Holy line of Thunderstorms batman

[inthewind]

Not yet, gotta wait for a good quarter on Wall Street, or some BS like that. If I wasn't waiting for something to happen on that front I'd have quit here a long long time ago.

 

[Vector4fun]

So you go over at 430...which is great. What do you do when you're right over the middle of it and lose one? How fast is the descent? Is it more of a drift down to a suitable SE altitude?

just curious

-mini

Mini,

I was with a buddy riding in the back of a LR-25 when that exact scenario happened, except we were at FL390 as I recall. About two am south of Roswell, NM. Lightning below us. As I recall, we drifted down to about FL 280 and he got it re-lit and immediately climbed back up out of the CB. Had me going for a while... :erm:

 

[Lead Sled]

...coming into DAL this morning, we were preceeded by a corp jet that reported "Severe" turbulence coming down through the descent...do any of you know what "severe" turbulence really is?!?!? We had to correct him and let him know it was only continuous light to occassional moderate, nowhere near severe. Oh well, i guess there are those out there who think even the smallest bump is "severe"...wimps.....:laugh:

It must have been one of those born-again, ex-121, new Corporate pilots.

'Sled

 

[Lead Sled]

Actually, I NEVER, EVER discount reports of severe turbulents from anyone. A couple of months back, we were climbing out of Washington DC deadheading our way to Agusta GA when all freak'n heck broke out. No one had been reporting any real ride "issues" - just the normal stuff - prior to an airliner's call of severe turbulence on climb out. My other crew member and I looked at each other, smiled, and said something along the lines of "what a woose" - bad move. It was our turn next. We got slammed. The airplane was uncontrollable. We unported BOTH engine oil pickups and got low oil annunciations for both engines. It amazing how, when you're in a situation like that, time seems to go by in slow motion so you always have plenty of time to think about the ramifications of a pending dual engine failure in a twin-jet. We weren't in it very long, but it sure got our attention.

'Sled

 

[FlyingFisherman]

Not yet, gotta wait for a good quarter on Wall Street, or some BS like that. If I wasn't waiting for something to happen on that front I'd have quit here a long long time ago.

Good luck to ya. I had a meeting on Monday with a company that got some type of glowing review from my current employer and they want me to in short be chief pilot (what the fk do I know?) for up to 5 pilots and as many company owned Cirrus SR-22GTS aeroplanes. Wanna fly a cirrus :beer:

You'd be based at Port right across the runway from Les Wexner's group parked right under the Columbus Blue Jackets DC9.

 

[starchkr]

Well....apparently my attempt at a little humor and sarcasm had little effect on "most" of you. Maybe everyone missed it in the last sentence of the first paragraph, and then again in the last sentence in the third...maybe you were just too "serious." Hey, live life and have fun, don't hide behind a narrow mind of how things are "supposed" to be.


Mini...it is more of a driftdown to a SE altitude, which would not have been a factor in this situation, since the storms were only a couple miles wide, and if something "had" happened a safe distance could have been attained before desceding through the tops altitude.


Gulfstream...yeah, you're right, after more than five years of continuously doing this stuff, i too consider myself an amateur, but that's cool, at least i am man enough to admit it!

As far as the question if i have ever been in severe turbulence...yep, and can't say i had much fun doing it. Loss of control of the a/c, a/c actually stalling (as it is designed to do, great example of Maneuvering speeds), and things flying around everywhere...all this in the lear. It happens, and no, i wouldn't want to do it again. I have pretty much experienced most things that can be thrown at you in flight, and some of them aren't as bad as thought, but others are actually worse than thought. It all comes with the job, and in my industry, we know things can be taken to certain points, most of the time they are beyond the points where many have gone or are willing to go. None of them are "dangerous" and all of them are by choice...this is in no way bad, it is just a diferent mindset and a willingness to actually get the job done right and on time.

So, there you go everyone, flame away at what you disagree with, and for the others, try to pick out the sarcasm and intended humor...some will find it, but as i have already said, most will not. Oh well, that's how these great boards of ours work, there is no intonation available besides those wonderful little smilies...

 

[avbug]

I have pretty much experienced most things that can be thrown at you in flight, and some of them aren't as bad as thought, but others are actually worse than thought.

Wow, who'da thunk you'd had cracked wings, engine fires, hydraulic failures, brake failures, engine runaways, trim runaways, rapid depressurizations, psychotic passengers, cabin fires, control failures, complete electrical losses, blown tires, steering hardovers, yada, yada, yada...you're one unlucky guy in that Learjet.

So...which ones were worse than you thought?

It all comes with the job, and in my industry, we know things can be taken to certain points, most of the time they are beyond the points where many have gone or are willing to go. None of them are "dangerous" and all of them are by choice...this is in no way bad, it is just a diferent mindset and a willingness to actually get the job done right and on time.

In your industry...that would be the "freight" industry? In the freight industry, you know things can be taken beyond the point where most are willing to go, but it's not dangerous and in no way bad. You're a tough guy. Freight must be a tough business, what with stalling out learjets and all. Luckily what others see as severe, you just shrug off as if it's nothing, water off your back, because you do what no one else does (and from the sound of it, do it better), even taking the trouble to correct those less learned and experienced than yourself, on the radio.

That point to point flying, A to B, sounds really dramatic. The stuff of which legends are made. There I was, flying freight from A to B, when suddenly, I arrived on time! I try not to think of myself as a hero, but some little old lady in outer mongolia got a replacement remote for her television just in time, thanks to us flying all night to get that package to her. It's things like that which make it all worthwhile, it's why we get up in the morning. Of course, the only thing I find more worthwhile is delivering a bunch of cancelled checks.

Learjet flying, that radical, loopy, surprising Lear 35A...sounds like a rodeo. Is it the cutting edge coffin corner flying you do above the certified envelope of the airplane, or the flying through thunderstorms that gives you the biggest rush? How do you get the door open after a flight without bonking the dozens of love starved ravens who flock to your door when they see that Learjet land, knowing it's braved thunderstorms and all manner of flying pestilence to bring in the latest product from Sharper Image on time, or return those desperately needed cancelled checks?

You should write a book. I'd buy it.

I need something to hold up the short leg on the coffee table.

 

[wmuflyguy]

funny how you blast the guy for being arrogant, then act the same way

 

[avbug]

That's not arrogance. That's identifying a very dangerous attitude and calling it out.

Arrogance was correcting another pilots PIREP of severe turbulence. Arrogance was rambling on about having experienced everything, and that everything was no big deal.

Arrogance in identifying that faulty attitude? No.

Flying a learjet isn't supposed to be dramatic. It isn't supposed to be anything but mundane, and from a pilot perspective, one tries very hard to make everything as severely routine as possible. Our star starchecker seems to feel that flying boxes justifies anything, flying through anything, and that it has placed him in a position to have that thousand yard been there done that got the tee shirt stare. Perhaps it does, but if it does, it means he hasn't been doing his job, and has been going places where he ought not.

We're not paid for our outstanding or outlandish flying skills, but for our judgement, which often as not entails us ensuring that the airplane does not go where it should not go.

Be careful of scars earned in battles in which you should never have fought.

 

[minitour]

Mini...it is more of a driftdown to a SE altitude, which would not have been a factor in this situation, since the storms were only a couple miles wide, and if something "had" happened a safe distance could have been attained before desceding through the tops altitude.

So sort of like a piston twin when you lose one at 14000 and your SE Cieling is 7000 you just gradually drift down...cool. Thanks for the info!

-mini