Introduction to mountain flying

This work is intended for light aircraft pilots but also for those who are passionate about beautiful mountain landscapes. For the pilots who wish to broaden their field of expertise and improve their flying practice, this work gives the elementary information that is needed for the basic principles of mountain flying. For landscape enthusiasts, the photographs grouped together in this compendium make it possible to catch a glimpse of the mountains from angles that are inaccessible, except by plane.

This work is composed of two parts.

In the first part, the main machines used for mountain flying are listed. After a short history of the genesis of these machines, their technical characteristics and conditions of use are mentioned. Alpine and Pyrenean mountain airfields as well as their situation and characteristics are then presented. This part ends with a brief presentation of the necessary knowledge and best practice for mountain flying.

The second part offers a list of the top landscapes with comments on procedures and information concerning good practice to take off, fly and land in the mountains. The in-flight photographs are associated with journeys from Méribel altiport, on both sides of the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys, from the Aravis mountain range to Serre-Ponçon lake.

A bibliography is finally presented for additional knowledge about the information contained in this book.