Interview question

[av8orboy]

I was asked this question a few years ago at an interview and never found the answer. Here it goes, What is considered mountainous terrain?

 

[TimsKeeper]

Off the top of my head, I know what clearances you would be assured of....2000' for 4 nautical mile width, but I don't know exactly the criteria to warrant that.


Tank-u come again!

 

[SiuDude]

Designated mountainous areas are defined in far 95.

 

[Barnowl]

The only place I've ever seen it "defined" was in the AIM. Its not really a very good definition, but its what we used to use. Here's the link....Has any one else seen it defined anywhere else?


http://www.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/Chap5/aim0506.html#5-6-5

 

[typhoonpilot]

United used to ask the question in relation to Jeppessen charts and when they started to do that brown contouring for mountainous areas. I believe the answer was 4000 feet above field elevation, but I don't have a Jepp legend handy to check.

TP

 

[av8orboy]

United used to ask the question in relation to Jeppessen charts and when they started to do that brown contouring for mountainous areas. I believe the answer was 4000 feet above field elevation, but I don't have a Jepp legend handy to check.

TP

United is the company that asked me the question. I think I answered something along those lines. The only reason I said that is I know that a mountain is anything over 4,000’. But I figured the feds would have so other super complicated definition.

 

[typhoonpilot]

Just did a trip so I dug into the onboard Jepp Text. Here are the answers.

Mountainous Area ( ICAO ) = An area of changing terrain profile where the changes of terrain elevation exceed 3000 feet within a distance of 10 Nautical Miles.

From the Approach chart legend: Generalized terrain contour information may be depicted when terrain within the approach chart planview exceeds 4000 feet above airport elevation, or when terrain within 6 NM of the Airport Reference Point rises to at least 2000 feet above the airport elevation.

TP

 

[trip]

I thought there was a map in the Jepp legend that showed mountainous terrain?

 

[viper548]

I thought there was a map in the Jepp legend that showed mountainous terrain?

That's what I thought too. It's in the AIM also

 

['72Gremlin]

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=b55ffb565b3a7b73a27ea3b0b9f8bd8f&rgn=div5&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.12&idno=14#14:2.0.1.3.12.2.9.1

This came up today. I always thought mountainous terrain was any terrain that was above 2000' MSL. I think that was an oversimplification.

 

[Floyd R. Turbo]

From my IP days I remember anything over 3000 MSL. I'll look for a source, but don't hold your breath.

 

[Bankangle]

I thought it was out of the TERPS manual and that it was areas of elevation higher than 5000ft.

 

['72Gremlin]

I thought it was out of the TERPS manual and that it was areas of elevation higher than 5000ft.

Ahh... didn't think to look in that direction... can you point me to a source?

 

[Draginass]

Don't confuse "mountainous terrain" with designated "Mountainous Area". Mountainous Area is defined and depicted by the map in AIM. AIM has no formal definition of mountainous terrain.

 

['72Gremlin]

Don't confuse "mountainous terrain" with designated "Mountainous Area". Mountainous Area is defined and depicted by the map in AIM. AIM has no formal definition of mountainous terrain.

As if this wasn't confusing already.... then you throw this in!! What is the difference then? Wouldn't "mountainous terrain" be terrain in a "mountainous area?"