Scared of Bumps / Gusts / Thermals ?

Those are what make me the most nervous. I'm not ashamed to admit it.
 
My advice go glider flying you'll learn to love the bumps. So much so you go looking for them.
 
ClimbnSink said:
My advice go glider flying you'll learn to love the bumps. So much so you go looking for them.
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But how does that help in a single engine piper?

I'm worried about the structural integrity of the plane and a wing breaking off :(
 
Jhernandez04 said:
But how does that help in a single engine piper?

I'm worried about the structural integrity of the plane and a wing breaking off :(
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You can find out what 3.8 G's really feels like and how the head-whanging moderate turbulence you got on a blustery day wasn't even close.
 
I was cured of that fear during my instrument training. Try doing a full procedure ils over a mountain ridge. Throw in a hot day and wind you might as well be in a washing machine. I often found myself being held down by my shoulder harnesses. Nothing like going full idle and still find yourself climbing.
 
what happen if i did a barrel roll in my 152 non aerobatic? and what would be the best way to do it really fast, slower?
 
marcoseddi said:
what happen if i did a barrel roll in my 152 non aerobatic? and what would be the best way to do it really fast, slower?
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Nothing happen if you barrel roll 152 non aerobatic faster slower maybe die no trainings.
 
Barrel roll if done properly is a 1g maneuver.
Should have no impact on any aircraft.

But "properly" is the key. If not done properly you might start shedding parts
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Barrel roll if done properly is a 1g maneuver.
Should have no impact on any aircraft.

But "properly" is the key. If not done properly you might start shedding parts
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An aleron roll is a 1G maneuver if done properly, a barrel roll is not a 1G maneuver. ;)
 
Geico266 said:
An aleron roll is a 1G maneuver if done properly, a barrel roll is not a 1G maneuver. ;)
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Can you describe the difference? I've never understood that. I've also never banked more than 60 degrees so therein probably lies my problem.

Better yet perhaps I should fly out to Nebraska some day so you can show me the difference. ;)
 
nddons said:
Can you describe the difference? I've never understood that. I've also never banked more than 60 degrees so therein probably lies my problem.

Better yet perhaps I should fly out to Nebraska some day so you can show me the difference. ;)
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Barrel roll - sort of a combined loop and roll - you do a big corkscrew with the heading changing all the time

Slow roll or roll about a point - roll with the heading constant - the nose does a small circle about a point on the horizon required constantly changing top rudder and elevator.

aileron roll - often refers to an easy roll where you pitch up, push the stick to one side and watch the world roll around while the nose drops through the horizon.

Snap (or flick) roll - an accelerated spin about a horizontal axis.
 
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Geico266 said:
Nothing to be ashamed of. Just fly with a competent instructor, and your fears will be gone. It's a blast!
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I have flown roughly 25 hours with a CFI. I always feel comfortable with him being present, because I know he will correct my error. And for some reason I feel like his presence makes the plane safer.... or stronger. Weird I know, perhaps its the safety blanket he provides.

But when im by myself if I take off and the wind starts pushing me off to the left or right I get nervous but I usually overcome that quiet easily once at cruising elevation. However, I've never gotten used to turbulence, no matter where I am I get white knuckled everytime, I will squeeze the yoke until it becomes apparent I have to lighten my grip, then im on "red alert" for the slightest of turbulence...... it makes most cross countries stressful if I encounter turbulent air, if I dont then im super relaxed.

I've talked to a few buddies who fly and one of them is kinda crazy, he said he absolutely loves it, gives him a rush...... I'll be getting current again this week and hopefully we can address this issue. I like knowing where the breaking point of any equipment or scenario Im in to recognize the hazards so I don't ever reach that point, the problem is that I have no real way of knowing how bad the turbulence truly is and what would snap a wing off (my worse case scenario), which is why I want a parachute :(
 
marcoseddi said:
what happen if i did a barrel roll in my 152 non aerobatic? and what would be the best way to do it really fast, slower?
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The airplane can do it. Bob Hoover could do it. But neither you or I are Bob Hoover. And, you are likely to fall out of the roll into a spin (could be upright or inverted) or end up in a split-S. (based on how your question was worded)

You do have experience with inverted spins, right?
 
Jhernandez04 said:
But how does that help in a single engine piper?

I'm worried about the structural integrity of the plane and a wing breaking off :(
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If it's that rough, slow to below Va and the wing will stall before it breaks, it has to be really dang rough for that. In the PA-12 flying pipeline, there was a notorious rough stretch when the wind was from the south that I would put on my helmet at Abilene.
 
Jhernandez04 said:
But how does that help in a single engine piper?

I'm worried about the structural integrity of the plane and a wing breaking off :(
Click to expand...

That's surprisingly hard to do.

The three best ways to pull a wing off are:
Trying to teach yourself aerobatics (particularly in a non-aerobatic aircraft)
Loss of control in hard IMC
Flying into thunderstorms
​
 
Jhernandez04 said:
I have flown roughly 25 hours with a CFI. I always feel comfortable with him being present, because I know he will correct my error. And for some reason I feel like his presence makes the plane safer.... or stronger. Weird I know, perhaps its the safety blanket he provides.

But when im by myself if I take off and the wind starts pushing me off to the left or right I get nervous but I usually overcome that quiet easily once at cruising elevation. However, I've never gotten used to turbulence, no matter where I am I get white knuckled everytime, I will squeeze the yoke until it becomes apparent I have to lighten my grip, then im on "red alert" for the slightest of turbulence...... it makes most cross countries stressful if I encounter turbulent air, if I dont then im super relaxed.

I've talked to a few buddies who fly and one of them is kinda crazy, he said he absolutely loves it, gives him a rush...... I'll be getting current again this week and hopefully we can address this issue. I like knowing where the breaking point of any equipment or scenario Im in to recognize the hazards so I don't ever reach that point, the problem is that I have no real way of knowing how bad the turbulence truly is and what would snap a wing off (my worse case scenario), which is why I want a parachute :(
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Don't let having a CFI next to you give you a warm fuzzy. There are plenty of "pilots" that quit after solo because they can't get use to the solitude, or they have not been prepared enough to handle it on their own. The CFI's goal should be to get you to over come issues on your own and set personal minimums for basic flight. It is up to you to expand your personal limits as experience grows. The CFI is not your "buddy", they are teachers who's job it is to get you to a flying goal.

Wings falling off are fairly normal fears. I suggest you learn how the structural limits of aircraft are tested and obtained, it will help you understand the strength of the air frame.

Structural failures are pretty rare. Most accidents are caused by stupid pilot tricks. Running out of fuel is the #1 reason for becoming an NTSB report.

Having a level of "respect" for flying machines is a healthy thing.
 
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Jhernandez04 said:
However, I've never gotten used to turbulence, no matter where I am I get white knuckled everytime, I will squeeze the yoke until it becomes apparent I have to lighten my grip,
...
the problem is that I have no real way of knowing how bad the turbulence truly is and what would snap a wing off (my worse case scenario), which is why I want a parachute :(
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Force yourself to relax - the key is to hold the yoke like you are taking a leak, not like you are ******* off - focus on that, not the bouncing. Let the airplane bounce and don't fight it. You don't have to force the wings to stay level or the altitude absolutely constant. Go with the flow. You pay a lot of money for a ride like that at Cedar Point.

If you are not flying in thunderstorms or mountain rotors and are able to keep the airplane pretty much upright, the wings are not going to come off on their own.

G loadings high enough to peel a wing are going to be making you grey out - is that happening?

If you are in a rotor bad enough to pull the wings off, you probably don't want to be hanging from a parachute either.
 
Geico266 said:
An aleron roll is a 1G maneuver if done properly, a barrel roll is not a 1G maneuver. ;)
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I thought Bob Hoover was doing a Barrel roll when pouring the tea

Edit: NM, you are right. "Barrel roll varies between 0.5 and 3G depending on how it is executed"
 
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If bumps kept me down I'd never fly.

Certain times of the day are worse, certain times of the year are worse, certain wind directions are worse depending on terrain around your airport.

Henning mentioned to stay below Va to keep the wings attached, others have mentioned to stay out of t-storms. That pretty much takes care of keerping the airplane in one piece. The rest is a matter of getting used to it, and telling yourself that it is simply a normal condition of flying.

I think it's somewhat related to airsickness in this way - some people are just prone to getting queasy, except when thay are PIC. Being in control of the situation seems to be all it takes to see overcome that feeling. It may be, as you gain confidence in your abilities, this will take care of itself.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
That's surprisingly hard to do.

The three best ways to pull a wing off are:
Trying to teach yourself aerobatics (particularly in a non-aerobatic aircraft)
Loss of control in hard IMC
Flying into thunderstorms
​
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Even test pilot Scott Crossfield bought the farm in a t-storm in 2006 in a Cessna 210.:sigh:
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Technically, it was not an aileron roll because he flew it "ball in the center" coordinated.
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Sorry, by definition and the manuver in the video it was not a barrel roll. A good barrel roll has the wings in line with the starting direction of flight when inverted ( half way through) following a helical path. The video shows a straight path of flight. ;)

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_roll
 
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Jhernandez04 said:
But how does that help in a single engine piper?

I'm worried about the structural integrity of the plane and a wing breaking off :(
Click to expand...

I would suggest you go take one aerobatic flight. It doesnt have to be long or anything crazy just go and see what 2 Gs feels like, then 3 Gs, and if you are enjoying it 4 Gs. You will quickly realize the little bumps you feels are incredibly insignificant.
 
We were on an AA flight into DFW and I swear we went right through a cell. Terrible up and down drafts, the woman behind me was screaming. On a particularly good down draft I'm going "Wheee!" and my wife hits me. She says it's not appropriate to do that when people are freaking out.
 
We did 4 Gs yesterday. Was amazing.
It does make you realize that bumps and Gs in steep turns in normal GA are really nothing at all.
 
flyingron said:
We were on an AA flight into DFW and I swear we went right through a cell. Terrible up and down drafts, the woman behind me was screaming. On a particularly good down draft I'm going "Wheee!" and my wife hits me. She says it's not appropriate to do that when people are freaking out.
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Heh - way back in the day, on a Braniff flight, I remember holding my cup of 7Up so it wouldn't spill while we were bouncing around. Then the bottom fell out - the contents of my cup were an inch or two in mid-air for a second until we moved back up and everything ended up back where it belonged, without spilling a drop. It was the coolest thing ever. The two ladies in my row weren't as amused.
 
Rod Machado has a story about one of his students on a cross-country in a 152 Aerobat who came back from it white-faced. It seems his ride was so rough he swore he'd seen The Buddha.
Go out to the plane, took a look at the g-meter and found the most it'd been through was 1.2g. It's all in your head. At least that's what I keep telling myself! ;)
 
Henning said:
… In the PA-12 flying pipeline … .
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First, is there anything you haven't done, Henning? :)
Second, I'd never heard of a PA-12 until just now. When I looked it up, City of Washington and City of the Angels, two PA-12s were flown around the world in 1947.
Why must I keep finding men who have more cojones that I have? Don't answer that. Their story here: http://www.wingnet.org/rtw/RTW003J.HTM
 
Geico266 said:
Sorry, by definition and the manuver in the video it was not a barrel roll. A good barrel roll has the wings in line with the starting direction of flight when inverted ( half way through) following a helical path. The video shows a straight path of flight. ;)

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_roll
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Y'all are getting hung up on definitions that aren't even clearly defined. A barrel roll is just a roll where the CG of the airplane follows some degree of a corkscrew path. That 'Hoover' roll has a barreled flight path. Any roll done at greater than zero G barrels to a degree. You can do a roll with a little barrel or a lot of barrel...or no barrel.
 
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