Mountain crossing question

[Rosstafari]

I recently spent several days flying over the Cascades and Sierra Nevada in California and Oregon in a Skyhawk. Weather was generally good and fairly consistent (mostly clear, winds around 15-20, temps ~15), and my crossings were generally 090-110.

I noticed that we would get some pretty considerable mountain wave action, without fail, when we were around 2,000 to 3,000 AGL. Usually just light to moderate chop, but a stretch of moderate while MFR had us on a vector was enough to raise my blood pressure. Riding it down on the RNAV D there was... tricky.

For you high time guys, should I always expect to be riding the waves at those altitudes over mountains? Is it going to be a little smoother when I’m flying something bigger? Climbing helped, but between the heat, smoke, and being a 172, that wasn’t always an option. Just wondering if it was the norm.

 

[🦈💜]

I recently spent several days flying over the Cascades and Sierra Nevada in California and Oregon in a Skyhawk. Weather was generally good and fairly consistent (mostly clear, winds around 15-20, temps ~15), and my crossings were generally 090-110.

I noticed that we would get some pretty considerable mountain wave action, without fail, when we were around 2,000 to 3,000 AGL. Usually just light to moderate chop, but a stretch of moderate while MFR had us on a vector was enough to raise my blood pressure. Riding it down on the RNAV D there was... tricky.

For you high time guys, should I always expect to be riding the waves at those altitudes over mountains? Is it going to be a little smoother when I’m flying something bigger? Climbing helped, but between the heat, smoke, and being a 172, that wasn’t always an option. Just wondering if it was the norm.

Depends on temperature/pressure/winds aloft. Always expect wave leeward of mountains! In channeled terrain, expect mod-sev+ turbulence if the winds at peak level are 20kt+.

Mountain flying is lifetime learning. Personally, I’m very reluctant to take anything low-performance up to mountains at high DA. That plus weather, or weight, or night is a no-go for me.

-Fox