Hello,
I’m just back from a (too) short training in Courchevel (LFLJ), where we practiced some mountain flying and a lot of landings to get used to the (dangerous) environnement.
We got a few pics and videos with my friend, I let you share.
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In a general way, I would be pleased to share with you pics from a few flights in France and abroad…. In french unfortunately :-)
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Regards
Alexandre.
Very cool!
PCV nice 182.
Where did you base yourself for the sign off and how long did it take including ground school? How much more training for a mountain rating? Although I think forumites are still figuring out how to get it on a non French licence?
I understand that you need close to climb power on the steeper gradient to avoid the aircraft settling on the tail?
Very nice.
On my to do list one of these days.
Nice! Was it hard? Seems s little bit scary?
RobertL18C wrote:
Where did you base yourself for the sign off and how long did it take including ground school?
We were based at Chambéry (LFLB), and the school was AéroSavoie. This is the school Aeroplus advised here. They are mainly based at LFLB, but I think they are now implanted at Courchevel also. The training was 2 full days. 3-4 hours ground school, and approx. 4-5 hrs in the air, for around 20 landings. This allows getting used to the environnement and specific method. But this is somewhat too short to learn enough about aerology, which the mountain rating brings you.
With the Courchevel “rating”, you can only visit Courchevel. It is maintained by landing there once every 6 months. Otherwise, you must go again with an instructor.
To get the French mountain rating, it is somewhere 20 hrs aloft, plus ground school, plus tail-wheel learning. This allows you to go to any mountain field. I guess it seriously increase the proficiency of the pilot.
RobertL18C wrote:
Although I think forumites are still figuring out how to get it on a non French licence?
Aeroplus must have done that. I don’t think it is a problem.
RobertL18C wrote:
I understand that you need close to climb power on the steeper gradient to avoid the aircraft settling on the tail?
There are two parts on the runway. You should land on the first part, which is not to steep, and then slow down on the other part.
If you arrive with too much energy, go around is obviously not an option, and you must add a good punch of power and increase your pitch, if you don’t want to be flattened on the ground. Maybe not full power (of the 23 inches remaining at 7500ft), but not just a hint of throttle.
Jonas wrote:
Was it hard? Seems s little bit scary?
Difficult: not so much.
Scary: yes a little !! To be honest, I won’t go back without an instructor.
Cool! Good choice to train with AeroSavoie. Another option is Alex Combes from Aeroclub des 3 Vallées. I wrote a blogpost with all the details of flying to Courchevel and getting the mountain rating or site license: http://www.aeroplus.nl/courchevel-altiport
RobertL18C wrote:
Although I think forumites are still figuring out how to get it on a non French licence?
EASA has a mountain rating. It’s for two years and you have to do six “mountain” landings in that period to revalidate it for another two years, IIRC. Not sure anyone in France actually provides a course for it, not just the national rating. From what I heard, at least UK CAA has issued Mountain Rating on an EASA licence based on course in France. Anyway, you should get a certificate and that should be enough – it proves you successfully completed the training, even if your NAA doesn’t care.
RobertL18C wrote:
Although I think forumites are still figuring out how to get it on a non French licence?
Well, we’ve figured it out: we just have to wait until April 2018…
Until the DGAC complete their EASA “conversion report” (sheduled for April 2018), the “qualification montagne” (wheels or skis) are qualifications, not ratings – although they appear as national ratings on a French part-FCL licence. I have heard that someone got one added as a rating to a German Part-FCL licence, but that might be due to mutual recognition of the French qualification.
It’s no problem, because we can exercise the privileges of the mountain qualification anywhere in France and, it seems, in neighbouring countries which have mutual recognition, whether officially or by custom and practice.
While it would theoretically be possible to train and do the exam in a Rallye, training is mostly done with conventional undercarriage – either one of those glorified Froggy apple crates (Jodel D140) or a proper bushplane like a SuperCub or a Maule. Without a bit of prior tailwheel experience, it would be a steep learning curve.
What are the current options for both Courchevel specific rating and also the mountain flying rating (ideally in uk). Thanks
