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, 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:
- Aircraft performance
- Performance charts
- Flight planning for high altitude and mountain conditions
- Navigation in mountainous areas
- Weather factors
- Mountain wind conditions and how they influence flight techniques
- Basic survival in the mountains
