CAT-- is this an issue in the GA community?

[kimberlyanne546]

If that happened on my first solo xc, where I'm probably going to be already beside myself nervous....

Fly the plane... fly the plane... fly the plane.....

I had turbulence on my long solo XC and I FREAKED THE HECK OUT. I even called flight service but found myself 5th in line to give a PIREP / get wx updates and the flight following people told me to only go off frequency briefly so I was in a hurry to get back to ATC. I look back and laugh thinking they could have told me to climb or descend 2,000 feet to "no turbulence areas" - like they were God or something! I just wanted help, then I got past the mountain range, and I lived, and all was well.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Ok. I'll add "breathe" to "fly the plane." (Not in that order though).

Although "Holy Batman" will most likely be my first response. (Well, maybe another more appropriate word instead of 'batman'... but something along those lines!).

This reminds me of a flight school where I didn't love the CFI or the plane but on the in-plane checklist, at the very end, it said "SMILE."

So cute.

 

[Meanee]

I had turbulence on my long solo XC and I FREAKED THE HECK OUT. I even called flight service but found myself 5th in line to give a PIREP / get wx updates and the flight following people told me to only go off frequency briefly so I was in a hurry to get back to ATC. I look back and laugh thinking they could have told me to climb or descend 2,000 feet to "no turbulence areas" - like they were God or something! I just wanted help, then I got past the mountain range, and I lived, and all was well.

Discovered that myself actually. My Big XC, I was fighting the plane at 2000 MSL. Went up to 3500 (east heading) and it was smooth as butter. And I did not have to talk to Class D below.

 

[dell30rb]

When you have somewhat high winds aloft, and lighter or no winds on the ground there is usually a 500-1500 foot thick shear layer around 800-2000 AGL. Below this the wind is lighter, and above it much stronger. The layer just appears to you as a bunch of bumps and gusts.. then all of a sudden its smooth and you're in the upper layer.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

When (date and UTC time?) and where (nearest airport or VOR?) was this and at what altitude?

It is quite common to have turbulence in the boundary layer and a climb of 2,000 feet might put you above this. But you have to know what is causing the turbulence and that will help you understand how to best avoid it or to find a smooth altitude. On some days you can get moderate to occasionally severe turbulence at the top of the boundary layer and just 1,000 feet up it is glassy smooth.

If you are not comfortable with flying at the higher altitudes, then flying in the morning is a good strategy to avoid turbulence some of this turbulence.

Date and time? Um, last year. Summer. Let me look at my log book. Time would be middle of the day, perhaps early afternoon. Not too late since my CFI didn't want me home close to dark. Location was going over a mountain range (from Chico to Santa Rosa you cross the Mayacamas Mountains, including Mount Saint Helena). And yes, in the summer, with full tanks in a 152, it takes forever to climb so I'm sure I was at the lowest altitude I could be (following the even / odd rule and being at least 1000 feet above the mountain tops, I think 6500 feet).