Any exciting thunderstorm experiences?

[dswflyer]

We know all the books tell us to avoid thunderstorms entirely, but let's be real, we know many cargo guys are flying through them. What are your limits? What level is too severe for a light cargo aircraft? What would happen if your aircraft were to get struck by lightning?

Is it really wise to rely on ATC to guide you through the worst of it?

 

[TDTURBO]

That all depends on the radar facility, some may have ASR9 and some don't.

Going to Hilton Head from MDW last year we were IFR getting shot right through a green mass of virtical violence. ATC said a 210 was 20 miles ahead with no complaints. Are AI was tumbling and I knew I was dead, We were shooting through a 40 mile spread on the SS but the moderate to severe turbulence was enough to fracture your skull.

When we finally broke out we had another squall line to cross. My GF had about 6mg of Xanax in her otherwise that would have been a short relationship. This storm spawned 15 tornadoes that day.


What's weird about level 5 stuff is that you can be in clear air and pick up 1" hail 20 miles out from the anvil head. When the first rock hits, it gets your attention.


Bottom line, give them a wide birth, if you find your way into one slow to Va and disengage the AP and do a 180 before the windshield shatters.

I was in a Barron and we were struck over Meigs feild in '84 putting a 4"hole in the right wing exiting through the tail, Very loud and quite when the radios died, Alwaystry and fly with uplinked wx with a good SS and give Midwestern storms the respect they deserve. They really are no big deal if you fly right at them and land just short, they are usually fast moving and lift off when they pass.

One day you will find yourself in this situation, fly the airplane, slow down and execute a 180 and land until it blows over. I have never been so scared and busy in my life, my biiggest mistake was having my CFII do the briefing telling me we "should" be ok. Never rely on ATC for wx, get that from an ICO from a local FSS.

Hope this helps, also get weather flying by Buck, it's a good read.

 

[Ill Mitch]

I remember flying a Caravan thru a small line. It wasn't supposed to be there, but it was. I was listenting to the AM and the news was talking about flooding on the freeways and thought "What the F?!?" and then they stated the position and that was pretty much where I was at.
I used the radar and found the path of least resistance, put my newspaper away, took one last sip from my Starbucks coffee mug, disengaged the auotpilot and went on thru. I slowed to 120, caught some good updrafts followed the some pretty strong downdrafts. Got the snot knocked out of me, informed ATC I was unable to maintiain altitude or heading and about 30 seconds later I was out.
I like those lids on the coffee mugs...didn't spill a drop. My newspaper flew to the other side of the cockpit, tho. Didn't finish reading it until I got back to the hotel.

 

[FN FAL]

We know all the books tell us to avoid thunderstorms entirely, but let's be real, we know many cargo guys are flying through them. What are your limits? What level is too severe for a light cargo aircraft? What would happen if your aircraft were to get struck by lightning?

Is it really wise to rely on ATC to guide you through the worst of it?

haahahaha...I like you, can I bunk your sister?

 

[CaravanMan]

Flew thru a lot of nastiness one day last summer. I was getting vectors to "better" spots, using my radar trying to pick a good path, and generally just feeling like a pinball. Stuff was flying all around the plane, but the coolest thing was turning the corner of the last cell and seeing a huge, 360 degree rainbow. Any of you guys ever see them? From top to bottom and all around, there it was. Pretty awesome. God's way of telling me it was over and I lived!

 

[EatSleepFly]

The worst is when you're getting the crap kicked out of you and your back teeth are floating from all the soda you drank on the previous leg. Then it's a catch 22...keep getting the crap kicked out of you and continue going direct to get down quicker, or deviate in hopes of regaining some semblance of sanity, but adding time to the trip and pain to the bladder. Plus you threw away all of said soda bottles at the last stop, and even if you hadn't, you'd end up getting more on the ceiling or the flying Jepp binder than in the bottles anyways. Doh!

 

[txpilot1_99]

That's why you ALWAYS have a large-mouthed Gatorade bottle on hand. It makes it a little easier.

 

[TIGV]

I'm not gonna confess to anything on a public forum, but while slogging through last night's vertical mayhem, I did see something I've never seen before:
So there I was at FL190, Otto was flying with the ' Soft Ride ' function selected. ( That button don't do D!ck in a LVL 4 BTW )
I was reading my book, continuous light occasional moderate chop, continuous moderate rain, when I hear a repeated zapping sound like you get off a gas-stove starter, only louder, so I look up to see a sight I have never seen before......
With each 'zapping' noise I could see a 30 to 40 ft bolt of lightning shoot off my radome and out in front of the aircraft at about twice a second, and these were big, purple-blue horizontal bolts of lightning, went on for about a minute, had to turn the instrument lights to max it was that blinding and found 5 or more 1/2 inch holes burnt almost through the radome when I got to Midway, can you say clean the static wicks ?????????????

Nothing like regular St Elmo's and quite a show, tried to get a pic with my camera but they didn't turn out.

Just thought I would share.