Flying in the Rain
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Norway
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Another "dumb" question: 
I fly gliders and we are very concerned about flying in rain because rain drops on the wing seperates the air from the wing and reduces lift. We have to increase airspeed (dive
) to get more lift. Don't you worry about that in engined aircraft?
PP
I fly gliders and we are very concerned about flying in rain because rain drops on the wing seperates the air from the wing and reduces lift. We have to increase airspeed (dive
) to get more lift. Don't you worry about that in engined aircraft? PP
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: UK Work: London. Home: East Anglia
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Perrepilot,
I gather you're flying a modern glass sailplane, On a K-21 or a K-23, you really notice the difference. On a K-8, Blanik, or T-21, it's not really an issue. 99 per cent of light aeroplanes are in the second category. Only on a modern design, composite structure, powered aeroplane does a wet or slightly dirty (fly-spattered) wing make a serious difference. On a mushroom-riveted Yak, PA-28, etc, you can see why simply by looking at it. On a Lon-Eze, or a Lancair, it may well make a difference, but these are few and far between.
I gather you're flying a modern glass sailplane, On a K-21 or a K-23, you really notice the difference. On a K-8, Blanik, or T-21, it's not really an issue. 99 per cent of light aeroplanes are in the second category. Only on a modern design, composite structure, powered aeroplane does a wet or slightly dirty (fly-spattered) wing make a serious difference. On a mushroom-riveted Yak, PA-28, etc, you can see why simply by looking at it. On a Lon-Eze, or a Lancair, it may well make a difference, but these are few and far between.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: UK
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Recently sat an ME flight test on a PA34 and the wx was certainly not the best...what appeared to be some light showers rapidly turned into heavier ones, contrary to very recent METARS and an improving TAF...
A comment was made a page or two back about high throttle RPM keeping the rain off the windshield...rightly so in a single, but not in the twin - being prepared and familiar with your instruments is certainly useful, because on that ocassion I had almost nil forward viz through the screen....still made the test more challenging!
A comment was made a page or two back about high throttle RPM keeping the rain off the windshield...rightly so in a single, but not in the twin - being prepared and familiar with your instruments is certainly useful, because on that ocassion I had almost nil forward viz through the screen....still made the test more challenging!
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Sweden
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Had a little flight in Sweden this weekend relating to this thread.
Was out cruising around with a friend in the club's Warrior and picked up a lot of bugs on the windscreen, not so that it disturbed visibility, but a lot of bugs, like 50-60 on the left half of the screen. We went up higher to 2500' and cruised around for 1/2 an hour when it started to drizzle very light rain. The drizzle I'm talking about here was more like moisture forming in tiny drops on the screen, not rain, and this started to dissolve the bugs resulting in an incredible messy sludge very much imparing visibility. The drizzle was not enough to remove the bugs so it only got worse. I turned back toward our arifield, which was about 20nm away. Fortunately the drizzle started to form bigger drops which started to wash the screen clean, and when i entered the circuit visibility was good enough to land.
Not a thing that I would have thought before hand could be a problem, and had the drizzle stopped, the "sludge" dried and had the sun broken trought the clouds this could certainly have lead to at least a complicated landing with very bad visibility trough the screen.
Another day, another experience to learn from, maybe they should include "bug density" as a SIGWX in weather NOTAMS ;-)
Was out cruising around with a friend in the club's Warrior and picked up a lot of bugs on the windscreen, not so that it disturbed visibility, but a lot of bugs, like 50-60 on the left half of the screen. We went up higher to 2500' and cruised around for 1/2 an hour when it started to drizzle very light rain. The drizzle I'm talking about here was more like moisture forming in tiny drops on the screen, not rain, and this started to dissolve the bugs resulting in an incredible messy sludge very much imparing visibility. The drizzle was not enough to remove the bugs so it only got worse. I turned back toward our arifield, which was about 20nm away. Fortunately the drizzle started to form bigger drops which started to wash the screen clean, and when i entered the circuit visibility was good enough to land.
Not a thing that I would have thought before hand could be a problem, and had the drizzle stopped, the "sludge" dried and had the sun broken trought the clouds this could certainly have lead to at least a complicated landing with very bad visibility trough the screen.
Another day, another experience to learn from, maybe they should include "bug density" as a SIGWX in weather NOTAMS ;-)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: uk
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Hi folks
I was on a Nav trip the other day... En route to the second waypoint, I was faced with a dark "wall" of rain.... It was quite dark and impressive. I was cruising at 3000' and continuing this way would have taken me right in IMC. So I decided to descend to 2500', then 2000', then 1500'.... I still could not see through the shower although I could see just underneath a big dual carriageway... The descent was quite bumpy as well...
First of all, I wanted to continue through the rain and descend even lower (terrain clearance was OK) for low level navigation, but I could not really see through the shower and it seemed to extend for a few miles.... Following the dual carriageway would taken me certainly to my second waypoint, but what could I expect after that? The sky was very obscure in the direction I was going to take for my third waypoint. Terrain clearance could then be a problem.
I finally decided to turn around and come back into more welcoming skies...
Did I make the right decision to come back or would it have been possible to continue my trip with a chance of better weather after a while? What would you have done?
I came back safely, that's what matters.
Cheers
I was on a Nav trip the other day... En route to the second waypoint, I was faced with a dark "wall" of rain.... It was quite dark and impressive. I was cruising at 3000' and continuing this way would have taken me right in IMC. So I decided to descend to 2500', then 2000', then 1500'.... I still could not see through the shower although I could see just underneath a big dual carriageway... The descent was quite bumpy as well...
First of all, I wanted to continue through the rain and descend even lower (terrain clearance was OK) for low level navigation, but I could not really see through the shower and it seemed to extend for a few miles.... Following the dual carriageway would taken me certainly to my second waypoint, but what could I expect after that? The sky was very obscure in the direction I was going to take for my third waypoint. Terrain clearance could then be a problem.
I finally decided to turn around and come back into more welcoming skies...
Did I make the right decision to come back or would it have been possible to continue my trip with a chance of better weather after a while? What would you have done?
I came back safely, that's what matters.
Cheers
Join Date: May 2001
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If you are not happy turn back.
And if anyone gives you gip tell them to **** off.
You are PIC you make the calls. If your not happy bin out.
Its all very well discussing it in the bar but if your sphinxter starts twitching and you have a get out clause. Trust it and fly again another day.
Good choice, big lumps of hard stuff in front off you unable to remain VFR you made the right choice.
MJ
And if anyone gives you gip tell them to **** off.
You are PIC you make the calls. If your not happy bin out.
Its all very well discussing it in the bar but if your sphinxter starts twitching and you have a get out clause. Trust it and fly again another day.
Good choice, big lumps of hard stuff in front off you unable to remain VFR you made the right choice.
MJ
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Brighton
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Fancy Navigator
I am not sure why descending in the face of heavy rain would help, because rain tends to fall downwards also. You would have to descend below ground level to avoid it. I know there is some rain which exists only at altitude (the name for it is something similar to Viagra) but that is rarely true for heavy rain.
The best thing, if you really MUST fly around in UK weather, is to get the IMC Rating and get your hands on a suitable plane. Provided you are able to put in the hours to maintain a reasonable currency afterwards, it isn't a bug deal and will hugely improve your confidence and your ability to actually complete a trip and get back.
I am not sure why descending in the face of heavy rain would help, because rain tends to fall downwards also. You would have to descend below ground level to avoid it. I know there is some rain which exists only at altitude (the name for it is something similar to Viagra
) but that is rarely true for heavy rain.The best thing, if you really MUST fly around in UK weather, is to get the IMC Rating and get your hands on a suitable plane. Provided you are able to put in the hours to maintain a reasonable currency afterwards, it isn't a bug deal and will hugely improve your confidence and your ability to actually complete a trip and get back.
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Fancy Nav,
Definitely best to turn away and find another route which doesn't take you through that heavy rain. Even if terrain clearance is not a problem for low level nav, what happens if you meet someone else who can't really see where he's going, coming the other way up that dual carriageway? Also, further under a big cloud, it might not be just rain but also hail and/ or lightning.
Definitely best to turn away and find another route which doesn't take you through that heavy rain. Even if terrain clearance is not a problem for low level nav, what happens if you meet someone else who can't really see where he's going, coming the other way up that dual carriageway? Also, further under a big cloud, it might not be just rain but also hail and/ or lightning.
Join Date: Nov 2000
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what happens if you meet someone else who can't really see where he's going, coming the other way up that dual carriageway
