Transcript Ins and Outs of Safe Mountain Flying Adventures

Ins and Outs of Safe
Mountain Flying Adventures
Scott Stauter
FAA Gold Seal CFII, MEI, AGII
Reference: Mountain Flying Bible
Sparky Imeson
Why are Mountain checkouts necessary?
Aircraft performance suffers
More severe/changeable/local weather
Airports may not be as developed
Suitable landing spots are less available
Plan to survive an off-airport landing
Oxygen requirements
Careful preflight planning is necessary
Filing a flight plan is good insurance
Flight hazards
Aircraft Performance Suffers
High Density Altitude means:
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Less engine power (less oxygen molecules)
Less propeller thrust and less lift
Lean non-turbo for best power before Takeoff
Use Aircraft POH or AFM performance tables
With Density Altitude:
TAS higher than IAS,
~2%/1,000 ft
Groundspeed may be 20%
faster (10,000 ft)
Vspeeds change:
Vx goes up ~0.5% /1000 ft
Vy goes down ~ 1 knot/1000 ft
Vx = Vy at absolute ceiling
With Gross Weight:
For each 100# below MGW
VA (turbulence) drops ~2 knots
Vs decreases ~1 knot
Takeoff Roll Increases with:
• Higher density altitude
• Tailwind component / local terrain effect
• Rough or soft runway surface
Weather Challenges in Mountain Flying
Mountain waves
Lenticular clouds (rotors)
Localized weather
In a valley, near a body of
water
Downdrafts on lee side
of mountains
Try to visualize where to
expect
• Turbulence
Light, moderate, severe,
extreme
NOTAMs – give PIREPs
(122.0) and use them
Thunderstorms (3 phases)
Cumulus: storm building, good
source of lift
Mature: rain and/or hail,
updrafts & downdrafts
Dissipative: mostly downdrafts,
clouds more transparent
Frost, ice, & snow must be
cleared from airfoils
Aircraft performs according
to Density altitude
Air density decreases with
altitude
Hot air less dense ~600 ft/ 100F
Airports may not be as developed
May not have any weather reporting
– TRK and BLU have AWOS/ASOS
– You may get nearby Wx by monitoring 122.8
Over fly runway
– Look for wildlife
– Check for runway slope
– Evaluate surface conditions: may be
unpaved, grass or rough terrain, humps and
dips, snow removal?
Approach
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May be one-way in, other way out
May require non-rectangular approach
May have optical illusion (high or low)
Plan your Abort/Go around point (half
runway) Weight needs to transfer to wings,
or Abort
Departure
– May require a turn immediately after takeoff
– May have drop off at runway end
– May not have runway snow removal
Suitable landing spots are less available
Be aware of Emergency Landing Areas
Highways – watch out for powerlines and traffic
Rivers
Reservoir or lake shorelines
Mountain meadows are more rugged
Swaths cut through trees = power lines
High cruise altitudes give better gliding range
Logging roads usually narrow and winding
Small trees are better than big ones (ouch!)
Accessibility for rescue – near road
Develop a where can I set down awareness
Plan to survive an off-airport landing
Survivable emergency landing techniques
Psychological hazards
Reluctance to accept
situation
Desire to save aircraft
Undue concern about
injury
Survival equipment
 Water, and signaling
capability
Concepts of crash safety
 Maintain integrity of aircraft
cabin area
 Avoid body contact with interior
structure
 Energy absorption, use aircraft
structure and vegetation
 Occupant restraint
 Groundspeed and stopping
distance
 Control sink rate – flare uphill
Oxygen requirements
Breathable Oxygen Required
Pilot and Crew >30 minutes >12,500’ must use O2
Pilot and Crew >14,000’ any time must use O2
Available for passengers >15,000’
Psychological training available at Beale & Edwards AFB
Altitude Chamber test
Experience hypoxia in controlled environment
Less O2 partial pressure at altitude; pulse oxymeters are useful
Hypoxia symptoms
Significant loss of vision
Anxiety
Headache
Nausea
Slow thinking and reflexes
Dizziness
Numbness fingers, nose & mouth
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Impaired judgment
Subtle personality changes
Cyanosis
Mental Confusion
Loss of consciousness
Hyperventilation can have similar symptoms
Caused by exhaling excessive CO2
Usually triggered by stressful situations
Careful preflight planning is necessary
Start with standard weather briefing
 Get the latest up-to-date weather for the route
 Check the winds aloft, ask about any NOTAMs
 You may have to call the destination airport, or someone nearby – sheriff’s
department may be helpful
Plan for plenty of fuel reserves
 You can have too much fuel (weight)
 Sometimes fuel isn’t as available in mountains
 AFD may show fuel services but it may not be available to “outsiders”
If density altitude is too high, depart before the heat of the day or after
Night falls quickly in the mountains -- Low altitude night flying not
recommended
I require at least 300 fpm climb capability (light twin?)
Make your Go/No go decision
Never be under pressure to go
If you have any nagging doubts – Don’t go
 Better to be on the ground, wishing I was in the air, than vice versa
Filing a flight plan is good insurance
Flight Plans are not required in the US
But if you file and open one, you must close it
Avoid “round robin”; delays search and rescue
Filing flight plan is Required in Mexico
But you don’t have to close – no search & rescue
I think search and rescue is a good thing
But they have far too many false alarms
So I developed a gimmick to prevent forgetting
I rotate my watch when I open a flight plan
If my watch is backward, my flight plan is open
Flight Hazards
Try to fly 2,000 ft above ridge lines
Never fly in Marginal VFR in the mountains
 Actual horizon near the base of the mountains
Cross ridges at a 450 angle to the ridge line
 Position aircraft where it can be turned toward lower terrain
 If caught in strong downdraft, it may be best to point nose down
and accelerate away
Never fly down the center of a canyon
 There is often wind shear in the middle
 You would give away half your turning radius
 Fly near canyon wall if necessary to get updraft
 Course reversal may be necessary e.g. Box Canyon
 I teach a modified wingover:
 Pitch up ~ 200
 Full throttle
 Full flaps once IAS in white
arc
 Briskly establish steep bank
 You can use elevator to quicken turn
 You can drop the nose at 900 into turn