Questions tagged [mountain-flying]

Questions about flying in mountainous areas, and any special equipment or techniques needed to do so.

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Are there any gliders that can fly over the Himalayas?

Do gliders (sailplanes) use ridge and wave lift in the Himalayas to go to extreme altitudes, possibly above Everest's peak?
Giovanni's user avatar
  • 209
5 votes
1 answer
498 views

Is it safe to use a propeller plane to fly commercially over the Tibetan Plateau?

I saw this youtube video today: Flying over Mt Everest. A lovely view of stunning nature - quite spectacular. However, I looked up the plane - or at least what I think is the plane - and found that it ...
Stein Åsmul's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
212 views

Is there a common route that Seattle GA pilots use to circle Mt Rainier while avoiding class B airspace?

I'd like to fly around Mount Rainier in a C172 out of Renton (KRNT). What route do people usually take? I wonder if I can climb quickly enough once out of Seattle class B airspace for terrain around ...
Shaun's user avatar
  • 147
3 votes
1 answer
450 views

What is this strange structure, of a type often seen by pilots in hilly regions? [closed]

I spotted a strange structure near a few paragliding spots in italian Alps. It's a screen about 10 meters wide, 6 meters tall, mounted on concrete base on ridge top. Someone said it's a training ...
tomash's user avatar
  • 241
3 votes
3 answers
551 views

Is the transition altitude around Denali still 18 kft AMSL, and, if so, how is this handled?

In North America, the transition altitude - the altitude below which everyone reports their altitude in feet above mean sea level (AMSL) and sets their altimeter to whatever the weather dictates that ...
Vikki's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why are oxygen requirements based on pressure altitude?

The FAA's oxygen rules in §91.211 are based on pressure altitude. Assuming our lungs are like our engines and wings and dependent on density altitude, why are the oxygen requirements not based on ...
John's user avatar
  • 208
9 votes
1 answer
714 views

Where can I find more information about my grandfather's crashed B-18a bomber on Mt. Redoubt Alaska?

My father and I have chartered a plane for late August to search for the remains of my grandfather's B-18a bomber, which crashed in the summer of 1942 in Mt. Redoubt Alaska. I am specifically ...
bclarkreston's user avatar
  • 3,626
5 votes
1 answer
730 views

What are good tips for flying across Tejon pass?

I will be flying from Northern California to Southern California this weekend for the first time in a C172SP (KPAO to KFUL). My planned altitude is 9500 feet. I had a talked with my former instructor ...
RoundOutTooSoon's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
772 views

How can I avoid downdrafts and icing when crossing the Alps in a small airplane?

let's say I need to fly from LSZL to LSZP crossing the Alps with a small airplane (C150, Piper Tomahawk,...). How many times a year I could expect to find the suitable weather conditions to do that (...
MarcoM's user avatar
  • 61
8 votes
4 answers
2k views

When crossing a mountain ridge at low height above terrain what consideration is given to turbulence?

Some background: I am not a pilot, but a researcher studying air-flow across mountain terrain using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). During my studies, I have been particularly interested by high-...
ALAN WARD's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
829 views

What is typical cruise altitude in the Himalayas?

An important tourist connection goes from Tribhuvan International Airport (VNKT) in Kathmandu, at 4,390 ft, to Tenzing-Hillary Airport (VNLK) in Lukla, at 9,334 ft. The mountains around Lukla quickly ...
Jan Hudec's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
258 views

Does maximum altitude increase when pilot is acclimatised?

Normally 10,000 ft is considered safe altitude for emergency descents and 12,000 ft a maximum that can be flown in unpressurised aircraft without using supplementary oxygen. But when flying in the ...
Jan Hudec's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
3k views

How will flying through mountains cause altimeter problems?

There is an old warning on mountain flying that wind flowing through a narrow valley will cause Venturi effect, thus causing a drop in static pressure and making our little Cessna fly lower than ...
Radu094's user avatar
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