He was right....those were hills.....but as he picked up Interstate 40 heading east there be mountains there.....one of them known as Grandfather Mountain is the tallest on the east coast and is above 6,000 feet elevation.
The I-40 highway winds itself through what is known as "The Gorge"....really narrow, twisty, and flanked by mountains...not hills. It is treacherous to drive through by ;automobile due to the many curves and frequent rock slides that sometimes close the roadway for weeks.
It is about 25-30 miles of curves, wires, and challenging flying in decent weather if you are down low.
How many people with lots of experience and plenty of local knowledge tried to convince the fellow not to try it. The hard head has to live with knowing he killed his companion that day out of pure stupidity.