I live and work in mountainous terrain, so its difficult for me not to relate to this topography when discussing training techniques. Mountain pilots are faced with different challenges compared to those who fly over flatter ground, which leads to the belief that mountain pilots revere themselves as having superior skills compared to the mere plebeian among you who fly over flatlands.

Of course, this is not only untrue, its also silly. All the pilots I work with in the mountains checked their egos at the hangar door years ago, if they had one at all. Self-control is far more important than self-esteem when it comes to good helicopter flying; good pilots get the job done properly no matter what the terrain. In fact, I can think of many flatland helicopter pilots who are more skilled and professional in how they conduct themselves in the air than a few steep-terrain pilots who really shouldnt be flying in the mountains at all.

The controversy of mountain vs. flatland is similar to the idea that helicopter drivers are better than airplane pilots because helicopters are harder to fly. This thought is puerile, and only causes many airplane pilots to get their dander up. The difference in the two forms of flight has to do with taming instability; once that is achieved, the helicopter might even be easier to fly. And besides, how many helicopter pilots can match the cool and confident expertise of Capt. Sullenberger during his visit to the Hudson River? 

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of introducing many high-time helicopter pilots to the techniques of control in hilly terrain. All of them arrived with reluctance and left with smiling faces because they had a good time and learned to look at their flying in a different way. Advanced training with veteran pilots is rewarding, and in the process I have learned a lot about their interesting and noteworthy experiences, as well information transfer is often a two-way street (and, as well explore in a moment, techniques and understanding from different sectors can greatly benefit ones own flying). 

To fly well in the mountains, you need to constantly sniff out the winds and apply common sense and good decisions to every situation you are confronted with. The best decision-makers are the ones who know their own limitations they will have the best chance of flying safely and avoiding risk. 

Mountain pilots value good control of momentum more than an obsession with speed. After all, if you are in good control, you are less likely to have a mishap, and nasty events like the vortex ring state and loss of tail-rotor effectiveness are more easily recognized and avoided.

After obtaining mountain training, high-timers come to realize that to manage this terrain well, they need to take their time and have a thorough plan for everything they do. The same might be true in less hostile terrain, but when dealing with more routine landings in flat terrain you can perhaps speed things up a bit and lighten up on the thorough pre-landing planning. Good mountain flying, though, demands perfection with all approaches, landings and departures. The key in either situation: match your flying to the terrain you are working with.

Matching, of course, doesnt mean ignoring skills from other sectors. While pilots and crews in many industry sectors develop specialized techniques relating to the work they do, these techniques are often useful in other sectors, too. For example, vertical reference flying which was developed to give pilots better control of slung loads and has become synonymous with the use of long lines in the tight confines normally found in steep terrain is now beginning to find more uses in flatter areas. 

Single-pilot, long-line vertical reference has for many years been used to position loads at the base of cliffs and rock faces and on the ground between tall trees, without the need for ground personnel to provide radio assistance to help place the load. Now, offshore pilots, who have traditionally used short lines to deliver cargo loads to oil rigs and platforms, are learning vertical reference and finding that safety is better managed with longer lines; and by visually referencing downwards, their loads are also more easily controlled. 

Learning vertical reference is frustrating and takes patience and perseverance, but it is a pilot skill that is much sought-after in our industry (and may become more so as it becomes more widely used). Plus, when we learn and share ideas and techniques across sectors, helicopter industry skill levels progress continually forward. 

Mountain flying has a mystique because of the very scenic topography and the difficulties in managing strong winds and weather, but in the long run it is just another industry sector that requires training and good judgment.