PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Dangers of flying in the Southern Alps NZ
Old 17th Sep 2009, 23:22
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aileron_69
 
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Thats quite a strange question and u can probably find the answer in your text books, but basically whatever the worst you can imagine that can happen in flying, you can get in a flash in the alps.
Severe turbulence, downdraughts of several thousand feet/min, and updraughts too can be just as problematic. Freezing rain, icing, extremely changeable weather, snow, hail, fog, freezing fog, rain, difficulty of navigation in confined valleys with cloud on the tops mixed with all the above little trying factors. Probably not the greatest time to be flying when its like that but if you work in the area long enough there is a high probablity you will get caught out by a fast moving front or something. You just have to make sure you know what to do if this does happen. Where are you going to go? Do you have somewhere to land? Always remember, there are a LOT of topdressing strips up in the farmed part of the high country, learn to identify them and look for signs that the are still in useable condition. I wouldnt be too afraid of using them in extreme circumstances, of course in addition to some mountain flying training it doesnt hurt to have a bit of rough strip training too.
Im getting slightly off topic here but basically you just need to be thinking a lot further ahead of the aircraft, reading the terrain, and the wind, and thinking about what that is going to do to your aircraft when you get to that spot.
That being said, on a nice, clear, calm winters day with a big high pressure system over the country I wouldnt want to be anywhere else!!
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