountain procedures and techniques, it is strongly recommended that the pilot spend at least 5-10 hours practicing flight fundamentals, including takeoffs and landings, prior to attending the course.

·  Review of Fundamentals

·  Straight-and-Level Flight
Level, Climbing and Descending Turns
Slow Flight; Straight and Turning Stalls
Basic Instrument Maneuvers (Simulated IFR)

·  Takeoffs and Landings at High Altitude

·  Power-on and Power-off Approaches
Forward Slips to Landing
Short and Soft Field Takeoffs and Landings

·  Enroute Procedures

·  Approaching and Crossing Mountain Passes
Choosing Altitudes
Using Ridge Lift and Thermals
Valley Flying

·  Emergency Procedures

·  Engine Failure on Takeoff
System Failures, Recognition and Appropriate Action
Emergency Landings

We encourage you to learn as much as you can about mountain flying by reading books and magazines, watching videos, and of course by flying with a qualified mountain flying instructor! Following are some websites that might help you in your training.

Mountain Pilot Magazine

Mountain Flying in Colorado (sponsored by the Denver ARTCC)

Colorado Pilot's Association

Sparky Imeson's Mountain Flying Bible

F.E. Potts' Bush Flying

AOPA's Guide to Mountain Flying(For AOPA members only)

Southwest Aviator

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