Treat High-Altitude Turbulence with Knowledge and Respect

Mountain wave turbulence can be a great teacher that cuts both ways.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 08:44 PM ET

Verified

If mountain wave turbulence is severe, use both flaps and gear and slow to just above stall speed. [Illustration: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

Specialized mountain flying instruction is crucial, covering high-altitude operations, emergency procedures, and navigating challenging mountain airports.
Even with thorough preparation, mountain flying presents unpredictable and potentially life-threatening dangers, as experienced through severe mountain wave turbulence near Loveland Pass.
Key lessons from the extreme turbulence include immediately slowing the aircraft with flaps and landing gear to prevent structural damage, maintaining ample terrain clearance, and ensuring secure restraints.
The experience underscored the critical importance of respecting mountain weather phenomena, continuous learning, and specific piloting skills for safe operations in mountainous regions.

See a mistake? Contact us.

It was October 2006. I had just bought a terrific, well-equipped Cessna T210 about a year before. It had occurred to me that with such a great high-altitude aircraft that I should take some quality mountain flying instruction. A friend had told me of an outstanding mountain instructor based at Vance Brand Airport (KLMO) in Longmont, Colorado, and strongly urged me to take his two-day course.

The first day of the course was basic mountain flying. We covered mountain and high-altitude basics. Where and how to crash-land and survive. How to prepare an emergency pack. How aircraft performed. And so on. It was a thorough and excellent preparation.