ready2fly
Well-Known Member
Let me preface this by saying that our forcasters SUCK!!!
K. Forward.
Headed north last night to X35 (Dunnellon) - a 68 NM (one way) trip. The further north I got, the more clouds seemed to be hanging around (which, for Florida in late afernoon - is no big deal), but the were getting darker.
I had called wx-Brief before I left and was told that the wx along my route would be clear. "Only high cirrus for the rest of the evening". I was also told that any convective activity was on the East coast of FL and was moving west, but would not interfere with my flight.
Then, I went on line and checked the wx along my route as a back up. Nothing forecasted there either. Cumulus clouds at 5000, but clearing.... or so it says...
So.....off I go.
As I left Tampa's airspace and was instructed by Approach (again - did Flight Following), I noticed that the clouds to the North West of me seemed to be producing rain.... that or a HUGE shadow.... so, after I contacted JAX Approach, and was instructed to expect a VFR approach into Dunellon... I overheard that same controller tell a plane some 15-20 miles ahead of me to "be looking for that storm that developed to the South-West of Dunellon and looks to be growing in intensity."
Ummmm - okay.
So, I call the controller and ask him "did you just say that there is a storm South West of Dunnellon and growing in intensity?"
He confirms... so, I keep my eye on it and it does not look promising that I would reach my destination.
Being in the 150, I was already being kicked around pretty good.
I was approaching X40 (Inverness), a small strip that is 3762 X 60 and was just off my 1 o'clock.
I IMMEDIATELY called back to Jax and informed them that I was diverting, landing at X-ray 40 and getting out of town.
I landed, took off and turned West as the dark clouds were already directly overhead and bouncing me around.... it was crystal clear to the west along the coast, but I didn't want to get stuck there or worse - blown out into the Gulf.
I called Flight Service and got an update on the storm and they told me that it was building in intensity and was "fishooking" in front of me to the south.
He said that I should be safe if I fly to the coast and head south. So, I headed west and stayed about 10 miles inland. The storm was about 15 miles to my east and looking nasty.... no lightening, but dark clouds and rain... lots of rain.
As I approached BKV (Hernando County), I contacted Tampa Approach and requested Flight Following and asked if they saw the storms on radar.... they did not.... leading me to the IMMEDIATE conclusion that Tampa needs new radars!!
Then the controller says "Cessna niner seven juliette, turn to a heading of one five zero...".... DIRECTLY INTO the storm!
If I would have cancelled and got VFR on my own course, I would have had to go out over the Gulf and that didn't seem favorable since the storm seemed to be heading that way.
I informed him that he was vectoring me directly into the storms and that I was not instrument rated. He said: "well, they don't show up on the radar, so they can't be THAT intense.... let me know if you need anything else".
I cleared the first row of clouds with no rain. I was at 2000 and the cloud bases were at about 4500 to 5000, so no factor. He then instructed me to "proceed on course" to TPF.
As I turned to 210, I IMMEDIATELY ran into the rain. It was light at first and I could see. I called Approach and informed him that I was in the rain and where I was and how high. He said "still don't see any storms on radar... let me know when you get out of them"
As soon as he said that, the rain got worse! I could see clearly out the sides, but to the front, it was REALLY blurry. I concentrated on my instruments and after about two minutes, I broke out of the rain and it was clear for the rest of the flight back to TPF.
Needless to say though, I was PISSED!!! Not that the forecast was wrong so much as how CRAPPY Tampa's radar is!!
Afterall - sometimes, storms develope that are not forecasted, but for a realtively "large" system like Tampa to NOT see a line of storms that reached from North Tampa all the way to Dunnellon, Florida - 68 miles in length.... is inexplicable.
I got on the ground safely abeit with a 90 degree crosswind to RWY 21 (RWY 35/17 are closed right now, otherwise, I would have used 35 since that's where the surface wind was coming from.). Made a CRAPPY x wind landing (note to self - work on x wind landings) , secured the aircraft and thanked the aviation gods that I was on the ground.
So, anything there that you see that I could have/should have done differently?
K. Forward.
Headed north last night to X35 (Dunnellon) - a 68 NM (one way) trip. The further north I got, the more clouds seemed to be hanging around (which, for Florida in late afernoon - is no big deal), but the were getting darker.
I had called wx-Brief before I left and was told that the wx along my route would be clear. "Only high cirrus for the rest of the evening". I was also told that any convective activity was on the East coast of FL and was moving west, but would not interfere with my flight.
Then, I went on line and checked the wx along my route as a back up. Nothing forecasted there either. Cumulus clouds at 5000, but clearing.... or so it says...
So.....off I go.
As I left Tampa's airspace and was instructed by Approach (again - did Flight Following), I noticed that the clouds to the North West of me seemed to be producing rain.... that or a HUGE shadow.... so, after I contacted JAX Approach, and was instructed to expect a VFR approach into Dunellon... I overheard that same controller tell a plane some 15-20 miles ahead of me to "be looking for that storm that developed to the South-West of Dunellon and looks to be growing in intensity."
Ummmm - okay.
So, I call the controller and ask him "did you just say that there is a storm South West of Dunnellon and growing in intensity?"
He confirms... so, I keep my eye on it and it does not look promising that I would reach my destination.
Being in the 150, I was already being kicked around pretty good.
I was approaching X40 (Inverness), a small strip that is 3762 X 60 and was just off my 1 o'clock.
I IMMEDIATELY called back to Jax and informed them that I was diverting, landing at X-ray 40 and getting out of town.
I landed, took off and turned West as the dark clouds were already directly overhead and bouncing me around.... it was crystal clear to the west along the coast, but I didn't want to get stuck there or worse - blown out into the Gulf.
I called Flight Service and got an update on the storm and they told me that it was building in intensity and was "fishooking" in front of me to the south.
He said that I should be safe if I fly to the coast and head south. So, I headed west and stayed about 10 miles inland. The storm was about 15 miles to my east and looking nasty.... no lightening, but dark clouds and rain... lots of rain.
As I approached BKV (Hernando County), I contacted Tampa Approach and requested Flight Following and asked if they saw the storms on radar.... they did not.... leading me to the IMMEDIATE conclusion that Tampa needs new radars!!
Then the controller says "Cessna niner seven juliette, turn to a heading of one five zero...".... DIRECTLY INTO the storm!
If I would have cancelled and got VFR on my own course, I would have had to go out over the Gulf and that didn't seem favorable since the storm seemed to be heading that way.
I informed him that he was vectoring me directly into the storms and that I was not instrument rated. He said: "well, they don't show up on the radar, so they can't be THAT intense.... let me know if you need anything else".
I cleared the first row of clouds with no rain. I was at 2000 and the cloud bases were at about 4500 to 5000, so no factor. He then instructed me to "proceed on course" to TPF.
As I turned to 210, I IMMEDIATELY ran into the rain. It was light at first and I could see. I called Approach and informed him that I was in the rain and where I was and how high. He said "still don't see any storms on radar... let me know when you get out of them"
As soon as he said that, the rain got worse! I could see clearly out the sides, but to the front, it was REALLY blurry. I concentrated on my instruments and after about two minutes, I broke out of the rain and it was clear for the rest of the flight back to TPF.
Needless to say though, I was PISSED!!! Not that the forecast was wrong so much as how CRAPPY Tampa's radar is!!
Afterall - sometimes, storms develope that are not forecasted, but for a realtively "large" system like Tampa to NOT see a line of storms that reached from North Tampa all the way to Dunnellon, Florida - 68 miles in length.... is inexplicable.
I got on the ground safely abeit with a 90 degree crosswind to RWY 21 (RWY 35/17 are closed right now, otherwise, I would have used 35 since that's where the surface wind was coming from.). Made a CRAPPY x wind landing (note to self - work on x wind landings) , secured the aircraft and thanked the aviation gods that I was on the ground.
So, anything there that you see that I could have/should have done differently?
