Airforces Monthly - February 2017

EXERCISE REPORT Swedish Mountain Flying
Right: Touchdown at a landing spot
with the steep Kebnekaise massif in
the background. The HKP 14D had
not yet received skis for landing in
snow, so a certain amount of lift
was maintained on the rotor to
prevent the wheels from sinking too
deep into the snow.
Nordic
Mounta
SORTIES THROUGH
mountainous territory
are among the most
demanding aspects of helicopter
operations, especially during
winter. Rapid changes in wind
and turbulence, the lack of
visual references, proximity to
mountainsides and the relatively
high altitudes adversely affecting
helicopter performance make
for particularly challenging
conditions. At some stage,
Swedish military helicopter
crews are likely to experience
this difficult environment under
operational conditions, either
during sorties at home, or
when deployed on international
missions. Therefore, training
is essential to understand
the basic principles, threats,
errors and possible undesirable
aircraft states encountered
in this type of flying.
The northwest of the country
is relatively mountainous, and
the Kebnekaise massif — which
includes the highest peak
in Sweden, reaching 6,879ft
(2,097m) above sea level — is in
the area just south of Abisko. A
small heliport at Abisko is mainly
used by civil rotorcraft, but for
two weeks every winter/spring
a group of Swedish military
helicopters deploys there to
practise flying in mountainous
terrain, the latter being known
as Fjällflygning in Swedish.
Even before the Flygvapnet
began these deployments, its
predecessor, the Arméflyget
(Swedish Army Flying Service),
undertook training in the region.
In 2016 the 1st
helikopterskvadron (1st
Helicopter Squadron)
of the Försvarsmaktens
Helikopterflottilj (Swedish
Armed Forces Helicopter Wing)
was given responsibility for
Fjällflygning. The unit is homebased
at F 21 Luleå near the
coast of the Gulf of Bothnia
in northern Sweden, and is
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