This Autumn I invite you all to enjoy the 'Autumn In the Alps' tour with me! It is a superb tour route taking in some absolutely breath-taking scenery and is well worth the effort, even for pilots who have already completed it once as the sights look different every time the weather changes
So ahead of the start of the Autumn months, I thought I'd publish a short article giving some useful information to help you all fly safely in the mountains...
The rules are simple:-
1. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE HOW DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN FLYING CAN BE !!!You can easily become distracted by the scenery or by some task in the cockpit and suddenly find yourself a lot closer to the terrain than you thought (if you can reach out of the window and touch the pine trees then you're probably a little too close...
)
As the tour is carried out in a prop plane, you do not have the massive performance many of us get used to when in the left seat of a jet transport so...
2. ALWAYS PLAN YOUR FLIGHT AHEAD AND HAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE.This means that while it is fun to think "I'll just fly over there and have a look at that big mountain..." it could lead you towards a slope that rises faster than your plane can climb! Always make sure you know where the lower ground is around you and which heading (or track if there is wind) is safe to take.
3. DON'T PLAN ON REMAINING VFR ALL DAY - IN THE MOUNTAINS VISIBILITY CAN DROP TO NOTHING IN SECONDS! One minute you're enjoying the sights, the next it seems like someone poured grey paint on the windscreen... Know where you are going and always keep your navaids tuned in as you may need them! Ensure you know what the safe altitude is and stay above the terrain!!
4. GET CHARTS FOR THE AIRPORTS YOU INTEND TO VISIT AND STUDY THEM!Many mountain airfields have restricted approaches as they are surrounded by high terrain - make sure you know the safe way in and don't be tempted to try and swoop down to the runway from a straight in approach over the highest peak - you'll only end up too fast and rip the wings off or bury your plane under the airport!
5. KNOW YOUR AIRCRAFT. Don't ask your Cessna 172 to climb at 2000ft/min when at 8000ft altitude - it just won't happen! Just because you've watched
doesn't mean you can do it on the tour...
There are lots of good websites that go into much more detail and it is worth practising your flights in the mountains (with real weather - it's pointless if you set the weather to fine all the time
) so that you are comfortable before you start this challenging tour...
Try these links for a start:-
1. Mountain flying tips2. AOPA guide to mountain flights - PDF3. New Zealand mountain flying information - PDF4. An article on the Pilatus PC-12 in the mountains5. Interesting item on landing on glaciers!Mountain flying can be a wonderful, rewarding way to see the world but it requires specific skills and knowledge - make sure you don't get caught out!
The 'Autumn in the Alps' tour will be running in September and October to catch our wonderful scenery at its most colourful - do you have the skills to take part ?
