Mountain flying knowledge required?

Blanche wrote:
Toño wrote:

Blanche wrote:


My response addressed your comment about "flying in the mountains".
And yes, if you're going to fly "in the mountains" in a single (unless,
of course, that single engine is attached to an F16) you really should
have some knowledge of mountain survival.

And here we are in agreement that *if* you are indeed *in* the
mountains, then some training would be well advised. However, if you are
10,000ft above the nearest peak with a good engine (or in a glider..;-)
) then of what possible use could mountain flying knowledge be?


How does a knowledge of mountain flying help you to land with and engine
out? And how would that differ from any other no-engine landing?


OK, you're at 16K over the I-70 in Colorado west of Denver. Let's
say somewhere between Georgetown and Silverton. What are you going
to do? (And following I-70 between Denver and Glenwood Springs is
the absolute worst action you can take). If you've only read Sparky's
book it's not going to help much.

The question of the OP had to do with being over the mountains, not in
them. He specifically stated a "turbo-normalized Bonanza with on-board
O2" ...."at altitudes in the mid-to-upper teens". He wondered if
*mountain flying training* would be of assistance to him.

However, I wondered: Where is the mountain flying? My contention was
that he did not need training specific to mountain flying because he was
not going to be in the mountains.

Admitedly, in a "what-if" scenario, he might possibly end up in a glide
toward some valley in the mountains. He might possibly be able to pick a
better landing site ( if indeed he has an option ) if had been "mountain
flying trained". But this was such a strecth and departure from all
that I know of genuine bush-pilot, down in the peaks mountain flying
necessities that I felt he might be wasting his time (on this particular
flight) in seeking that *specific* type of education.


Please remember, I'm the one who said reading Sparky's book and
nothing else is not a good idea. Flying in the mountains...hm...
Half the time I'm in the air, I'm very close to mountains. Personally,
I prefer NOT to be "in the mountains". Above, between, sure.


Noted. I overlooked that. But I lean toward loving being in the
mountains. Sure there are risks but, ahhhhh, the rewards are great!!

As far as *where* you land...you land wherever you can; as in
non-mountainous terrain.


Again I respond -- if all you've ever done is read the book you're
not prepared.

However off the OP's topic it is, I would enjoy hearing responses on:
How do you prepare to land Bonanza in the mountains? ( I ask that
sincerely wishing to know and not just to be rhetorical.)


I don't own a "whiz wheel". Well, I do. I just don't know where it
is these days.

Ha! (That made me laugh!)

I love these type discussions--the one's where people are actually civil
to each other and seek sincerely to understand more. It really makes
the experience here so very valuable.

Antonio