Florida in July

[thobson]

Hi guys,

Does anyone have any experience of flying in Florida during July/August?

I was thinking of training for a PPL then doing some hour building, but have heard horror stories about thunderstorms and poor visibility. Is it as bad as this? Would I be better to postpone my trip or train elsewhere?

Toby

[Charlie Zulu]

Hi Toby,

I was in Florida all of last July for the purpose of obtaining an FAA CPL/IR which I successfully did. Back in July 1999 I was out in Florida hour building and managed around 40 or so hours within a two week period.

Whilst it is true that Florida does have daily thunderstorms during the summer months, the weather is still flyable when the thunderstorms aren't raising their ugly heads.

Normally a typical July day in Naples, weather wise, consists of:

During the early mornings you'll have blue skies and little turbulence but during the morning through late morning to lunch time you'll start to see building cumulous cloud and increasing turbulence.

By mid afternoon (around 2-3pm) you'll probably start to see large Cumulonimbus clouds (thunderstorm clouds) and around this time you'll probably start to see the lightening from a distant, but rapidly moving thunderstorm. This is when flying stops for a while and everone lands, ties down the aeroplanes and heads for the student room to chat / groundschool / lunch etc.

Within about half an hour or so the thunderstorm is over the airfield, the wind has increased to around 20 knots gusting and veering all over the place with windshear, the visibility has dropped to a mile or two.

Half an hour later the thunderstorm has cleared to the northwest (usually - towards the coast) and the blue skies and partly covered sky with cumulous cloud returns... everyone starts to get the aeroplanes ready for flight, one departs followed by another and so forth.

During the late afternoon to early evening the skies start to clear of cumulous cloud (which normally has around two to four thousand feet bases anyway) and clear skies return. The turbulence usually resceeds, by 6pm the sky is normally really nice and calm etc.

Then its back to the morning for the next day daily cycle...

Studying the weather radar in the student room each and every day it looks as though the thunderstorms develop near the coasts and move inland. Tampa Bay normally has quite a few thunderstorms as do the thunderstorms developing off the coast of Miami on the east coast then the prevailing winds blowing them onshore during the early - mid afternoon.

Anyway to cut a long story short the weather in florida is usually good in July good visibility and cloud base heights. Winds around 5 - 10 knots. But when you see a thunderstorm, stay well clear... the visibility drops to around 1 - 2 miles around and under one... there is lots of windshear and gusting winds as well as the usual downdrafts etc...

Only one day last July did we have a non flying day. That was because the thunderstorms were quite fierce from 8am onwards all around and over Naples. Not usual though.

Somone who lives in Florida would probably be better to explain the weather system they have during July and August than myself.

There were many PPL students over there whilst I was there. They all flew most days, and all obtained their licences within three to four weeks or so.

One thing to point out. If you are going to do some hour building straight after your PPL then you'll have to have to do an FAA written and checkride... budget for those if you haven't already done so and were just planning on doing a JAA licence.

Best wishes

Charlie Zulu.

[thobson]

Charlie Zulu,

Really appreciate your comments, looks as if Florida is still on! Interesting that you mention Naples as this is where I plan to do my training.

Toby

[Jinkster]

Before you mention OFT - do a forum search its being mentioned a few hundered times this year.

Flying in Florida is great fun! I was out in winter 2002 at OFT. Excellent flying and easy plus all the controllers are very friendly.

Best of luck

Jinkster

[Charlie Zulu]

Hi Toby,

I expect I know which school you're looking at for your PPL then... its where I did my FAA CPL/IR (NAC?).

Anyway if you're out there at anytime between the 28th June to 10th July this year (2004) then you'll probably bump into me. I'm off to Naples again for the FAA Multi Engine Rating.

All the best for the course.

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.