Many professional piloting jobs involve operating in mountainous terrain or high altitude conditions. Special skills are needed to fly efficiently and safely in these environments. The Bristow Academy Mountain Flying course prepares pilots to operate under these conditions by training them in the special methods and techniques for flying in the mountains. The course is conducted in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountain range of Northern California, where students will operate at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet, and land at developed and undeveloped sites up to 8,000 feet elevation.

This course is very important for students planning to work flying helicopters in high density altitude conditions. However, this is also a very beneficial program for any helicopter pilot since it helps to development judgment, planning, and decision making skills. Furthermore, the subtle flying skills needed to operate close to the limits of the aircraft's performance can be just as useful when flying at lower altitudes with high weight on a hot day.

The typical Mountain Course begins with a series of ground school sessions. Subjects covered include:

The course is then ready to move to the mountains. Typically, the group consists of four helicopters, four instructors and eight students. The first flight takes them from Concord to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There may be a stop at Placerville, a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with an elevation of about 2500 feet (800m), for fuel. This flight takes over an hour and along the way the students are given training on the procedures for operating as "a flight" of two or more aircraft. They learn how to keep station with other helicopters, collision avoidance procedures, radio communication procedures, and flight leadership responsibilities. "In flight" operations should not be confused with formation flying, such as that used by airshow display teams. Operating as a flight is simply the most efficient way to move several aircraft from A to B; only one aircraft communicates with Air Traffic Control, and all helicopters maintain at least six rotor diameters distance from each other.

If the flight includes a stop at Placerville the aircraft are refueled. Refueling at any time in mountain operations requires careful calculation of the optimum fuel load, taking into account the temperature, pressure, and weight on board. As the helicopters ascend into the mountains they begin to experience the performance degradation caused by the lower density of the air at altitude. From Placerville the aircraft take a circuitous route to South Lake Tahoe airport. On the way they immediately experience the challenges of operating at full throttle and the limitations which that imposes on the pilot. The instructors demonstrate the effect of the mountains on the local winds, and how they can be used to help rather than hinder the pilot.

The highlight of this leg of the trip is a landing at the Forest Service helipad at Big Hill. This mountain-top facility is located at an elevation of 6155 feet (1893m) and provides a base for the many helicopters which stand-by to fight fires through-out the hot Californian summer. In recent years the Forest Service has generously allowed Bristow Academy aircraft to land at the helipad, however we always remain clear if a fire fighting operation is in progress.

The next stop for the group is South Lake Tahoe airport, at 6264 feet (1927m) elevation. Getting there necessitates crossing the pass at an altitude of about 8000 feet. This is one of the most spectacular sights you will ever see from a helicopter. In summer or winter the mountains, trees and lakes create an unforgettable image of beauty. Most participants in the Mountain Course say that this view alone makes the course worthwhile. Lake Tahoe itself is a large and deep lake with a surprisingly beach-like shoreline on the South side. The airport provides an opportunity to practice the full range of maneuvers, while availing the security of a long and paved runway. A full lesson is normally conducted at Tahoe before moving on to the next leg.

In summer months, a running takeoff is sometimes necessary after refueling at Tahoe. Weather conditions determine the next stop on the trip. The typical course takes the helicopters around the west side of Lake Tahoe to Truckee Airport, an uncontrolled airport. There they land and meet the second shift of students who drove to the mountains. If time permits, this second shift will receive an hour or so of mountain training to South Lake Tahoe airport and back.

After a much needed nights sleep, Day 2 brings flights to Carson City, Nevada, Spanish Springs (a dirt airport) and Reno Stead. This last uncontrolled airport is located a few miles North and about 500 feet higher than Reno International. It is the home of the world famous Reno air races, which are held during September and are on every true aviator's list of "must see" events, along with Oshkosh, the Paris Airshow, and The Smithsonian. Most of the time when our Mountain Course visits Stead it is almost deserted. The terrain here is high desert, a sharp contrast to the lush forests of the Sierras just a few miles away. All operations are focused on on-airport operations including traffic patterns, shallow and steep approaches, 180 autorotations and fulldown autorotations. The group returns to Truckee for lunch and a change of students to repeat the flight.

Day 3 is off airport operations. The area provides excellent terrain for pinnacles and confined area approaches and landings. Depending on weather, flights take place along the California and Nevada border and may return to Stead. Again, around lunch, the students change places and the helicopters are off again to repeat the course.

On Day 4 weather and time influence the choice of route back to the Western side of the Sierras. The group of students who flew up will drive home, allowing the second shift to fly the helicopters out of the mountains.

Usually the group will return via the Donner Pass. Sometimes a more Northerly route is selected. Either way, the final leg back to Concord seems remarkably unchallenging after the previous exploits. By the time the aircraft arrive home the students have gained a greater degree of confidence in their flying and in their helicopter. Just as important is the respect they have acquired for their limitations and those of the aircraft.