The only place in the country where military helicopter pilots master flying in mountain terrain is at a small facility near Vail. The High Altitude Aviation Training Site prepares them for challenges in Afghanistan and northern Iraq. A pilot who also served as an instructor at the training center died recently in combat. Chief Warrant Officer Dave Carter of Aurora was co-piloting a helicopter when it was shot down over Afghanistan. Thirty-eight people died, including 22 U.S. Navy SEALS. Pat Mack speaks with the commander of the High Altitude Training Center, Col. Joel Best of the Colorado Army National Guard.
![A view of downtown Denver from the cockpit inside a plane.](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2024/07/240709-OZONE-FLIGHT-AIR-QUALITY-MONITORING-RESEARCH-SCIENCE-ENVIRONMENT-EMISSIONS-NOAA-SAMBRASCH-05.jpg)