The CRM (Central Rocky Mountain) region, encompassing the states of (Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming) is saturated with mountains...And Mountains are always special...not just in the way they were geologically formed millions of years ago.... but they are often associated, by ancient civilizations, with mystic and spiritual qualities and legends. In (more) modern times, they have served as important landmarks in navigation. Of course, they can also present significant challenges and obstacles to flight...not to be taken lightly. History of aviation is replete with accounts of accidents and incidences involving mountains. The applicable term is "CFIT = Controlled flight Into Terrain", though the term, in addition to "mountains", also refers to collisions with "body of water" and "ground". In any case, the common theme in "CFIT" is, "...being unaware of the looming disaster until it is too late..."...

There are cases, in flight, where the best of human judgement and experience, coupled with even the advanced avionics could not prevent collisions with the mountains. Here, listed below, (only) if you wish to look up, e.g., are three RW accidents that are both tragic and inexplicable, the way they had happened:

1. Thai Airways Flight 311 - (A310 in The Himalayas)
2. American Airlines Flight 965 - (B757 in the Andes)
3. Air New Zealand Flight 901 - (DC-10 at Mount Erebus in Antarctica)

On a smaller scale, you may visit one of my posts, "When the mountain could not stop the DC3"...regarding a "feel-good" (RW) account of how, once, a "tough" DC-10/C-47 collided with a Mountain, gave up half of its left wing (12 feet of total 26 feet) to the mountain, but still bounced off like a (staggered) fighter, and survived to tell its story...a most remarkable tryst between a plane and a mountain...that the plane actually won...!  

Anyway, based on statistics alone, the hazards of mountain flying cannot be underestimated. Lack of familiarity with the plane (not a factor in the 3 examples I've cited above) compounded by lack of familiarity with the terrain/weather (certainly a factor in the examples above) are just a couple out of multiple contributing factors. In this post, without any mishap, of course, I wished to (virtually) experience the excitement of mountain flying a bit...So, I've set up a flight from Missoula (MT) to Jackson Hole (WY) in a CRJ-700 (have not flown this nice RJ/SIM in long while) using a flightplan (uploaded into its FMS), with a route that roughly tracks the Interstate Highways across 3 states (MT/ID/WY), between these two Rocky Mountain towns...I-90 East to I-15 South and then (Idaho) State Highway 33 East (see this (Road) Route superposed on the shot, below, of the Orbx Coverage Map). I've (fictitiously) set the time to night and visibility to half-mile (so, no external visual clue), and also set the cruise altitude to 15,000 feet (a safe level but dangerous for this region, as I would be (sometimes) flying over the Rockies with no more than a couple of thousand feet of clearance) ...

I'd read somewhere, "Know before you go is sound advice for the novice pilot flying over or through the mountains..."...So, I'm heeding that advice, here...🙂...with valuable help from Orbx(CRM)...!

To start, Missoula is in the middle of five mountain ranges, the most significant of which is the Bitterroot Range Mountains (of Lewis and Clark fame). Skirting, south, past the Bitterroot Range, I have tracked Hwy I-90/I-15, to the border of Montana and Idaho...Then westward over the Snake River basin (one shot of crossing Snake River, below, as seen from [VC]), into Wyoming, flying ~30 miles north, past KJAC, within the narrow valley, edging the famous Teton Range, on my left, till Jackson Lake (see one shot of the lake and Teton Mountains, from the [VC]), making a gentle (but sharp) U-turn back south to capture the ILS signals of (KJAC) Rwy 19...and finally landing safely back on the ground (see last shot, in daylight). It was, no doubt, an exhilarating flight, (especially with this immensely enjoyable SIM a/c) ...over and around the (un-seen but ever-lurking) Rockies... (though I could not see the mountains much in the dark, I could surely feel them around my CRJ...). BTW, if you wish, please refer to my earlier post(s) on the (Orbx) CRM...to appreciate how dangerously mountainous (and of course, breathtakingly picturesque) this region is...

Regarding my choice of livery, for this post, Conviasa is a Venezuelan airline and the flag carrier and largest airline of Venezuela (look for the stylized logo of the country's national flag, on the tail of the plane).

So, I invite you, here, to come along in the jump-seat of this CRJ cockpit and enjoy this flight...and leave all the (dangerous and virtual) flying to yours truly...🙂... (Note: I've performed a Cold & Dark engine start-up in Missoula. The flight is FMS managed and fully LNAV guided, but I've controlled the vertical descent profile manually...down to KJAC airport at Elevation 6,400 feet. As you can see, I've also made full use of the excellent Heads-Up Guidance system) ...! 

Thanks for your interest...!!

[AS (CRJ-700), Orbx (CRM/KJAC)]

Edited April 2, 20224 yr by P_7878

Great set, thanks for showing 👍🏽

cheers 😉

Excellent shots mate! 😉 

Terrific cockpit shots Sir !! .

pmplayer, Alaska, johnb: Appreciated much.... Glad you liked these cockpit shots...!!

I wish I could fly this bird more often...such a pleasure to fly this one...perfectly suitable for short jaunts...

***Fantastic*** Love the Night HUD Shots!!

21 minutes ago, Phantom88 said:

Love the Night HUD Shots!!

Thank you, Patrick...!! Coming from someone used to the DCS (fighter) HUDs...🙂... (I love the HUDs too) ...

[BTW, folks, just noticed a typo in my original write-up, (...a "tough" DC-10/C-47...) should be (...a "tough" DC-3/C-47...) ...]

Edited April 3, 20224 yr by P_7878