Lee Vining: O24

In order to act as pilot of command, a pilot must complete a flight review with a flight instructor every 24 calendar months. A flight review consists of at least one hour of ground training and one hour of flight training. The specific requirements for the flight are very broad. FAR 61.56, “a review of the current general operating and flight rules… and a review of those maneuvers and procedures that, at the discretion of the person giving the review, are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.” For my last two flight reviews, I have completed them out of Bishop airport with Black Mountain Air Service about 228 nautical miles north from where I normally fly. The reason for conducting my flight review at such a great distance from home is to gain knowledge and experience flying in mountainous terrain and operating in and out of high altitude airports where the density altitude can be over 10,000 ft in the summer months. It also just so happens that I’m usually vacationing in the Eastern Sierras around the time my flight review is due.

On a couple previous flights, I did some mountain flying around Rock Creek and did some takeoff and landings at Mammoth Lakes airport. On this particular flight, I landed at Lee Vining which is located on the southwest shore of Mono Lake at an elevation of 6,802ft.