Overview

For more than a century, pilots have been intrigued by the challenges of flight in the highest mountains and the deepest canyons on every continent. Mountain, canyon, and backcountry flying allows pilots to get off the beaten path and enjoy the outdoors. It opens up a whole new world of recreation, including airplane camping, hiking, fishing, and staying at guest lodges or bush camps in areas without roads or easy access by land or water. Flying in these enticing environments often entails operations over relatively inaccessible terrain in a challenging and sometimes unforgiving environment. This necessitates the proper mindset, discipline, and procedures to operate efficiently and safely. Operating over mountains, navigating through canyons, taking off and landing on unimproved, high-altitude airstrips in confined areas, and maximizing airplane performance requires specialized skills. The authors and guest writers share information and tips gleaned from more than 150 years and 100,000 hours of collective experience as professional mountain and backcountry pilots and flight instructors. Recreational pilots to mountain flying instructors will find this book useful, and college and university professors can use the text to supplement their classroom instruction. Fundamental concepts include preparing for and conducting mountain and canyon flights, airport operations, situational awareness, aircraft performance, risk management, and emergency operations. Analysis of accident scenarios, accounts from the authors' own experiences, and contributions from seasoned backcountry pilots and instructors expand on material detailed in the text. Each chapter includes exercises to help the reader understand and apply the information to their own flying, and beautiful color illustrations will inspire pilots to seek out these awe-inspiring destinations. Foreword by Rod Machado. Full-color illustrations.

Full Product Details

9781619547414

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Reviews

Operating in the environments described by Hoover and Williams demands peak performance from pilots and their airplanes. Flying with precision is a must-the margin for error here is too slim for anything less. Identifying and mitigating risk are imperative; deep practice and thoughtful planning, mandatory. Stick and rudder skills, situational awareness, decision-making, and understanding weather and airplane performance need to be highly developed. The rewards for the effort include breathtaking sights and incredible adventures. Whether or not you venture into the mountains, canyons, or backcountry, applying the tips and techniques presented in this book will improve your overall flying. --Rich Stowell, 2006 National Flight Instructor of the Year

Operating in the environments described by Hoover and Williams demands peak performance from pilots and their airplanes. Flying with precision is a must-the margin for error here is too slim for anything less. Identifying and mitigating risk are imperative; deep practice and thoughtful planning, mandatory. Stick and rudder skills, situational awareness, decision-making, and understanding weather and airplane performance need to be highly developed. The rewards for the effort include breathtaking sights and incredible adventures. Whether or not you venture into the mountains, canyons, or backcountry, applying the tips and techniques presented in this book will improve your overall flying. --Rich Stowell, 2006 National Flight Instructor of the Year I have had the opportunity to meet, fly with, and learn from some of the world's best back-country pilots and can tell you that the authors and other people who contributed to this book are at the top of the list. Having flown in the back-country, bush, and above both arctic circles, there were many times I wished I had a resource like this in my hip pocket; far and away the best available anywhere. --R.G. Ron Hanks, ATP, PhD, CFI. Former US Naval Aviator; retired National Aviation Manager for US Bureau of Land Management; and retired Chief of Aviation Operations for US Forest Service.

I have had the opportunity to meet, fly with, and learn from some of the world's best back-country pilots and can tell you that the authors and other people who contributed to this book are at the top of the list. Having flown in the back-country, bush, and above both arctic circles, there were many times I wished I had a resource like this in my hip pocket; far and away the best available anywhere. --R.G. Ron Hanks, ATP, PhD, CFI. Former US Naval Aviator; retired National Aviation Manager for US Bureau of Land Management; and retired Chief of Aviation Operations for US Forest Service. Operating in the environments described by Hoover and Williams demands peak performance from pilots and their airplanes. Flying with precision is a must-the margin for error here is too slim for anything less. Identifying and mitigating risk are imperative; deep practice and thoughtful planning, mandatory. Stick and rudder skills, situational awareness, decision-making, and understanding weather and airplane performance need to be highly developed. The rewards for the effort include breathtaking sights and incredible adventures. Whether or not you venture into the mountains, canyons, or backcountry, applying the tips and techniques presented in this book will improve your overall flying. --Rich Stowell, 2006 National Flight Instructor of the Year

I have had the opportunity to meet, fly with, and learn from some of the world's best back-country pilots and can tell you that the authors and other people who contributed to this book are at the top of the list. Having flown in the back-country, bush, and above both arctic circles, there were many times I wished I had a resource like this in my hip pocket; far and away the best available anywhere. --R.G. Ron Hanks, ATP, PhD, CFI. Former US Naval Aviator; retired National Aviation Manager for US Bureau of Land Management; and retired Chief of Aviation Operations for US Forest Service. Operating in the environments described by Hoover and Williams demands peak performance from pilots and their airplanes. Flying with precision is a must--the margin for error here is too slim for anything less. Identifying and mitigating risk are imperative; deep practice and thoughtful planning, mandatory. Stick and rudder skills, situational awareness, decision-making, and understanding weather and airplane performance need to be highly developed. The rewards for the effort include breathtaking sights and incredible adventures. Whether or not you venture into the mountains, canyons, or backcountry, applying the tips and techniques presented in this book will improve your overall flying. --Rich Stowell, 2006 National Flight Instructor of the Year

Author Information

"Amy Hoover has been flying commercially and teaching backcountry flying for more than 25 years. She has over 7,000 hours of flight time, more than 2/3 of it in the Idaho backcountry, and is an original co-founder of the Mountain/Canyon Flying School in McCall, Idaho. Hoover has published more than 25 articles and manuals on mountain and canyon flying, and given more than 100 presentations in various forums throughout the U.S. She holds a Ph.D. in Education and is a Professor of Aviation at Central Washington University.R. K. ""Dick"" Williams has been a licensed pilot since 1972. He holds all fixed wing and instructor certificates, several turboprop and jet type ratings, and has flown over 18,300 hours as an instructor, charter, government, and corporate pilot. He was also an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for 10 years. Williams started one of the first mountain flying schools in Idaho in 1985 and has over 8,000 hours flying and instructing in mountain and canyon terrain. He is the author of ""Notes From The Cockpit."""

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