Mountains – The Finer Points Adventure Flying Trips

The Mountains of California
2023 June 22, 23, 24, 25

Fly Mountain Passes, Get Survival Training, Learn From Expert Lectures
JOIN US FOR AN INCREDIBLE MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE!

As seen in AOPA PILOT Magazine!

What This Course Is All About ...
It's the ultimate "mountain checkout". It's about epic mountain flying, high-density altitude operations, and contingency planning. We will leave you confident flying your normal category airplane into mountain airports like Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, Aspen, and others with your family in the summertime. It's a family-friendly trip and it was a 6-year-old who took a look at it one year and said,

"I get it, it's airplane camp for adults". And that's exactly what it is!

Camp activities such as signal mirrors, fire starting, contingency planning, and survival skills leave you well-prepared for safe mountain flying in any environment.

Space is limited so don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to master mountain flying with the best in the business!
Location
For this adventure, we believe it's important to experience some of the elements, but we do it in style! After long days of flying mountain passes, landing at challenging mountain airports, and learning contingency planning (including immediate post-crash survival), we serve you gourmet food and drinks while you enjoy music and hangar talk among the pines.
Itinerary
This course is designed to build confidence flying normal category
airplanes in and out of high altitude airports.
You will learn how to fly mountain passes, operate in high density altitudes,
contingency planning, and survival skills.

Join us this summer as we explore the passes.
We'll be departing and landing at various mountain airports,
flying over rugged and remote terrain, landing at dead cow dry lake bed,
and learning about high altitude operations.
Day 1
San Carlos to Truckee, CA

1000 Meet at San Carlos Flight Center to brief the 2 hour flight to the Lake Tahoe area
1200 Touring the lake, Desolation Wilderness area, Squaw Valley and landing KTRK
1230 Set up camp / Lunch
1300 Lectures and Discussions on the following topics:
The Mountain Environment
High Density Altitude Operations
High Altitude Physiology
Flying Mountain Passes
Spending the UNEXPECTED night out
1530 Evening pattern work at KTRK
1900 Dinner
2030 Wheels down for the night
Day 2
Truckee and Sierra Mtns

0630 Breakfast
0730 Preflight Briefing
0800 Wheels up for a morning of mountain passes and an afternoon of mountain strips. To include:
Carson Pass
Ebbets Pass
Sonora Pass
Buckeye Pass
Tioga Pass
1200 Lunch at KBIH
1400 Depart for Mono Lake, Alpine Co, Sierraville, and back to base camp KTRK
1830 Dinner
Day 3
Truckee to San Carlos, California

0800 Breakfast
0830 Soar Truckee presents:
Forced Landings for Powered Pilots
Mountain Meteorology
Flying Off the Ridge
0900 Glider flights
1200 Depart for KSQL
1400 Arrive at San Carlos Flight Center
1430 Issue completion certificates
A Truly Unique Experience

Many folks put together "fly-out trips" or "camping trips for pilots" but there is nothing like what we've done, here, in the Sierra Nevada mountains since 2011. We bring together expert pilots, gourmet camp chefs, and survival experts for a 3-day mountain checkout that is incomparable to anything else. We know that by immersing you in the environment and surrounding you with decades of experience you will learn as much as absolutely possible about the art and science of flying in the mountains safely. We believe an emphasis on survival planning is an important factor in your education if you plan to fly in mountainous terrain. Every pilot who attends our trip will get a custom survival kit designed by Dr. Howard Donner to keep in their airplane.

Don't miss your chance to improve your flying skills while exploring the stunning scenery of the Sierra Nevada. Enroll now in our adventure training course and prepare for the ultimate aviation adventure!

The course fee includes sessions by some of the world's top lecturers on the following topics:
High-Density Altitude Operations
High Altitude Physiology
Mountain Meteorology
Flying Mountain Passes
Unimproved Field Operations
ELTs, PLBs, and Other Tracking Devices
What's Important In a Survival Kit
Post-crash Survival
We will be operating at many mountain airports, such as KTRK, KTVL, O22, M45, KBIH, O24, O79
Suggested Packing List
Tent
Sleeping pad
2 Sleeping bags (unless the bag is rated for 20F and using a sleeping pad)
1-2 Canteen or water bottle
4 pairs of socks
5 T-shirts
2 pairs of shorts
2 pairs of long pants
1 comfortable outfit (sweat pants, long underwear, flannel, etc. for campground)
Towel
Sandals or slippers
Shoes good for flying and light hiking
Toiletries
“I came back a better pilot than I left, without question. I signed up for the trip to learn about flying in a new environment, to gain the skills and familiarity to safely operate in high terrain at high density altitude. I got what I expected, but quite a bit more. Flying all day for three straight days, working with excellent, experienced instructors; my attitude toward flying grew and matured. I came back more capable and more confident.”

Thomas Byrne
DETAILED ITINERARY
4 DAYS OF LEARNING AND ADVENTURE!
Day 1
Arrive At Base Camp South Lake Tahoe
We arrive in the afternoon to get base camp setup, get to know each other, and get prepared to hit the ground running on Friday morning.

1400 - 1600 Arrive at Base Camp and Settle In

1700 Welcome to The Mountain Environment

1800 Appetizers and Drinks

1900 Dinner Provided by Sierra Nevada Camp Chef

Day 2
Learn The Challenges Of The Mountain Environment
0630 Breakfast

0800 Lectures and Discussions on the following topics:
High Density Altitude Operations
High Altitude Physiology
Flying Mountain Passes
Mountain Meteorology
Spending the UNEXPECTED Night Out
What's In a Survival Vest?
1200 - 1500 Pattern work and local flying operations.

1700 Appetizer and Drinks
1900 Dinner
Day 3
Explore The Sierra Nevada
0630 Breakfast

0730 Preflight Briefing

0800 Wheels up for a morning of mountain passes and an afternoon of mountain strips. To include:
Carson Pass
Ebbets Pass
Sonora Pass
Buckeye Pass
Tioga Pass
Dead Cow
Alpine Co
Sierraville
1700 Appetizer and Drinks

1900 Dinner
Day 4
Camp Activities And Bon Voyage
0800 Breakfast

0830 Howard Donner presents:

Starting Fires
Personal Locator Beacons
Signal Mirrors

1200 Certificates of Completion and Departure

We know that many people will have a long travel day home on Sunday so we will be sure to wrap up and issue certificates of completion by noon on Sunday.
Don't Take Our Word For It ...
“The adventure trips are a great way to meet exceptional people who love flying and sharing what they have learned as pilots. This is where you can really get an appreciation for the 'finer points of flying' specific to the areas and various settings offered by the adventure trips.”
Samuel Beaulieu
Ready To Join The Adventure?
See It In Video
Videos from previous TFP Mountain Adventures courtesy of Flight Chops

Take Off at 8,000 ft Density Altitude
Flying Ridges and Mountain Passes
“The Mountain Flying course put on by Jason and the team at The Finer Points is something every pilot should check out if he/she is serious about raising the level of their flying ability. I left the course with a newfound confidence in handling high-altitude airstrips, mountain passes, weather phenomena, survival skills, and the real-life experience of taking off on a short strip under high-density altitude conditions. Most importantly though, the course is FUN. As aviators, we can’t ask for much more than flying in a challenging and fun environment. That’s exactly what this course is all about.”

Cuyler B
READY TO JOIN THE ADVENTURE?
Gourmet Camp Food
This ain't no hot dogs and potato chips kinda camping trip ... please let us know if you have any food allergies, preferences, or limitations and we will be proud to serve you.
Pricing
Whether you join us on your own plane or rent one of ours, we will help pair you with an instructor to tailor the weekend to your needs!

We provide a learning environment for you to get the most out of your weekend adventure in the mountains.
Camping arrangements
Custom TFP survival kit
Gourmet food by Sierra Nevada Camp Chefs
Friday and Sunday workshops
Lectures by Jason Miller, Dr. Howard Donner, Peter Lert, and Eric Cope
AIRPLANE OWNERS
Fly with us in your aircraft. We help partner you with an experienced mountain flying instructor.
If you own an airplane, we will help connect you with an experienced dedicated instructor for your airplane to train you to fly the mountains in your own aircraft. (Kids 12 and under free with owners.)

$3950 Course fee
$2000 Instructor fee

Non-flying guests $1250
RENTAL
Fly with us in a rented aircraft. We help pair you with an experienced flight instructor.
Let us take care of everything. You will have a spot in one of our airplanes! Includes the weekend course, food, survival kit, and everything other than the airplane, and fuel.

$3950 Course fee + aircraft rental
$2000 Instructor fee

Non-flying guests $1250
Limited Space Don't Miss Out!
SIGN UP BEFORE MAY 20TH AND GET 15% OFF!
Gourmet Meals by BioBio
Add and rearrange any components you want.
Title Text
Nobody can make a seat next to a campfire feel like a fine restaurant like Bio Bio Expeditions. It really makes a difference to come back to camp after a long day and have a glass of wine and a fresh plate of their signature lasagna waiting. We are proud to present the food of Bio Bio on this course.
Booking Now for 2017
Place your deposit for one of our upcoming trips to reserve your place.
Deposit is non-refundable. Hobbs time overages incur additional charges. Adjustments may be made for adverse weather conditions.
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