When does it become "Mountain Flying"?

[jonvcaples]

Hi Murphey hope life is treating you kindly! I've been under the weather but am finally starting to feel better. Although much of the local terrain is flat it is still at or above 5,000 MSL which the FAA defines as mountainous. Once I am feeling better and caught up on things that have piled up while feeling crappy, will try to find chapter and verse for that definition.

 

[EdFred]

Mountainous areas are defined in:
14CFR
95.11 --> 95.21

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Can’t wait for the mountain flying instructional video.

 

[murphey]

Mountainous areas are defined in:
14CFR
95.11 --> 95.21

Be great if someone had a map of 95.15 to see the exact area defined as mountainous.

 

[Bill]

 

[Bill Greenwood]

I have presented forums on Mt Flying, especially re Colorado, a number of times at Airventure and a few at Sun N Fun. I remember the first time I did it at Lakland, just before the start, I thought "No one is going to care about this down here where they don't have any mountains." I was amazed when about 80 people filled the tent.
Anyway, I tried to make 4 main points:1.have a planethat will go to 14,000 feet at least. A 172 is marginal, a 182 or certainly a Cirrus 22 is good. Plan a route that goes over the lower passes and valleys, and especially has alternate airports all along. Don't just set out over the 52 peaks that are above 14,000. It is especially important if the plane is marginal on ceiling. 3. WEATHER ! there are really two kinds of weather if you are not familiar with Colorado and our mountains, that is good VMC, or don fly. Many days are great vmc, but 15% of the time can get you killed. I rely on pireps a lot, that is what is really out there NOW, as opposed to just a forecast. 4. File a flight plan, its a govt freebee and someone to look for you if you don't arrive. And of course have survival gear, That's more involve that I'llgo into here.

 

[Jim_R]

Here's some stuff about it. https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/santa-fe-and-mountain-flying.56729/

I'm late to the party, but I'm the OP for the referenced post, and did end up making the flight using a similar route to what 6PC showed (coming from Houston). Came in at night with calm winds, and it was a smooth ride all the way, but I think our route kept us far enough away from the peaks and ridges that mountain effects would have been minimal regardless. I think our final vector was on V83 or very close to it. I recall watching Albuquerque passing my left wing as we neared SAF. (Edit: Just re-read my trip report in that older thread, and yes, it was V83.)

Your turbo Cirrus will have much better performance than my Cherokee 180, but even though it was cool when we left (45-50F), my climb performance out of SAF near max gross was pretty poor, as expected. We flew north through the "valley" between the ridges to admire the scenery before making a U-turn and departing the area to the south, then southeast, similar to the way we came in. Gave us plenty of time to gain altitude, too. Again, it was easy to stay far enough away from the ridges that I don't think mountain effects would have been much of a factor regardless.

 

[dbahn]

That's an interesting map, but it really just seems to show where there are NO mountains, and clearly includes areas that are well below 5000 ft MSL. If you go to CFR Part 95 (which covers IFR operations) you'll find that these areas are excluded from mountainous areas.

East:
(b) Exceptions. The area bounded by the following coordinates:

Beginning at latitude 45°00′ N., longitude 73°26′ W.; thence to latitude 44°32′ N., longitude 73°04′ W.; thence to latitude 42°51′ N., longitude 73°41′ W.; thence to latitude 41°38′ N., longitude 73°46′ W.; thence to latitude 41°16′ N., longitude 73°50′ W.; thence to latitude 41°17′ N., longitude 74°00′ W.; thence to latitude 41°25′ N., longitude 73°58′ W.; thence to latitude 41°26′ N., longitude 74°01′ W.; thence to latitude 41°37′ N., longitude 73°58′ W.; thence to latitude 42°41′ N., longitude 73°55′ W.; thence to latitude 43°02′ N., longitude 76°15′ W.; thence to latitude 43°17′ N., longitude 75°21′ W.; thence to latitude 42°59′ N., longitude 74°43′ W.; thence to latitude 42°52′ N., longitude 73°53′ W.; thence to latitude 44°30′ N., longitude 73°18′ W.; thence to latitude 45°00′ N., longitude 73°39′ W.; thence to latitude 45°00′ N., longitude 73°26′ W., point of beginning.

West:
(b) Exceptions.

(1) Beginning at latitude 35°25′ N., longitude 119°09′ W.; thence to latitude 35°29′ N., longitude 118°58′ W.; thence to latitude 36°49′ N., longitude 119°37′ W.; thence to latitude 38°30′ N., longitude 121°24′ W.; thence to latitude 39°30′ N., longitude 121°32′ W.; thence to latitude 40°08′ N., longitude 122°08′ W.; thence to latitude 40°06′ N., longitude 122°20′ W.; thence to latitude 39°05′ N., longitude 122°12′ W.; thence to latitude 38°01′ N., longitude 121°51′ W.; thence to latitude 37°37′ N., longitude 121°12′ W.; thence to latitude 37°00′ N., longitude 120°58′ W.; thence to latitude 36°14′ N., longitude 120°11′ W., point of beginning.

(2) Beginning at latitude 49°00′ N., longitude 122°21′ W.; thence to latitude 48°34′ N., longitude 122°21′ W.; thence to latitude 48°08′ N., longitude 122°00′ W.; thence to latitude 47°12′ N., longitude 122°00′ W.; thence to latitude 46°59′ N., longitude 122°13′ W.; thence to latitude 46°52′ N., longitude 122°16′ W.; thence to latitude 46°50′ N., longitude 122°40′ W.; thence to latitude 46°35′ N., longitude 122°48′ W.; thence to latitude 46°35′ N., longitude 123°17′ W.; thence to latitude 47°15′ N., longitude 123°17′ W.; thence to latitude 47°41′ N., longitude 122°54′ W.; thence to latitude 48°03′ N., longitude 122°48′ W.; thence to latitude 48°17′ N., longitude 123°15′ W.; thence North and East along the United States and Canada Boundary to latitude 49°00′ N., longitude 122°21′ W., point of beginning.

Yikes! That's going to take a bit of time to put the information to practical use. In fact, for any individual in any given airplane I think the sectional provides the best practical definition for operational purposes.

 

[EdFred]

That's an interesting map, but it really just seems to show where there are NO mountains, and clearly includes areas that are well below 5000 ft MSL. If you go to CFR Part 95 (which covers IFR operations) you'll find that these areas are excluded from mountainous areas.

East:
(b) Exceptions. The area bounded by the following coordinates:

Beginning at latitude 45°00′ N., longitude 73°26′ W.; thence to latitude 44°32′ N., longitude 73°04′ W.; thence to latitude 42°51′ N., longitude 73°41′ W.; thence to latitude 41°38′ N., longitude 73°46′ W.; thence to latitude 41°16′ N., longitude 73°50′ W.; thence to latitude 41°17′ N., longitude 74°00′ W.; thence to latitude 41°25′ N., longitude 73°58′ W.; thence to latitude 41°26′ N., longitude 74°01′ W.; thence to latitude 41°37′ N., longitude 73°58′ W.; thence to latitude 42°41′ N., longitude 73°55′ W.; thence to latitude 43°02′ N., longitude 76°15′ W.; thence to latitude 43°17′ N., longitude 75°21′ W.; thence to latitude 42°59′ N., longitude 74°43′ W.; thence to latitude 42°52′ N., longitude 73°53′ W.; thence to latitude 44°30′ N., longitude 73°18′ W.; thence to latitude 45°00′ N., longitude 73°39′ W.; thence to latitude 45°00′ N., longitude 73°26′ W., point of beginning.

West:
(b) Exceptions.

(1) Beginning at latitude 35°25′ N., longitude 119°09′ W.; thence to latitude 35°29′ N., longitude 118°58′ W.; thence to latitude 36°49′ N., longitude 119°37′ W.; thence to latitude 38°30′ N., longitude 121°24′ W.; thence to latitude 39°30′ N., longitude 121°32′ W.; thence to latitude 40°08′ N., longitude 122°08′ W.; thence to latitude 40°06′ N., longitude 122°20′ W.; thence to latitude 39°05′ N., longitude 122°12′ W.; thence to latitude 38°01′ N., longitude 121°51′ W.; thence to latitude 37°37′ N., longitude 121°12′ W.; thence to latitude 37°00′ N., longitude 120°58′ W.; thence to latitude 36°14′ N., longitude 120°11′ W., point of beginning.

(2) Beginning at latitude 49°00′ N., longitude 122°21′ W.; thence to latitude 48°34′ N., longitude 122°21′ W.; thence to latitude 48°08′ N., longitude 122°00′ W.; thence to latitude 47°12′ N., longitude 122°00′ W.; thence to latitude 46°59′ N., longitude 122°13′ W.; thence to latitude 46°52′ N., longitude 122°16′ W.; thence to latitude 46°50′ N., longitude 122°40′ W.; thence to latitude 46°35′ N., longitude 122°48′ W.; thence to latitude 46°35′ N., longitude 123°17′ W.; thence to latitude 47°15′ N., longitude 123°17′ W.; thence to latitude 47°41′ N., longitude 122°54′ W.; thence to latitude 48°03′ N., longitude 122°48′ W.; thence to latitude 48°17′ N., longitude 123°15′ W.; thence North and East along the United States and Canada Boundary to latitude 49°00′ N., longitude 122°21′ W., point of beginning.

Yikes! That's going to take a bit of time to put the information to practical use. In fact, for any individual in any given airplane I think the sectional provides the best practical definition for operational purposes.

In the East the excluded area is this

IN the West it's the Central Valley of CA, and Puget Sound.

2 minutes of copy/paste and CTRL+H got me the coordinates to punch into a flight planner for all 3 - which by the way do show on that map if you look close.

 

[NordicDave]

Lots of good advice from people here. Remember your mixture. Know your mixture settings for a given altitude. Land with the mixture for that alt if you need a go around. Lean like crazy taxiing.