how high above a thunderstorm should you pass?

F

flyinghigh007

Well-Known Member
assuming the storm tops aren't above the capabilities of the aircraft, are there any rules of thumb or anything like that to help a pilot decide how high above the storm to pass? I think i remember seeing this question on a gouge somewhere but haven't seen anything that answers the question.

thanks
 
400A said:
1000 feet per 10 knots of wind at the top.
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So if tops were reported at 390, and winds were a modest 100kts, you have to be at 490 to pass above it? That doesnt seem very practical, much less do-able.
 
Our DO did lots of thunderstorm research back in the day. The number they came up with was 5,000 feet.

If you paint the strongest part of a cell with the RADAR and it comes in the 25 NM arc without adjusting the tilt, it's at or above your altitude.

I don't know the science or math involved, that's just what he's taught me over the past year.
 
minitour said:
Exactly.

Go around.

-mini
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Thats great in a jet, which I only have about 100hrs in. My only valuable experience comes from zig-zagging at 5,000 ft. I sometimes forget that some people can detour 200NM and still show up relatively on time.
 
cmill said:
Thats great in a jet, which I only have about 100hrs in. My only valuable experience comes from zig-zagging at 5,000 ft. I sometimes forget that some people can detour 200NM and still show up relatively on time.
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If the tops are hanging out around FL390, you probably shouldn't be penetrating it at 5,000'.

Find yourself a nice wide opening and go around the big stuff.

-mini
 
We had a crew stall a 737 trying to top a thundestorm over the Bahamas. Don't do it. If you can't clear it by at least 5,000 feet, just go around it.
 
minitour said:
If the tops are hanging out around FL390, you probably shouldn't be penetrating it at 5,000'.

Find yourself a nice wide opening and go around the big stuff.

-mini
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Thats a whole nother thread. Simply put didnt have the gas for it, and sometimes landing doesnt cross your mind.

I wish the tops were only at 390, try about 10k above that. I'm not advocating this approach, but once you're half way through, theres no point int urning back. Slow down to Va and hang on is all you can really do.

I'm not blaming anyone but myself for what i got myself into. It wasnt the first time ive penetrated bad wx, and it prolly wont be the last. When its 3am, you're short on gas, and have no kind of wx radar to find a "big hole" you do what you can to accomplish the mission and make it out without bending metal.

Theres no two ways about it, if i could go back and do it again, I would have landed, but its too late for that.
 
cmill said:
Theres no two ways about it, if i could go back and do it again, I would have landed, but its too late for that.
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Sounds like the definition of learning to me. A change of behavior as a result of experience.

That's what it's about. :)

-mini
 
flyinghigh007 said:
assuming the storm tops aren't above the capabilities of the aircraft, are there any rules of thumb or anything like that to help a pilot decide how high above the storm to pass? I think i remember seeing this question on a gouge somewhere but haven't seen anything that answers the question.

thanks
Click to expand...

Trying to top 'em is risky business. The rule I always tried to go by was avoid avoid avoid and that meant giving them wide berth, especially if they were cooking into the 30s and above. That is a huge amount of energy and more than a few intrepid aviators have miscalculated with some actually falling into the maw of the monster. Even if you clear them by x feet, there is still the possibility they will be tossing hail out the top and that can make for a very bad day.
 
I was always told, high enough so the hail getting spewed out the top dont get you.....:eek:, course a Bro cant climb that high....lol:D
 
Nigel Croker said:
I was always told, high enough so the hail getting spewed out the top dont get you.....:eek:, course a Bro cant climb that high....lol:D
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Friend said three things really scared him; inflight fires, crazy drunk women and thunderstorms. (he said it...)

And thunderstorms do spit out hail. I was flying Lears and Citations here in ATL when Southern 242 went through what they thought was the hole in the wall of thunderstorms and it was a fatal mistake. Hail took out both engines and broke all cockpit windows.

This is mild compared to some photos of hail damage I have seen. A while back there were some photos of a couple of NAVY or NASA T-38s that tangled with a thunderstorm. NOT pretty.

1.jpg
 
Orange Anchor said:
Friend said three things really scared him; inflight fires, crazy drunk women and thunderstorms. (he said it...)

And thunderstorms do spit out hail. I was flying Lears and Citations here in ATL when Southern 242 went through what they thought was the hole in the wall of thunderstorms and it was a fatal mistake. Hail took out both engines and broke all cockpit windows.

This is mild compared to some photos of hail damage I have seen. A while back there were some photos of a couple of NAVY or NASA T-38s that tangled with a thunderstorm. NOT pretty.

1.jpg
Click to expand...

http://www.strangedangers.com/content/item/10120.html
 
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