Divine Intervention?

Chewie von Nubbins

Chewie von Nubbins

New Member
I was finally able to start the long cross-country solo today in the final phase of finishing up my PPL requirements, before the checkride. I launched at 12:00pm sharp. The course was from KGTR to KTUP to KTCL, back to KGTR (Columbus, MS / Tupelo, MS / Columbus, MS) with a few other county airports mixed in there for checkpoints.

I got going and cleared the initial Class D airspace at KGTR and tried to contact Memphis Approach on the radio. Nothing. So, I say goodbye for the VFR flight following and just continue on my way. I get about 15 miles outside of Tupelo, MS and start hitting some decent rain, with some very nasty stuff lurking in the midst. Get through the initial rain and at about 12 miles outside of Tupelo, I call up the Tupelo tower. He gets to the last letter of my N number and the radio just craps out. I keep trying to get him, but same thing over and over again. I then get about 4 or 5 miles outside his Class D airspace and make the call. Same damn thing. He spoke quickly and I hear him saying that my voice transmission is breaking up, say again. Then I come to the conclusion that my radios are cooked. I picked up my handheld (thank God I brought the thing along) and hear him saying: "Don't enter my airspace, I got a regional jet on runway 36." So, I start doing a couple of 360's about 5 miles outside his airspace, while I am starting to freak out a bit. I gave up on the radios and used the handheld. The regional jet is able to hear my handheld radio, with my saying that my radios in the plane are cooked and I need to make a full stop....student pilot on long x/c solo. Thanks to the guy in the regional for helping me out! After the 3rd 360, I cranked the handheld up to full volume and hear him tell me that I am cleared to land - runway 36. God really heard my prayers. I make a 4 or 5 mile final in for 36 and put the 172P down on the runway.

I then pull up to the FBO and a couple of guys from the FBO are waiting out on the ramp to park me. Kill the engine, crack the door, and the guy at the FBO was happy to greet me. He said that he had been listening to my ordeal on the tower freq. He then tells me that there are a strong line of thunderstorms that are breaking out around the area and I was lucky to have got down when I did...otherwise it would have been a complete show up there. I make the phone call to the guy running my flight school and explain the situation. He tells me that he is on his way to pick me up in the car, we will leave the plane up in Tupelo until tomorrow.

About 15 minutes later, some of the strongest thunderstorms I have seen in my lifetime completely consume the area. There was nothing forecast for rain/thunderstorm on DUATS at 11:30 when I was getting everything ready to go. These storms just came out of nowhere. I hate to think what would have happened if my radios had not crapped out? I still need to sleep on the whole ordeal in order to truly digest it.

What do you think? Divine intervention? I am not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, but what happened to me today surely had to be divine intervention!
 
That is without a doubt divine intervention, along with some very good decision making on your part. Sounds like it was a bad a situation that could have been much worse than it was. Glad you got down safe and sound.
 
Good thing you had the handheld!

Sounds like a heck of a situation, and looks like it was for the best!

Live and learn, it was good experience.
 
Looks like it was fast moving:
Chewie:

Yowza, so you left this:

KGTR 021658Z 01006KT 7SM SCT042 SCT055 31/19 A2987
KGTR 021725Z 02006KT 5SM TSRA BKN042 28/19 A2987

And ran into this:

KTUP 021753Z 00000KT 7SM BKN055 32/16 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP108 T03170161 10328 20217 58016
KTUP 021824Z 00000KT 7SM TS OVC055 31/16 A2985 RMK AO2 TSB18

and was headed into this:

KTCL 021753Z 33009KT 6SM HZ CLR 27/17 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP117 60000 T02720167 10289 20206 58011
KTCL 021853Z 32010KT 6SM HZ CLR 28/17 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP106 T02780172
KTCL 021953Z 32009KT 6SM HZ CLR 28/17 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP097 T02780167
KTCL 022053Z 31008KT 6SM HZ CLR 29/17 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP092 T02890167 56025
Click to expand...

Looked like your 2nd stop was o.k. The storms look like they did pop up pretty fast.

I am trying to think back, but I want to say my school had some mins for student x/c's. Did your school have any?

Great job though. You were well prepared. :rawk:
 
I don't think it was divine intervention. Unless God was out to get you, that is.

Think about it... He popped up some thunderstorms right in your path, and then cooked your aircraft's radio, at the exact moment that the only runway in your general vicinity was clogged with someone else. If it was divine intervention, what was he doing? Messin' with you and maybe trying to get you killed, sounds like. But good job heading him off at the pass.

What you experienced is called being well prepared (with a second radio) and making smart decisions under pressure. That's what pilot training is SUPPOSED to teach you to be able to do. Congrats! Seems to be working.

Chewie: 1
God, Murphy, and the conspiring forces of the Universe:0
 
Well, I'll say this.

It's the Gulf Coast. It's Summer. And with any sort of SWLY flow coming off of the NRN Gulf of Mexico, you're going to gradually start to see thunderstorms. First off of the coastline associated with the sea breeze. As they build, and as the ground gradually warms over a few weeks, the storms will progress further in-land.

Just a little word of advice.

Now as far as this situation, I don't know. Temperatures are decent, dew points are also not that bad. There is a temperature, called the convective temperature . . . that when the surface heats to whatever the temperature is for the day - cumulus clouds will develop. If you reach this temperature early in the day (say 10 or even 11am), you can expect some rather intense storms near your area (it may be East of your position considering the flow aloft), because you have the sun heating the surface at this temperature for say from 10am to 3 or 4pm. Almost 6 hours of intense heat raising, moisture condensing, clouds developing, continued air raising, cumulus stage. . .mature. . .dissipating.

I'll see if I can come across some radar for the area from June 2nd, but I doubt it. I'd suggest calling your local WFO and see if you can speak to someone who was working the afternoon of the 2nd. Let them know you're a pilot, and just wanted some insight into what cause the pop up thunderstorms.

My bet is, the forecasted temperature from the weather forecast office was lower than the model data's convective temp for the day, so the WFO didn't forecast any thunderstorms. Well, a temperature forecast off. . .a weather forecast off.

Hope this helped.
 
surreal1221 said:
There is a temperature, called the convective temperature . . . that when the surface heats to whatever the temperature is for the day - cumulus clouds will develop. If you reach this temperature early in the day (say 10 or even 11am), you can expect some rather intense storms near your area (it may be East of your position considering the flow aloft), because you have the sun heating the surface at this temperature for say from 10am to 3 or 4pm.
Click to expand...

And where might one find this magic temperature number?
 
You can get them from a Skew-T, which is a graphic that displays data plotted from weather ballons (rawinsonde data).

Trouble is, finding one in the public domain that will caclulate it for you. lol
 
Well, I was finally able to do the trip today. Just got back a little over an hour ago. Trip went KGTR - M44 - KTUP - HAB(VOR) - KTCL - 3M8 - KUBS and back to KGTR. Total Hobbs time was 2.8 and total trip was 220 miles. I ran into some really good headwinds at several points, where the GS was a sad 83KTS :banghead:. Overall, a very good trip with functioning radios and good weather this time. I did hit a couple of thermals that put me into a 45 degree bank, but nothing really major to report.

Thanks for the kind words from everyone on my ordeal from last Saturday. That little handheld is the best $238 I have spent in a very long time. I looked over and kissed it a few times today while along the trip.

Happy Flying. :)
 
mojo6911 said:
You should have your new instructor teach you how to read a TAF, Area Forecast, or watch the news.
:laff:
Click to expand...

You Dork. I am seriously reconsidering the offer I made to you a few months ago about the Redskins vs. Cowboys game. The stupid TAFs and area forecasts didn't have any of that....and I am now a bit smarter than to wait on hold for 2 hours waiting for a stupid briefing for winds aloft that do not apply for my VC....like someone else that I know. :rotfl:

DUATS baby. Problem is, the forecast was completely off and I almost got felted. I guess I got lucky. Just like those promises you make to god when you are yacking and dry heaving from tying one on....the whole divine intervention thing is now turning into a "lucky" thing now.
 
surreal1221 said:
Well, I'll say this.

It's the Gulf Coast. It's Summer. And with any sort of SWLY flow coming off of the NRN Gulf of Mexico, you're going to gradually start to see thunderstorms. First off of the coastline associated with the sea breeze. As they build, and as the ground gradually warms over a few weeks, the storms will progress further in-land.

Just a little word of advice.

Now as far as this situation, I don't know. Temperatures are decent, dew points are also not that bad. There is a temperature, called the convective temperature . . . that when the surface heats to whatever the temperature is for the day - cumulus clouds will develop. If you reach this temperature early in the day (say 10 or even 11am), you can expect some rather intense storms near your area (it may be East of your position considering the flow aloft), because you have the sun heating the surface at this temperature for say from 10am to 3 or 4pm. Almost 6 hours of intense heat raising, moisture condensing, clouds developing, continued air raising, cumulus stage. . .mature. . .dissipating.

I'll see if I can come across some radar for the area from June 2nd, but I doubt it. I'd suggest calling your local WFO and see if you can speak to someone who was working the afternoon of the 2nd. Let them know you're a pilot, and just wanted some insight into what cause the pop up thunderstorms.

My bet is, the forecasted temperature from the weather forecast office was lower than the model data's convective temp for the day, so the WFO didn't forecast any thunderstorms. Well, a temperature forecast off. . .a weather forecast off.

Hope this helped.
Click to expand...

Want to finish taking my meteorology class for me? I only have 4 weeks left
 
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