put myself in a weired spot last evening

WannFly

WannFly

Final Approach
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Priyo
went for a local flight last evening, it was windy (duh), but all weather sources didn't point to any convective activities in the vicinity of KFAR. after loitering around here and there, I noticed a build up and some lighting not too far from the airport in ADSB WX, approach was issuing same advisories to other aircrafts. their radar return was showing mod-extreme precip just south of the airport, however, other drivers were reporting light precip. approach even mentioned it could be a false radar return.

anyway, winds were 12G17 from 160 - 170 and rny 18 was being used. after hearing all those discussion on the radio, I decided to cut my flight short and come back home. asked for a practice ILS on 18, started getting Vectors... soon I realized the heading ATC wants me to fly will get me right under s rain shaft and I wasn't sure if I could maintain cloud clearance, so I cancelled the practice approach and asked for direct to the numbers.

approach approved

I circled around a bit trying to figure out if I should wait around there, get behind the cell or just punch thru the rain shaft (all VFR), decided to go around it. after letting the tower know that I will be maneuvering however it seems safe, I will be inbound... maneuvered here and there until I was behind the rain shaft that was travelling faster than I was - so technically it would pass before I reach the numbers.

here is where things went slights south …

I saw lightning - really up close rt ahead of me
tried to turn around and by that time there was another rain shaft behind me with lightnings all around it
I was on a 5 mile final with a poor caravan following me

the thought of aborting and going west to a diff airport crossed my mind, but the runway was too inviting and it was still VFR all along. I don't mind flying in rain, but seeing the lightning that close got my attention (to say the least).

I landed fine as the rain passed.

Q for experienced folks...

would you continue the flight like I did? should I plan on avoiding lightening like a plague?

great learning experience for sure. everything developed in matter of 15 mins and then disappeared in another 20 mins
 
I don't know what I would have done, probably what you did. I was in a regional once that ended up in the middle of a cell lightning and all, the whole time we shot the approach to landing. The most scared I have ever been in an airplane.

But that was different than you, he wasn't seeing the runway.
 
If there was lightning both in front of you and behind, then you were in danger no matter what you did. I don't see anything more unsafe about getting out of the air by the quickest route, as you did, vs trying to fly away from the danger, being all the while in it.
 
Same thing, press on and land. Lightning unless you observe it hitting the ground sometimes hard to judge how far. Diverting probably would have had the same conditions from what you wrote. Lesson learn, no harm, no foul.

:cheers:
 
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b/w I should add that the controllers at KFAR are SUPER nice.... I made like 5 different changes in matter of 10 mins and they accommodated all of them. the field was fairly busy with every fedex planes landing at 1930. I should buy them pizza or beer or both
 
Get on the ground if you have the opportunity, especially with buildup in all directions. You know what conditions are now vs hoping what conditions could be later.

As the old saying goes, better to be down there wishing you were up there vs. up there wishing you were down there.
 
I try to remind myself after I survive a weather encounter that if I keep pushing the envelope on these, statistically I am going to be more likely to not be able to report a favorable outcome at some point.
I know I won't be able to completely avoid these but I do try to make them less "Holy Chit" events than before.
 
WannFly said:
b/w I should add that the controllers at KFAR are SUPER nice.... I made like 5 different changes in matter of 10 mins and they accommodated all of them. the field was fairly busy with every fedex planes landing at 1930. I should buy them pizza or beer or both
Click to expand...

To heck with them, buy beer and pizza for controllers you know, like ummmm, I dunno, maybe those on POA.
 
Timbeck2 said:
To heck with them, buy beer and pizza for controllers you know, like ummmm, I dunno, maybe those on POA.
Click to expand...

Lol

On serious note... if I show up at the door of the tower with a case of beer and pizza.... is that a oddball practice? Over the last 1.5 years I have done a lot of stupid sh$$ and they have always been more than helpful... just want to show some appreciation
 
I’m reluctant to fly night or IMC with convective activity in the local area, day VFR I can avoid it visually, but without onboard radar you are using stale (ADSB/NEXRAD) information to make decisions where minutes are lifetimes.
 
Weather, like the Wu-Tang Clan, ain't nothing to mess with. Lightning comes from convection and I hear tell convection and spam cans don't mix. Or do mix entirely too well. My vote is to avoided like the plague.
 
eman1200 said:
TLDR
Click to expand...
I finally looked that up and found out what it means:
"Too Lazy; Didn't Read".

Of course, his post wasn't near as long as many others that aren't even aviation related. But I guess, aviation isn't what holds peoples attention here any more.
 
Oblivion said:
Weather, like the Wu-Tang Clan, ain't nothing to mess with. Lightning comes from convection and I hear tell convection and spam cans don't mix. Or do mix entirely too well. My vote is to avoided like the plague.
Click to expand...

Yah I learnt it the hard way... crazy part is there weren’t any sigmet or any indication of convective activity at the time I was flying. There so much about weather that makes me puzzled
 
I wrote up but then deleted a story of an XC back in 2006. Bordered on thread hijack, but the point was FlightWatch was pretty adamant that my PIREP for chop and lightning nearby was wrong b/c they 'didn't see it.' Ended up putting down for 20 minutes to let it blow over and all was well.
 
JOhnH said:
I finally looked that up and found out what it means:
"Too Lazy; Didn't Read".

Of course, his post wasn't near as long as many others that aren't even aviation related. But I guess, aviation isn't what holds peoples attention here any more.
Click to expand...

I wish you wouldn't clutter up this forum by using the word "aviation" so much...
 
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