NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/rec/aviation/piloting/746

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-21 | 1.9 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!noc.near.net!transfer.stratus.com!deneb.sw.stratus.com!lee
From: [e-mail] (Lee Cooprider)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.piloting
Subject: Re: VFR pilot flying in clouds (was Re: All)
Date: 21 Jan 1993 19:33:32 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Software Engineering
Lines: 24
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: deneb.sw.stratus.com

I learned something yesterday during an uneventful flight from Burlington VT
back home to Hanscom AFB in Bedford MA.  The weather was VFR, and I was flying
in the clear above a broken layer, pushed along by a 50 knot tailwind (! :-) ).

The broken layer was not present over Hanscom, but I had 5500 feet to lose so
I chose to circle down through a big hole.  I was descending under power to
avoid shock cooling, a few knots into the yellow arc (about 140 knots in my
Skylane).  As I descended below the level of the deck, my circle was going to
lead me under one of the clouds and, I figured, I'd be 500 feet below it when
I got there.

Wrong, of course.  Clouds often (almost always?) have rising air under them
and the air under that cloud was rising quite rapidly.  Even after I figured
out what was happening and banked more tightly, powered back and nosed down, I
still had trouble keeping a descent.  I kept below the cloud (didn't have my
tape measure out to see if it was 500 feet or not) but I explored the high end
of the yellow arc to do it; thank goodness the rising air was smooth.

So, my lesson for the day: when spiraling down through a hole in broken
clouds, try not to end up under any clounds until you have more than enough
cloud clearance and don't need to descend any further.
--
Lee W. Cooprider                PP-ASEL/IA
[e-mail]            Skylane N2908F "Wiley"