Turbulence

J

JasonM

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Mar 24, 2012
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JM
Yesterday I went flying and there was turbulence AIRMETS above 18,000 ft. I was getting tossed around like a rag doll everywhere from 600 feet AGL to my max cruise alt of 5500'. It was some of the more intense stuff I have been through at times. For reference it took me like 2 minutes to tune a freq due to my arms being bumped all over. I am now wondering why it wasn't forecast below 18,000'. This winter has really schooled me a lot on weather.
 
RTFM.

AIRMET TANGO is for widespread turbulence of at least moderate intensity, and explicitly excludes convective turbulence.

I'll leave it as an exercise to figure out what moderate means (hint: AIM). It is entirely possible to experience light turbulence and have trouble tuning a radio.

Having said that, a forecast is not reality. It's a best estimate. If this is your first experience with unforecast weather, it will not be your last.
 
Absolutely not my first experience with un-forecast weather. I just found it odd to have such aggressive turbulence without it forecast. Just trying to understand it better. I've been in Severe turbulence once (confirmed by the commercial pilot with me at the time) and that was a hand full, far from fun and very intimidating. This wasn't that bad, but it was worse than what is described for light turbulence. I would honestly place this well inside the moderate category. The winds were also forecast to be 6 kts and just prior to departure they were actually 12G16 so right there I knew things were not going to be the same but 12G16 is actually a pretty normal condition for where I fly out of. Also gusting hasn't necessarily related to turbulent air that often for me. Seems like the gusty days it tends to be a bit more bumpy down low, but this was a wild ride the entire time. I am now trying to figure out what I should have researched better. This was one of those days, my wife would not have been happy with me :)
 
Did you have airspeed excursions? Did it knock things off the seats?

If not, it wasn't moderate.

Light turbulence can be pretty substantial for people not used to it.

I heard a PIREP for "severe" turbulence not long ago, due to significant winds at 3000 over terrain. I experienced it myself some 20 minutes later, and I'd characterize it as rather unpleasant moderate. It wasn't enough to knock the flight bag off the seat, but took constant correction to stay out of Class B and more than 1000 above the surface, due to continuous airspeed and altitude excursions. Now, it may have changed in that time, but I think it was just over-reported. It calmed down substantially as I got more than 10 miles downwind from the mountains.

As for what to research, look at the Skew-T. rucsoundings.noaa.gov . If temperature changes faster with altitude than the adiabats, expect convection. If the wind changes over a short altitude change, expect wind shear. If there is a lot of wind over terrain, expect mechanical turbulence. And so on.
 
Last edited:
MAKG1 said:
If there is a lot of wind over terrain, expect mechanical turbulence.
Click to expand...

After 500 hours mechanical = not fun, delay flight if PAX onboard:yes:

I've had some true extreme TB events here in West Texas, unforunately one with the wife on board. Doesn't bother me anymore as much as being annoying ... seems to always be big enough to get the sports bottles to open in flight causing a mess in the cockpit.
 
Did you have airspeed excursions? Yes

Did it knock things off the seats? Did not have anything on the seats to knock off.


I understand the point you are trying to make however I am being truthful about the relationship to the descriptions.
 
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