What happens when...

c172captain

c172captain

Well-Known Member
you fly through a lenticular cloud?



Logic would dictate that there would be severe turblence/windshear in association with the high velocity winds that form the cloud. I just wanted to hear some legitimate comments from folks who have actually flown in/near/around one!

Thanks
 
the lenticular cloud isnt bad, its the rotor underneath it where the severe turb lives.

The lenticular clouds are just formed from the gravity waves caused by the wind and a mountain/hill. The mountain waves I've flown through werent rough, it was just big airspeed deviations and some altitude deviations in the up/downdraft of the wave.
 
c172captain said:
you fly through a lenticular cloud?



Logic would dictate that there would be severe turblence/windshear in association with the high velocity winds that form the cloud. I just wanted to hear some legitimate comments from folks who have actually flown in/near/around one!

Thanks
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Nobody sane would do this. Reasoning? On the downwind side, severe turbulence and the possibility of rotor clouds exist.

Think giant, invisible tornado.

I've flow several miles downwind of Mt. Rainier on a clear day and the lingering turbulence shook me until my teeth rattled.

If you want to live, steer clear of them.
 
bdhill1979 said:
:yeahthat:

I have been around several that would rock you senseless 20+ miles away
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I flew about 2000' below and about 5-10 miles away in a Merlin and had light turbulence for about the 5 minutes we were near it. First and only one I have ever seen in person.
 
See them a lot in CA. The reason that I even asked was because yesterday there was a particularly large concentration of them in the mountains maybe 50 miles away
 
c172captain said:
See them a lot in CA. The reason that I even asked was because yesterday there was a particularly large concentration of them in the mountains maybe 50 miles away
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Yeah I noticed those too. I Usually see them around the San Gabriels and whatever that range is called on the north end of the valley.
 
MarkE said:
Yeah I noticed those too. I Usually see them around the San Gabriels and whatever that range is called on the north end of the valley.
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Really? I never saw one on the north wall of the valley when I was out there, but I guess I did most of my flying at night.

Normally it was clear and a million at night while going out to the desert, or conversely the marine layer would be in full effect, which meant ice over those mountains at 2:00 a.m. It was kind of strange watching the Chieftain ice up while thinking, "But wait...I'm in California! WTFO!?"
 
Firebird2XC said:
Nobody sane would do this. Reasoning? On the downwind side, severe turbulence and the possibility of rotor clouds exist.

Think giant, invisible tornado.

I've flow several miles downwind of Mt. Rainier on a clear day and the lingering turbulence shook me until my teeth rattled.

If you want to live, steer clear of them.
Click to expand...

The rotor is there with or without the cloud (which is dependant on other atmospheric variables), and yes the turbulence in the rotor is to be avoided. The rotor often will be found in the first trough of the wave downwind of the mountain, which makes it easy to avoid particularly if there are lenticular clouds showing you the ridges of the gravity wave. You can safely fly around the lenticular clouds and gliders often will, as it is a great source of lift. The lenticulars form at the peak of the wave so you want to be a bit upwind of it to get the strongest upward motion.
 
I've been noticing them too lately (for the last few days). And we also had some fronts recently pass. But today, today was beautiful up there. An occasional bump here or there. I came home from work with a smile today. And I was crammed in 150/152's all damn day.:D
 
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