Mountain flying opens up new opportunities for GA pilots.

Flying in the mountains allows pilots to reach new and exciting destinations, with beautiful scenery and views you just can’t get from the ground. Yet with any new flying adventure, there are also unique risks associated with that environment.  Mountain flying can be very unforgiving due to rugged terrain, high density altitude, unique weather patterns, high altitude operations, oxygen requirements and hypoxia, which may push the limits of both the pilot and the plane.

Because of the more demanding nature of mountain flying, you should carefully consider your experience and background before beginning a flight into mountainous terrain. The FAA recommends attending a mountain flying course and flying with a certified flight instructor to give you the knowledge and skills you will need to be safe before attempting mountain flying. Furthermore, the FAA advocates that pilots wait until they have at least 150 hours of pilot in command time logged before beginning mountain training. Pilots with this amount of flight time typically are more familiar and comfortable with the airplane and with planning flying trips. Mountain flying in many areas will stretch your abilities to fly the airplane proficiently, navigate, and deal with weather.

Mountain flying resources:

Book: Mountain Flying Bible https://www.mountainflying.com/products/mfbr_info.html

Select the Student Information button below to start mountain flying today.