Storms today

[Timothy]

Today was the first time I have flown since my avionics refit when there was serious weather about.

I flew from Biggin to Chateauroux spending most of the time dodging between classic, anvil shaped CBs, with tops in the 15-18,000 band.

My WX-500 reported a total of five strikes the whole day, though I tested it repeatedly and it claimed to be hunky dory.

Was anyone flying in that area (ie between London and mid-France) that can tell me whether:

a) the CBs weren't big enough to produce cells

or

b) My new WX-500 is crap?

Thank you.

Timothy

[FNG]

Excuse me, how long did you say it was?

[ToryBoy]

Your new WX-500 is crap.

Next...

[andymac]

visit this link -
http://www.phd.nl/aviation/wx/
select 'lightning location animation' from the
drop down menu ('make your selection from this menu')
watch it load + work out your route/times etc + see.
BRegds, Andy Mac.

[IO540]

The WX500 is a great product. I've been flying with it for 2 years. It only picks up electrical activity so it doesn't show everything that stirs the air up, but if it shows a cluster of strikes, you certainly don't want to go there. When flying VMC on top, the correlation between huge embedded CBs (which you can see when on top) and the display is impressive.

[Timothy]

Excuse me, how long did you say it was?Sorry, I don't understand that one.

Thank you Tory boy, helpful as ever :p

andymac, thank you a very interesting site. It does seem to indicate a fair amount of activity in the AMB-DVL area, which wasn't shown on the WX-500, but Bookworm pointed me towards this site (http://www.meteocentre.com/lightning/map_sfuk.php?time=10〈=en&map=Europe ) which seems to tell a different story:confused:

Timothy

[Final 3 Greens]

Timothy

A couple of observations from flying VFR in the US and watching electrical activity on a lighting detector (not WX500) and Wx radar from a safe distance. I was flying with a turboprop FO, who was also a flight instructor and he was teaching me some aspects of flying VFR around build ups.

(1) CuCb with appx 12-15,000' tops, with intense electrical activity and lots of red painting on the wx radar

(2) Cb tops above FL350, little electrical activity, although the Wx radar was painting plenty of yellow areas and occasional red

I don't know if this helps you at all, but the instructor said that these examples showed why US IFR pilots value lightning detectors so highly, because "cloud size does not always equal meanness." They are also suspicious of attenuation on Wx radar.

Maybe a few more experiments are required to build your confidence levels in the WX500?

I can certainly understand why you wish to build your experience of the new piece of kit, before relying on it.

[Warped Factor]

At least one inbound to EGLL got hit by lightning on intermediate approach yesterday afternoon and there was lots of wx avoiding going on by the big(ger) boys all the way from oop north down to the south coast.

WF.

[Marigold]

What about the sotrms from yesterday? Their seemd like many were around!!!

[bookworm]

Flew into EGSC from the east coast yesterday just before 1600Z. The weather was potentially nasty, but perhaps not as bad as a couple of hours earlier. Spent a short time in a shower cloud with little turbulence, but saw a single flash as I emerged and got a small amount of soft hail.

I didn't pay as much attention to the WX500 as I should have, but saw a single +.

[cblinton@blueyonder.]

Bookworm

I departed Shoreham at 1500 yesterday for Glos and went through those same storms, 10 miles north of Goodwood tightned up the old lap belt and held on:oh:

[AIRWAY]

I know, i also flew yesterday from EGSG but in the morning, i have to say i was lucky the weather was lovely nice sunshine not many clouds and almost nil turbulence ( even the tiger moth went for a ride heheh ), and then on the afternoon everything changed, ugly dark clouds, thunder etc...

[bpilatus]

Up here around nearer Cambridge it was very not nice all of the afternoon.

[bar shaker]

I flew down to Kent today to meet some mates and it was lovely. The TAFs had TSRA first thing but the 9am report gave good all day.

That'll be Cambs for yer then :}

[bpilatus]

I too was up this morning and bumpy is not the word!!! :O :O :O

[Timothy]

I flew from Genova, via Chateauroux, to Biggin on Sunday.

There were some corkers about and I now know that the WX-500 is working :p

Timothy

[Marigold]

And now look at the weather today. It is beautiful and sunny, calm, and I'm stuck in an office. :(

[DRJAD]

Oh, not entirely.

Had a thunderstorm directly over my house at 1300 local: tripped out the electricity!