Thunderstorms, anyone fly thru them?

[Lear Wanna Be]

Yeah, when I was young and dumb and doing exactly what 30West was talking about. I mean, I was not dumb enough to fly directly thru something on the radar that was 10 miles in diameter, with lightning shooting out all sides, and it showing heavy precip on the radar. However, I certainly worked around and between cells and occasionally they closed up before I got there. There was the occasional rough ride and once or twice I gained a 1,000' or so. It wasn't worth it and I would never intentionally do it again. I was lucky and never had anything bad happen. I luckily never had hail smashing the airplane, never ended up in an unusual attitude, or anything worse. Don't let anybody talk you into doing it as it isn't worth taking the chance. If you find yourself in that situation, just remember to slow it down and that if the A/P is on to turn the altitude hold off.

 

[OrionFE]

Used to, no wx radar on our P-3's in the 60's, crossing the Atlantic FL250 IFR ran into embedded TW's a couple times, You really get bounced around. Everyone had to be strapped in, rain sounds like machine guns. If there were really bad, a good operator on the surface search radar, APS 125, could pick'em out. Please correct me if I am wrong, there was a rule you could use to fly under them, 1/3 the distance below the frezzing level. Then again we used to fly in frezzing rain also.

Flew through many in P-3's and it was not fun! We (reserves) finally bought and installed Color WX Radar's in our aircraft in the 90's. It was a nice relief!

 

[rustypigeon]

Turn 35 right and see if he still likes flying through thunderstorms....

 

[time builder]

http://www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/

I've found the thunderstorm course on this site to be very helpful. Most importantly, enlist the help of ATC and other pilots (ie recent PIREPS).

Until you are more comfortable with reading the signs of what you can and can't fly through, I'd follow the lead of others and play it conservative.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

Bryan,

This is a perfect example of why you shouldn't be anywhere near a thunderstorm.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

If they're just little ones, you'll probably survive, but you should never ever fly through one over FL220.
I've flown through a few T-storms in jets. Two of them were at FL400 in a Lear a couple years ago... One right after the other; one of the stupidest things I've ever done!
Got our butts kicked all over the place. 500' up, 500' down, overspeeding, underspeeding, parts of the interior falling from the ceiling of the airplane.
That's what I get for listening to an stupid captain who thinks they know what they're doing. If she wasn't a woman, I would have kicked her ass when we landed.
Don't do it! Tell your boss absolutely not, and if he argues, quit; and then kick HIS ass.

 

[Oh-ryan]

You all are a bunch of pansies. NOAA and the 53rd Wx Recon Squadron do it all the time. They prefer hurricanes though.

 

[icefr8dawg]

I once loaned my nightly ride to another pilot who flew through two storms on his run. He took 1/8 inch of aluminum off my props and destroyed the high end paint job I just did myself. I think the prop paddles were $1500 each at overhaul and he destroyed over $1000 of polyurethane. From the ownership standpoint it just dosn't make sense for the boss to want his plane in heavy ********************.

 

[Lear6T]

Time to get a new boss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[phr8dawg]

I have found the following rules helpful:
1. 10,000 feet tops: no risk,maybe some ice
2. 20,000 feet tops: pass upwind close
3. 20,000+ : pass upwind, a few miles
4. Hail can come out the back too.
5. Below the deck,stay upwind of rain shafts
6. IMC: Have a plan of attack and a solid escape route. Have lots of "happy gas." (extra fuel!)
7. Do not assume a radar" corridor" will be there when you arrive. See rule 6.

I recently vectored myself into a box canyon of cells, experienced full attenuation on the radar, then the whole windshield lit up with Elmo's fire. A few seconds later all the static was sucked off the windshield by a lightning bolt which appeared off our nose. Unreal.

"RUN, Forrest, RUN! "We turned and ran. Never jostled the rubber dog poo.

Does your boss really have weather experience?

Please fly safe