Mountain Flying

We believe our mountain flying training is the best in the country. We're not claiming to be experts in IFR . . . but we are the best when it comes to mountain flying. From Queenstown, virtually every departure and arrival we make interacts with the mountains. It's challenging, exciting, and with our years of experience flying in this area, it becomes the safest.

Our mountain flying training is on-demand, and is included in the 50 hour local experience requirement (for employability), the 'C' Cat training course, and the CPL training course ^?.

The concepts covered include:

• Horizon definition
• Decision making
• Contour flying
• Valley turns and positioning
• Anticipation
• Saddle crossings
• White-out
• Sun/Valley shadows
• Disorientation
• Weather interaction

This can extend into experience on strips, beach operations, Milford experiences etc. We offer an "Introduction to Mountain Flying" as a minimum, which is approximately 1.5hrs, however, past experiences show it takes the average pilot trained in a flat environment approximately three to five hours to realistically superimpose a usable horizon on a variable background. Therefore, to do between 5-10 hours mountain flying under instruction is a valuable experience for any pilot.

This experience while essential for employment in the area is also good insurance for safe, enjoyable, recreational flight in any mountainous terrain.

If you require any further information or assistance, please feel free to contact us.