Precautionary landing during thunderstorm!
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Steve
I have nothing but praise for your decisions all I am
Saying I cannot say I have flown in the same way! In 30 years of flying I have problem flights which stick out failures and weather situations which stick out!
99% of the flights are not challenging but I would lie if I avoided talking of some which were!
7 of my friends some far better than me have been killed in often the easier flights by a silly mistake so what can I say ? Good guardian angel? But certainly not a Sky God but maybe different to you! Your attitude is far from wrong
Pace
I have nothing but praise for your decisions all I am
Saying I cannot say I have flown in the same way! In 30 years of flying I have problem flights which stick out failures and weather situations which stick out!
99% of the flights are not challenging but I would lie if I avoided talking of some which were!
7 of my friends some far better than me have been killed in often the easier flights by a silly mistake so what can I say ? Good guardian angel? But certainly not a Sky God but maybe different to you! Your attitude is far from wrong
Pace
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Originally Posted by Steve6443
Sorry, I chose my title based on a report which said the pilot back tracked and was on the take off run when this photo was taken. Unfortunately, as with most things in the press, I should have taken it with a pinch of salt - as previously stated, the report has now been "amended".....
It seems from later posts in this thread the aircraft in question did, in fact, do the sensible thing when (s)he realised what was happening weather-wise.
Of course, it's quite easy to go back and edit the thread title and contents if you choose to.
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Of course, it's quite easy to go back and edit the thread title and contents if you choose to.
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We are talking about Saturday weather? DRIVING IN MY CAR back from Banbury to Oxford I was as badly frightened as ever in an aircraft! I have never experienced such weather in the UK, the wind was gusting at least 60 mph, tree branches sailing through the air, wacking against my car, viz was down to a matter of yards, the rain was practically solid. News media is talking we had tornados! not quite, but driving through that storm, that followed me right down to Oxford, is something I don't want to do again. Just very glad not to be on a boat. The car has dents all over the old ones.
And speaking of lightning, remember that two seat K21 glider from Dunstable that was struck by lighning and disintegrated? both occupants parachuted to safety; they didn't need to open the canopy, it wasn't there any more. The wreckage was retrieved by the AAIB and studied; they found the voltage of the strike, which melted the controls of the glider, to be well in excess of any lightning protection on current airliners....
perhaps some person could give a reference to that report....must have been at least 15 years ago.
And speaking of lightning, remember that two seat K21 glider from Dunstable that was struck by lighning and disintegrated? both occupants parachuted to safety; they didn't need to open the canopy, it wasn't there any more. The wreckage was retrieved by the AAIB and studied; they found the voltage of the strike, which melted the controls of the glider, to be well in excess of any lightning protection on current airliners....
perhaps some person could give a reference to that report....must have been at least 15 years ago.
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Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
If I knew how to, I would. All I ended up doing was editing the title of the first post, not the title of the thread.....
SD
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Good grief, you gotta just laugh at the flawed tabloid sometimes! I can 100% confirm that the OP picture was taken at EGBO as I was there flying Saturday late morning. i must admit the morning hinted the day to be a calm scattered Cu / blue sky sort of scenario! But Upon closer review of the MET info, it was evident that some nasty weather was making its way from the West. So anyways, I took off on my local nav ex & as I approached Welshpool (via Montford bridge) to land, I could see just how bad it looked out further West & decided against landing & instead opted to turn in their overhead & head back to EGBO to plant my feet up & watch the MET show unfold in front my very eyes
The photo was captured by the resident photographer - Paul Bunch!
In fact you can find most of his work on his website link:
Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport Photos
The photo was captured by the resident photographer - Paul Bunch!
In fact you can find most of his work on his website link:
Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport Photos
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That's the one!
Thanks, Steve, for digging up that report....recommended reading for anyone tempted to fly at the edge of CuNimb.....
Even if you only read the first two pages of the report, enjoy the detail about the injuries sustained by the two pilots - singed hair on the back of the neck, broken ankle on parachute landing....how lucky they were. And flying power, how many of you guys wear parachutes???????
Even if you only read the first two pages of the report, enjoy the detail about the injuries sustained by the two pilots - singed hair on the back of the neck, broken ankle on parachute landing....how lucky they were. And flying power, how many of you guys wear parachutes???????
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Thanks, Steve, for digging up that report....recommended reading for anyone tempted to fly at the edge of CuNimb.....
Even if you only read the first two pages of the report, enjoy the detail about the injuries sustained by the two pilots - singed hair on the back of the neck, broken ankle on parachute landing....how lucky they were. And flying power, how many of you guys wear parachutes???????
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Airlines regularly take lightning strikes even with all their weather avoidance.
I have had one in a Seneca Twin with no damage other than crackling radios.
The problem occurs with composites as well as composite parts on Airlines.
I am not an aircraft builder or composite specialist but believe they have to build in metal mesh into the composite.
What do Cirrus do?
Gliders usually have no protection and will literally explode if they take a strike but it would be interesting to hear from somone who knows about composites and lightning strike protection?
Pace
I have had one in a Seneca Twin with no damage other than crackling radios.
The problem occurs with composites as well as composite parts on Airlines.
I am not an aircraft builder or composite specialist but believe they have to build in metal mesh into the composite.
What do Cirrus do?
Gliders usually have no protection and will literally explode if they take a strike but it would be interesting to hear from somone who knows about composites and lightning strike protection?
Pace
IMHO thunderstorms in the UK are usually not too bad (there are exceptions!). They are not things to be disregarded but they are not instant death if you get within 5 miles of them.
Even if you end up inside one if you keep your head, keep the right way up, fly below maneuvering speed etc you should be ok. As I understand it structural failures tend to happen when an aircraft (ie pilot) gets upset, exceeds VNE and pulls up too sharply when falling out of the bottom.
In a certificated, bonded airframe lighting strikes are usually not a great problem.
If you look at reports of record breaking flights in Africa the pilots flew through the much worse African storms without disintegrating (though I expect not something they would want to do very often).
Even if you end up inside one if you keep your head, keep the right way up, fly below maneuvering speed etc you should be ok. As I understand it structural failures tend to happen when an aircraft (ie pilot) gets upset, exceeds VNE and pulls up too sharply when falling out of the bottom.
In a certificated, bonded airframe lighting strikes are usually not a great problem.
If you look at reports of record breaking flights in Africa the pilots flew through the much worse African storms without disintegrating (though I expect not something they would want to do very often).
Some gliders are bonded. I own one, a standard Mucha. Polish, all wood and fabric construction. And braided cables everywhere with static dischargers. I think I will probably stay clear of thunderstorms, even so.
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have to say it's a crackling photo!
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Hi Folks,
I actually took the photo at Halfpenny Green and can confirm the aircraft had been on the ground for a while. The visiting pilot (from Tollerton I think) was actually swinging the aircraft around into wind on the main apron to the east of the tower as the storm arrived and the wind swung around. The lightning was just beyond the trees off taxiway Bravo so a reasonable distance away from the aircraft.
What you explain to people and what gets reported is a bit like Chinese whispers.
I actually took the photo at Halfpenny Green and can confirm the aircraft had been on the ground for a while. The visiting pilot (from Tollerton I think) was actually swinging the aircraft around into wind on the main apron to the east of the tower as the storm arrived and the wind swung around. The lightning was just beyond the trees off taxiway Bravo so a reasonable distance away from the aircraft.
What you explain to people and what gets reported is a bit like Chinese whispers.
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Cumulonimbus - the rain bearing cumulus
It is always tempting to tickle the bottom of a cunimb if you are flying a glider. The fluffy white fair weather cu that appear about 10 am on a nice British summer day only last about 20 minutes before dissipating, though if lined up downwind of the source in streets, can be very useful for dolphin flying. (this means flying fast in sink, slowly in lift, but not needing to circle in the lift to progress cross country).
But a big dark cumulus is especially promising, lasts longer, promises bigger updraughts. In the old days the bold pioneers of gliding flying their wooden ships ~(glide ratio of probably 30 to 1 or even better) set height records in cumulonimbus. This wasn't very safe as the gliders now and then came to grief, descending in pieces. Even a heavy human body caught in a cunimb updraft can be swept up to freezing levels.
Most modern gliders can tolerate an amazing thrashing; stubble fires were particularly interesting, and the updraft from the Didcot power station chimney would carry you up 3,000 feet in only a couple of turns, though the fumes were rather unpleasant.
I was using a nice bit of lift under a cunimb in Russia in l989, when it sparked. This led to my glider automatically getting the hell out of the vicinity, with no pause for dithering!
In Britain, cunim only seldom sparks, those that develop in the afternoon from fair weather cu are gentle benevolent creatures as a rule. The type of cu nimb that forms on the leading edge of a powerful Atlantic weather system is another creature entirely. as we noticed last Saturday.
In the United States and most large land masses, cunimb must be treated with the greatest respect. I had planned a cross country in a nice metal cherokee, from Corpus Christi back to Austin, Texas. The weatherman (an actual expert on the phone, NOT a recording) advised me not to proceed.
"On your route, madam, are embedded cu nimb with tops to 38,000, rain, hail and tornados. Do you still wish to file your flight plan?.......!"
er, on second thought, I think I'll put off the journey until tomorrow!
But a big dark cumulus is especially promising, lasts longer, promises bigger updraughts. In the old days the bold pioneers of gliding flying their wooden ships ~(glide ratio of probably 30 to 1 or even better) set height records in cumulonimbus. This wasn't very safe as the gliders now and then came to grief, descending in pieces. Even a heavy human body caught in a cunimb updraft can be swept up to freezing levels.
Most modern gliders can tolerate an amazing thrashing; stubble fires were particularly interesting, and the updraft from the Didcot power station chimney would carry you up 3,000 feet in only a couple of turns, though the fumes were rather unpleasant.
I was using a nice bit of lift under a cunimb in Russia in l989, when it sparked. This led to my glider automatically getting the hell out of the vicinity, with no pause for dithering!
In Britain, cunim only seldom sparks, those that develop in the afternoon from fair weather cu are gentle benevolent creatures as a rule. The type of cu nimb that forms on the leading edge of a powerful Atlantic weather system is another creature entirely. as we noticed last Saturday.
In the United States and most large land masses, cunimb must be treated with the greatest respect. I had planned a cross country in a nice metal cherokee, from Corpus Christi back to Austin, Texas. The weatherman (an actual expert on the phone, NOT a recording) advised me not to proceed.
"On your route, madam, are embedded cu nimb with tops to 38,000, rain, hail and tornados. Do you still wish to file your flight plan?.......!"
er, on second thought, I think I'll put off the journey until tomorrow!
