How would you file this Pirep?

Sinistar

Sinistar

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Brad
So I was flying across the upper Midwest on wonderfully bumpy, incredibly hazy afternoon day (yesterday). There was an airmet for turbulence up to 8000. If course my cheap arse didn't want to fly above it because headwinds up there were over 40kts. So we flew at 6500 and it wasn't too bad. However, for part of the route we all of sudden would drop like -400ft. Then 10 or 20 seconds later be back up and maybe +300ft. Then it would happen again a few minutes later. Our heads weren't bouncing off the ceiling so it was more of a rollercoaster PITA. My buddy flying with got a little quiet (probably almost airsick) after about 45 minutes of this. After we cleared it I told center about it but just said: From X miles on either side of Y we were going up and down several hundred feet."

To file an actual Pirep on this, is it just turbulence. Or is there a more accurate wx/aviation term to describe these sudden up and down whatever they are's?

Bonus question: I am not IR yet. If this happened on a IFR flight it would seem to be a deviation. What would you tell ATC? I am guessing an AP wouldn't have held +/- 100ft in this case.
 
light to moderate

I've had it happen IFR, and they've called out that I'm supposed to be at "XXXX, current altimeter setting is NN.NN" and I've responded with "I have that altimeter setting, but I'm just along for the roller coaster ride up here" They understand, and when it's like that, I don't try to 'snap' the plane back to assigned altitude, the ride is bouncy enough as it is.
 
Sinistar said:
So I was flying across the upper Midwest on wonderfully bumpy, incredibly hazy afternoon day (yesterday). There was an airmet for turbulence up to 8000. If course my cheap arse didn't want to fly above it because headwinds up there were over 40kts. So we flew at 6500 and it wasn't too bad. However, for part of the route we all of sudden would drop like -400ft. Then 10 or 20 seconds later be back up and maybe +300ft. Then it would happen again a few minutes later. Our heads weren't bouncing off the ceiling so it was more of a rollercoaster PITA. My buddy flying with got a little quiet (probably almost airsick) after about 45 minutes of this. After we cleared it I told center about it but just said: From X miles on either side of Y we were going up and down several hundred feet."

To file an actual Pirep on this, is it just turbulence. Or is there a more accurate wx/aviation term to describe these sudden up and down whatever they are's?

Bonus question: I am not IR yet. If this happened on a IFR flight it would seem to be a deviation. What would you tell ATC? I am guessing an AP wouldn't have held +/- 100ft in this case.
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The Pirep would start with 'occasional.' Bonus answer. What you would tell ATC is what was happening, when it's happening, that simple. Try to stay at assigned altitude as close as you can without radical control inputs. ATC is used to this. The planes above and below you are probably experiencing the same thing. If an actual loss of separation occurs, it will start life as a 'pilot deviation' but enforcement action is unlikely. It is likely to get resolved down low in the food chain and never even reach FSDO.

EDIT: And what @FORANE said above. They just may give you a Block without you asking for it. It sounds something like this:

g. Altitude assignments involving more than one altitude
PHRASEOLOGY−
MAINTAIN BLOCK (altitude) THROUGH (altitude).
 
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There is a 2 x 3 matrix of code words in the AIM. Use those. They are in section 7-1-23, which spells out what you should include in your PIREP as well as Table 7-1-10 to define the reporting criteria. I would call what you had "moderate turbulence," because it involves "Changes in altitude and/or attitude [] but the aircraft remains in positive control at all times."

The step up to "severe" would mean you occasionally are out of control momentarily. The step down to "light" would mean you have only "slight" changes in altitude. You had turbulence rather than chop because you did experience a change in altitude, while chop means you have the bumps but your altitude averages out and there is no appreciable altitude change that you have to fight.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Since there was already an airmet for what you were experiencing, I'd probably not file a pirep.
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It's nice to do anyway. Lets others know, yeah, it's really happening. Helps the weather dudes to verify. Clear and smooth is a good Pirep. Wish more of us would make them
 
“Center be aware. We’re getting the Sh*t kicked out of us up here.”
 
luvflyin said:
It's nice to do anyway. Lets others know, yeah, it's really happening. Helps the weather dudes to verify. Clear and smooth is a good Pirep. Wish more of us would make them
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Oh, I've made a few in my days but it was when it was something unexpected or not already advertised but I see your point.
 
Their is a prirep out there some where online “being dragged down the stairs”. That should do it.
 
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