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Looking For A New Challenge? by Bob Leuten Page 1 of 3 Next Page

Looking for a new challenge in small-plane flying? No, not aerobatics—pulling excess G's is not everyone's idea of fun. I'm suggesting a mountain flying course from an experienced mountain flying instructor. There are several experienced mountain flying CFI's here at San Carlos Airport who are qualified to teach it. However, I took my course from a customer of mine who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, and we flew the course in the granddaddy of all North American mountain ranges, the mighty Colorado Rockies! Before I took the course, I was filled with trepidation. I've been a flatland flyer for all of my 36-years of flying experience. Oh, I've landed at Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Reno, and Las Vegas but that kind of experience hardly qualifies one as an experienced mountain flying pilot. I used to look at a sectional or WAC chart and unless the basic terrain color was either green or light green, I would generally plan to stay away, fly around, or fly over. Way over! Actually, I took the course twice: The first time was flown in the northern Rockies in July 2000, and the second time was flown in the southern Rockies in July 2001. I must say, both courses were among my most memorable aviation experiences! Each part involved a full day of flying (always on a VFR flight plan), beginning with a 6 a.m. breakfast and lunch at one of our landing sites. Each day of flying involves landing at least a six different airports, none of which involve "standard" traffic patterns. Most of the airports necessitate landing in one direction and taking off in the opposite direction. You learn that unless the wind is unusually strong (over 15 knots) you should land uphill and takeoff downhill. My instructor for both courses was Gerald Eberhard, an engineer with Hewlett Packard in Fort Collins, Colorado. "Jer" is not only a high-time mountain flight instructor and volunteer FAA Aviation Safety Counselor, but also is a glider instructor—a skill that is very useful for this type of flying. He is also active with the Civil Air Patrol as a Mission and Aircraft Check Pilot. He keeps current with students seeking all single-engine ratings and certificates. Jer estimates that he has provided mountain training flight courses such as the ones I took at least 125 times. He has never been involved in an accident. As we flew, Jer provided a constant dialog naming all the peaks, cities, passes, and ridges within sight of our route. Of course I was not familiar with the territory and this made me feel very comfortable that we'd make it home even if my Denver sectional chart blew out the window and all my radios suddenly failed to function. He's truly a professional and is as knowledgeable a flight instructor as I've ever flown with! In 2001, Jer charged a flat $260 (plus meals) for his full day of instruction. (You can expect to pay more in future years.) In addition, you pay a nominal charge for the course outline if you do not attend the Colorado Pilots Association (CPA) ground school. Even though he is a part time instructor, you can take the course during the regular work week in which case Jer will either take a day of vacation or assign you to one of the many other CPA-approved mountain flying instructors. The CPA Mountain Flying Course meets the provisions of paragraph 7. g. of FAA Advisory Circular 61-91H. This qualifies you for "Wings" (the FAA Pilot Proficiency Award Program) and thus satisfies the requirements of a Biennial Flight Review. What can you look forward to in taking a course like this? First and perhaps most important, is a thorough review of the basics of VFR flying: Aircraft control, navigation using a sectional chart, weather, and emergencies—"Okay, you just lost your engine, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO LAND?" (There aren't as many options in mountainous terrain as we have here in the flatlands!) Second, a real appreciation of density altitude and how it affects a light plane. Third, you will be treated to, literally, a bird's eye view of some of the most majestic, breathtaking landscapes, and scenery on earth!

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