Flight Training - July 2014 - 31

PHILLIP WILL TELL YOU that a lot of good has
come out of his harrowing encounter with that thunderstorm. That hailstone actually helped knocked
some sense into him because Phillip realized that
his risky attitude toward flying had him flirting with
disaster far too long. Also, because he survived the
accident, Phillip felt he was being led out of a career
in aviation and decided to act on a long-held desire to
help people by practicing medicine. He is now a physician who helps cancer patients manage the pain of
their disease. He still loves flying, although he's much
more conservative.
As pilots, we can get some benefits from hearing
Phillip's story. We can make sure we never ever have
to go through as wild a ride as he did on that stormy
summer afternoon.
So here are a few tips for avoiding an encounter
like Phillip's: Become an avid chart-checker. Anytime
there's a thunderstorm forecast for your area, take
a minute to look at all of the weather charts associated with convective activity. See if you can decipher
that composite moisture stability chart or learn some
new symbols on a pilot report or terminal aerodrome
forecast. Find out what the implications could be if
a low pressure system is headed your way. If you can
become familiar with what the charts look like when
convective weather is approaching, maybe you can
avoid close calls.
Also, remember, you always want to stay at least
20 miles away from any severe thunderstorm. Even
if you aren't in or under the actual cumulonimbus
cloud, you may still encounter hail and wind shear if
you get too close.
Don't forget to leave yourself an out. You never
want to fly between thunderstorms that are closer
than 40 miles together because you may find that as
they move, you will be stuck in the middle with no
safe way out.
Especially if you are flying in instrument conditions, remember to take into account the movement
of the storm. Just because the radar shows your route
is clear right now doesn't mean that an hour or two
into the flight, you won't encounter those storms as
they track their way across your course. An embedded thunderstorm like the one Phillip encountered
will be impossible to see until you are actually in the
storm, feeling its effects.
So what do you do if you are in the air and the clouds
ahead begin to look dark and ominous? Use all of your
available resources. One of those helpful resources

could be onboard weather radar or a lightning detection system. Many pilots also use
their iPad or other tablet to get satellitebased radar information. While this is great
for preflight planning, it's not a very safe
or effective way to pick your way through
scattered thunderstorms, as the information you are receiving could be as much
as 15 to 20 minutes old. Try calling a flight
service station or en route flight advisory
service for help. ATC can also provide some
assistance by alerting you to areas of precipitation ahead, but keep in mind that this
is not their primary responsibility. Their job
is to keep you separated from other air traffic and terrain, but workload permitting,
they can also be very helpful with thunderstorm avoidance.
If, by some unfortunate circumstance,
you find yourself actually inside a thunderstorm, you need to do three things
quickly. Ask ATC for help; they may be
able to give you vectors that will keep
you out of the most severe parts of the
storm. At the same time, slow down to the
published maneuvering speed for your
airplane and maintain a level attitude. Do
not try to force the airplane to hold exact
headings or altitudes. Slowing your speed
and allowing the airplane to ride out the
inevitable wind shear and drafts will help
reduce the possibility of structural damage to your airplane.
Perhaps the most important way to
make sure you steer clear of an encounter
with a thunderstorm is not only to have a
clear understanding of weather patterns
but also a healthy respect for their power.
So next time you hear the weather briefer
say words like "convective sigmet" or
"pressure falling rapidly," you can have
the knowledge and the good sense to keep
your feet planted firmly on the ground,
wondering what it would feel like to ride
out a thunderstorm-and never actually
have to find out for yourself.
Natalie Bingham Hoover, ATP/CFII/MEI, has given
more than 3,000 hours of instruction. She lives in
Germantown, Tennessee.

JULY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - July 2014

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