I knew it was moderate turb when...

In the confined space with near zero airspeed things happen very slowly. Before I turnaround and accelerate my ground speed from zero to 240kts I will want to consider the wind. If you choose left when you should have chosen right the canyon wall will get your attention.

Visually, in the pass the turn will certainly be dramatic.

It's not zero airspeed. It is zero groundspeed. Airspeed should be normal based on your config.

Yes, if you are near terrain your groundspeed does matter fo sho.
 
When my wife turned to me and said 'I feel sick' and vomited in my face. It completely covered my glasses.
 
Now that's preflight planning at it's best.:D Who would've thought to pack that many sick sacks:dunno:
It wasn't my plane. I was copilot in an Aztec, and the owner's kids apparently were regular victims of air sickness. Thank goodness!

Of the six of us on board, I was the only one that didn't ralph. I was seriously concerned that the pilot was going to become incapacitated, but he handled the plane and radio calls perfectly in between retching.

It was unfun.
 
It wasn't my plane. I was copilot in an Aztec, and the owner's kids apparently were regular victims of air sickness. Thank goodness!

Of the six of us on board, I was the only one that didn't ralph. I was seriously concerned that the pilot was going to become incapacitated, but he handled the plane and radio calls perfectly in between retching.

It was unfun.

The smell must have been over the top...:arf::arf::arf:
 
The smell must have been over the top...:arf::arf::arf:
Yes, but it was actually the sound of retching in the headphones that was the worst.

We stopped for lunch in Kansas. Ironically, the only thing on the menu that day was an all - you - could eat buffet!

I, as the only un-sick person, ate a regular meal. Everyone else was barely able to pick at some fruit. The pilot could only choke down some strawberries.

When we departed, the turbulence kicked up again, and soon everyone was retching, again. This time, however, it made the plane smell like strawberries. Much better! lol
 
Yes, but it was actually the sound of retching in the headphones that was the worst.

We stopped for lunch in Kansas. Ironically, the only thing on the menu that day was an all - you - could eat buffet!

I, as the only un-sick person, ate a regular meal. Everyone else was barely able to pick at some fruit. The pilot could only choke down some strawberries.

When we departed, the turbulence kicked up again, and soon everyone was retching, again. This time, however, it made the plane smell like strawberries. Much better! lol

Yeah, airplanes aren't so bad since you're going to get a break every few hours. It's the people who get seasick for days straight on boats I feel sorry for. Although I have never seen someone be sick for more than three days. By then the brain figures out it better shut down those circuits before you die. Many people will lose their motion sickness permanently at that point, but I know some that will be sick for three days at the start of every trip.
 
Yeah, airplanes aren't so bad since you're going to get a break every few hours. It's the people who get seasick for days straight on boats I feel sorry for. Although I have never seen someone be sick for more than three days. By then the brain figures out it better shut down those circuits before you die. Many people will lose their motion sickness permanently at that point, but I know some that will be sick for three days at the start of every trip.
I have been blessed with a cast iron stomach, and do not get motion sickness.

I've come close, at sea in the dark, or in heavy fog (no horizon), but so far I've not lost it. ;)
 
It seems like there is low level turbulence every day in the western US, for those of us with weak stomachs, when is the best time to travel west ?
 
When we filled 21 sick sacks on a flight to Las Vegas.

21!

OMG! That sucks. This is why I keep 30-gallon draw string Hefty bags in the airplane. I became a barfer during my 10-year left seat hiatus and I learned how to do it right. :mad2: Easy target - you can put your whole head in there - and you can tie the whole thing in a knot when done! Those little sic sacs are way too small.
 
OMG! That sucks. This is why I keep 30-gallon draw string Hefty bags in the airplane. I became a barfer during my 10-year left seat hiatus and I learned how to do it right. :mad2: Easy target - you can put your whole head in there - and you can tie the whole thing in a knot when done! Those little sic sacs are way too small.

Yep, I always carry garbage bags. They also make good flight case liners for emergency toilet use....
 
Let me rephrase, what is best time of the year?

dawn to mid-morning ;)

look for days with little change in temperature, either overcast or snow cover is good, 50 degree temperature swing = bad
 
Let me rephrase, what is best time of the year?


Now until it get's hot.

Heat is what beats your brains out in the West.

I watch the temp/dewpoint spread closely this time of year. It helps me know if fog or winter time layer type formations are likely early in the AM or evening. If the temp and dewpoint match ... don't dispatch. :nono:
 
I've read that it's a no go if winds are forecasted to be 20 or better, seems like that's most of time this time of year
 
I knew it was going to be bumpy when... I was on the runway ready to go when we heard the 737s landing a half mile away on a parallel runway were reporting alarming wind shear and turbulence on approach and final. I looked at my BFR instructor and ask whether we should go or not. He shrugged. I pushed the throttle in. It was rough as hell for a few minutes but we had a good flight. The conditions didn't turn to real crap until we came back, anyway. Then we had rough air and poor visibility. We ended up practicing canyon turns in that crap. But heck, that's what it's like when you need to do a face-bender 180* turn.
 
Let me rephrase, what is best time of the year?

Doesn't particularly matter. It is all in the pressure ridge patterns for the day, they can be any at any time of year, you just take it as it comes. Look how far apart the isobars are spaced, that will tell you how strong the winds will be. That will give you your baseline mechanical turbulence from terrain. High pressure usually brings extremely clear still air, so even on a cold winter day there can be convective turbulence off of dark rock faces and this raises the pressure gradient and starts the wind moving some after lunch.

The long and short of it, whatever day you are going to fly, do it in the morning for the mildest conditions available. You can have a glorious or rotten day at any time of year typically on a 4 day cycle.
 
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