Holy line of Thunderstorms batman

[Rough67]

http://www.intellicast.com/IcastPage/LoadPage.aspx?loc=usa&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=RadarImagery&product=Radar&prodnav=none

fly safe.

 

[paulsalem]

Its nights like this I'm glad I'm not flying cargo.

Mad props to all you homies flying cargo.

Or whatever the cool kids say these days.

 

[starchkr]

Whats wrong with flying cargo on these kinds of nights? We just climbed up to 430 last night and went right over them, nice and smooth, and one heck of a good light show as the clouds lit up from below. It was also nice, because we were the only ones around...since everyone else is scared of them .

Now maybe if i was still in the props then it would be a different story, but they still wouldn't have been that bad, you find a hole and go through it. Maybe a little bumpy, but nothing too bad.

Great story though, 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:

 

[Tarzan]

I guess not many have experienced severe turbulance. Scary stuff and a challenge just to keep somewhat wings level. I encountered some and had been driven up about 1000 feet when the controller asked if I was okay. The other guy had to answer because I was too busy just flying the airplane. Hope i never have to deal with that again.

 

[Art Vandalay]

Whats wrong with flying cargo on these kinds of nights? We just climbed up to 430 last night and went right over them, nice and smooth, and one heck of a good light show as the clouds lit up from below. It was also nice, because we were the only ones around...since everyone else is scared of them .

Now maybe if i was still in the props then it would be a different story, but they still wouldn't have been that bad, you find a hole and go through it. Maybe a little bumpy, but nothing too bad.

Great story though, 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:

Chill Out HardGuy!!! Not everyone is as 'sweet' as you are.

 

[Dangerkitty]

Just flew over that beast a few hours ago.

Just barely got over it at FL430. Ride wasn't great but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Thank God I was in a Falcon 50EX and not a MD-80

 

[magneticmd80]

No kidding. Sounds like Mr. Airnet is a little bit too professional to alter his route or delay because of weather is he were in a pathetic prop huh? How by the way do you know the severe turbulence wasn't actually encountered? I have gone through much different conditions than reported. Many of those by major airlines, I guess they don't know what they are doing either? Sheesh!!

 

[propsarebest]

Just penetrate it and quit yer whining!!!

WHA WHA!!

 

[Geronimo4497]

"Mr. Airnet", as you call him, probably has seen more crap weather in 1 year than you have seen in your career. I think he deserves a little respect. Lay off, Francis.

 

[cezzna]

Met an airnet bragger once. he was spouting off how he wouldn't fly through a level 6 but anything else was fair game. He had an ego the size of Montana. A few weeks later he told me that he scared the sh!t out of himself going into Midway. He popped out of a cell and was staring at a funnel cloud. They don't hire experienced guys at airnet cause the experienced guys know better. Young punks will fly through anything. That being said I've met a lot of really good safe and proficient pilots who flew for airnet. They do have a culture that breeds weather bravado though.

 

[avbug]

Great story though, 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:

You may or may not have experienced severe turbulence before, but it's awfully arrogant of you to "correct" another report of severe turbulence. Were you on the other aircraft? Didn't think so.

It's getting severe when you can't read the instrument panel any more, when you no longer are in control of the aircraft, when your wings crack and when your flight engineer gets ejected from his seat. Been there, done that, for many, many hours on end. In fact, I've spent a good portion of my career in severe turbulence, or greater.

One thing I don't beleive I've ever had the arrogance to do is to correct another pilot who reports a condition encountered in flight. I can report what I find, but I've been aloft a good many times when I found dead calm and the other guy got slammed, or visa versa, or I got severe icing and the other guy got none. Who's to say what the other guy got.

I was on approach in a Lear, late one night. The tower reported that the crew ahead of me had reported some significant shears. It was dead calm. I should have paid attention to the difference in the surface winds, but I justified myself into disbelieving. At 300,' the sound of airflow over the cockpit changed radically, and it appeared to become very quiet. The airplane rolled right and full left aileron was required along with takeoff thrust.

I had been about to report negative shear (though I wouldn't have had the audacity to "correct" the other crew), and it shut me up post haste.

Next time you feel like correcting a report wrought by another crew, perhaps you should shut up post haste and think for a minute that they may have experienced something you have not.

 

[minitour]

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

 

[inthewind]

deleted

 

[jaxpilot]

yeah we kept on getting called back to put more fuel on the airliners today. I figured something was up.

 

[NoPax]

I've only encountered severe turbulence one time, and it was after an unscheduled stop at Abilene - due to a line of thunderstorms that had organized themselves while I was enroute.

So I decided to sit them out for as long as it took. Going on 12 hours on the duty day, and given that the TS had passed (now 10-15 miles away), but still light to moderate precip (in pockets), I decided to go.

Levelled off at 6k, some alto-cumulus clouds above, otherwise clear then I encountered sudden shear headwind of about 45kts. I loaded up the airplane - pulled up with the gain in altitude - if I tried to maintain altitude the airspeed would have gone well into the caution range, and expecting the downdraft, turbulence and loss of altitude to come, felt this was the best thing to do at the time.

Rode it up to 9k, then something cracked, I lost my headsets, and my charts, flashlight, cargo (which was restrained) etc, was floating around the airplane, and smashing on the floor.

This was then followed by 45 knots tailwind, and close to stall flight. Went from 9000 to 4200 - not much clearance from the ground. Absolutely no control in the descent.

The flight continued with continous light, occasional moderate until 30nm E of Midland. I was checking the wings to make sure they still looked like they were where they should be.

Moral of the story - there is really no telling where the turbulence is around a CB, but it is there, go ahead if you want, roll the dice.

 

[avbug]

Geez...that sounds like a normal drop run on a going fire. Except they didn't want you to come back and do it again.

 

[inthewind]

Yeah but when the black guy in the back is so scared that the fo could see his freckles, you know it was pretty damned scary. I can't wait to get fired for saying no!

 

[avbug]

I say no all the time. The company is paying you for that judgement. Your duty is to exercise it.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

Inthewind has it bad. This coming from a lowly Mooney driver. Ya ever get hired, wind?

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Whats wrong with flying cargo on these kinds of nights? We just climbed up to 430 last night and went right over them, nice and smooth, and one heck of a good light show as the clouds lit up from below. It was also nice, because we were the only ones around...since everyone else is scared of them .

Now maybe if i was still in the props then it would be a different story, but they still wouldn't have been that bad, you find a hole and go through it. Maybe a little bumpy, but nothing too bad.

Great story though, 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:

One thing comes to mind after reading this post......

Ametuer.

be careful in that Learjet, Chuck Yeager.

 

[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