Thunderstorm flying????

[falcondriver]

I'm curious how other pilots learned how to fly around thunderstorms???? What books did you read etc,etc,etc.
Faclondriver

 

[chperplt]

Trial and error

 

[falcondriver]

Me too...
FD

 

[rumpletumbler]

I'd be curious to hear accounts of being in a thunderstorm from rational, sane people. I talked to a guy who used to fly with Airnet once and he was giggling while talking about how fun it was to watch the tip tanks on a C-310 bob up and down in a thunderstorm. Really spooooooky that there are folks out there like that.

RT

 

[hyper]

Fly freight at night down here in FL. That'll pretty much cover your thunderstorm 101 training.

Hey R.T., it actually is pretty fun. I just stare at 'em and think "cooooool" while REO's "Riden' the Storm Out" plays in my head;-) You gotta be a bit detached to do this job anyway.

P.S., the 310 also has a good heater that works great for drying your shoes and socks after preflight and loading in a storm.

 

[MetroSheriff]

Trial and Error.

A couple of times early on, due to lack of experience, I scared myself pretty good (i.e. hmmm that looks like a decent alley there, or that blank spot on the radar looks good lol). I learned quickly that if it made my bowels warm and squishy, I would endeavor to avoid doing it again.

 

[HAL]

Learn from the pros.

I listened, watched, and learned from the Captains in my first commuter job. Until then I just gave them a wiiiiiiiide berth. You can watch all the videos, read all the books, but until you are faced with a wall of CB's at night in the midwest, you don't know jack about thunderstorms.

HAL

 

[chperplt]

In reality, I learned by scarying the he!! out of myself. Once I did that a few times, I became very familiar with my radar and its shortcomings.

I have read quite a few books and even have a minor in aviation weather. Having a good understanding of the lifespan and stages of the TS is also quite helpful.

 

[Timebuilder]

At first, I'd look at the radar and make gurguling noises as the aerostar would explore unusual attitudes. Rather unsettling.

Later, I learned to not venture quite so close, and observed the manner in which more experienced people used the returns to give the pax a smoother ride. I learned to ask ATC to query the planes ahead on the same route.

Most important is the concept that radar and thunderstorms are unpredictable. Powerful storms can be masked by rather benign echoes on your screen. There is always an element of uncertainty.

I try and stay away from them.

 

[TDTURBO]

If you have to go through one, and your talking to center, ask them to keep you out of the "H's", they'll know exactly what your talking about and more importantly, they'll know YOU know what you doing.

 

[falcondriver]

You also have to remember that center will fly you right into a cell if you let them. Got to remember that they are sitting behind a screen. They won't get killed if you screw up...
FD

 

[avbug]

How did I learn to fly around thunderstorms? Simple. I gave them a very wide berth from the get-go, and now give them even more room. Never worried abour learning to fly around them. I avoid them entirely.

 

[wingnutt]

man, great question!

but i agree, trial and error. fly freight for awhile and youll get the hang on it. myself, im good for a Class III. 1 and 2 are no sweat, but after 3 and i start thinking twice. stay away from anything that looks green, that stuff is nasty to the core. and just because its VFR, and youre flying under a class 3/4 dosent mean you wont get hailed upon...ask me how i know.

nowadays, i do the same, give em a wide berth. seeing the responses of the others, they seem to agree.

 

[enigma]

From the time I began my quest to be a professional, I trained as a professional. Meteorology was taught as applied knowledge in a semester long course. I obtained an extensive library and read it all. But most of all, I was lucky enough to start flying with some experienced pilots at my first airline job (KingAire 200 FO, Mesa Airlines). There is nothing like learning the ropes from someone who actually knows whats going on.

good subject,
8N

 

[MetroSheriff]

If you have to go through one, and your talking to center, ask them to keep you out of the "H's", they'll know exactly what your talking about and more importantly, they'll know YOU know what you doing.

If the wings falls off, they still won't spill a drop of their coffee.

Anyone who relies on ATC for wx avoidance is a fool. Even terminal radar with good wx overlay still have major shortcomings. This doesn't even count the facilities that don't have wx capability.

Personally, I couldn't care less if the controller "knows, I know what I am doing" and I won't rely on him any more than I would to keep me out of the hills. Good SA applies to wx, too. When it comes to wx, ATC is good for big picture planning, and that's about it.

 

[JBHewlett]

I really didn't

I really, didn't read any books. If I think there is convective activity in the area, I will take a good look at the radar images. Thats on the ground - I have no Radar on board and no Storm Scope, so I have to really watch the DTN. However stuff still happens. I was going into BNA, on Sunday, and the radar showed no T-storms just a little rain. On the way there, it started to get a little bumby in the clouds. They were building. You would hear airline jets deviating around weather. I was cleared to deviate as needed.

Of course I don't fly for the airlines or anything, so if I want to wait it out I can and I will unless I am sure I can go around them assuming I am on the ground. Also unless they are embedded, you can generally see them.

However a good book to pick up would be Pilots Weather, by Brian Cosgrove.

J.

 

[Freighter]

You learn the most about thunderstorms by flying freight or really just alot of flying around them in general. I'm yet to find a good book to teach me about flying thunderstorms. I'll say one thing about them, the day you think you know alot about the thunderstorms is the day you get rocked. All I can say is stay away, fly around them. Don't try and 'shoot the gap' between to growing thunderheads. Most times you'll lose the race.

 

[eaglefly]

27 years of FLYING MAGAZINE. Many great articles by Richard L. Collins. In fact he wrote a book called THUNDERSTORMS AND AIRPLANES (1982), which I still have and occasionally reread.

It's better to try and learn from others mistakes than to learn mostly from your own. It's too bad many pilots coming down the pike nowadays seem to get their education from luck and stupidity. Worse yet, some apparently don't even learn from their own.

Go to Borders or the Library and read any book you can get on Accident reports.

 

[Timebuilder]

ah, books.

Richard Collins Flying the Weather Map

Bob Buck Weather Flying

 

[Rvrrat]

It's better to try and learn from others mistakes than to learn mostly from your own. [/B]

Having access to local knowledge, that is "how the weather behaves around here" is worth its weight in gold. I credit the sage advice of Cpt. Sam Brunetto at Coolidge, AZ and his experience with how summer T-storms in that part of the country behave for keeping me from having made a big mistake.