Flying on the windward side of a thunderstorm: Its Advantages Explained
**Navigating Around Thunderstorms: A Matter of Safety and Strategy**
When planning a flight route, it's essential to consider the direction and speed of an approaching thunderstorm, as radar may have latency. This is because thunderstorm movement typically spreads precipitation downwind, posing potential hazards for flights.
When choosing how to deviate around a thunderstorm, the safer side is usually the downwind or "back" side of the storm. This is due to the fact that many thunderstorms, especially supercells, have their dangerous updraft and inflow of warm moist air on the storm's forward or inflow side. This side often presents the strongest winds, heavy precipitation, hail, and tornado formation risk.
By deviating around the downwind or back side of the storm, flyers can minimize their exposure to the most severe hazards like lightning, hail, and tornadoes. Avoiding the inflow side where the storm's updraft feeds and intensifies the storm is also advisable.
While direct recommendations about the safest side to deviate around a thunderstorm are not explicitly detailed, standard meteorological practice advises avoiding the storm's inflow side and steering clear of tall objects, open spaces, and lightning-prone areas. Entering sturdy shelter or a hard-topped vehicle is crucial when near a thunderstorm.
Recently, two flights departing from Chicago O'Hare (KORD) for Traverse City, Michigan (KTVC) encountered a line of thunderstorms. To ensure safety, one flight opted for a longer route of 310 miles, allowing them to clear the upwind side of the storms. The other flight chose a shorter route of 255 miles, going through a gap along the eastern side of the storms.
However, navigating around thunderstorms can sometimes lead to unexpected closures with little warning. Approaching a line of storms may require careful navigation and decision-making, especially when choosing a path through cells or a small gap.
In the case of the two flights, both made it through safely and landed at their destination. Sunny conditions were typically found on the upwind side of the thunderstorm, from a passenger's perspective.
It's important to note that severe or extreme turbulence, hail, lightning, and strong straight-line winds can exist outside of the visible thunderstorm, downwind of its movement. The anvil of a cumulonimbus cloud (often spreading hundreds of miles downwind of powerful storms) can lead to dangerous clear-air hail.
When faced with a line of storms and a choice between turning right or left, choosing the upwind route is typically the best decision. If an upwind route seems too long, it's possible to cut the corner closer due to the storm's direction. However, caution is advised as cells can join together rapidly. The worst turbulence can often be found right between building cells.
Improving instrument flying skills and confidence can be achieved through courses like the Boldmethod Instrument Procedures. These courses can help pilots navigate around thunderstorms more effectively and safely.
In summary, when planning a flight around a thunderstorm, it's crucial to consider the storm's direction and speed, and to deviate around the downwind or back side of the storm to minimize exposure to hazards. Always seek robust shelter immediately upon thunder detection, and be prepared for unexpected closures and turbulence.
- To minimize exposure to severe hazards like lightning, hail, and tornadoes, flyers should deviate around the downwind or back side of a thunderstorm, as advised by standard meteorological practice.
- Considering the storm's direction and speed is vital when planning a flight route to avoid approaching a thunderstorm with radar latency.
- Deviating around the inflow side of a thunderstorm, where the storm's updraft feeds and intensifies, should be avoided to mitigate the risk of the strongest winds, heavy precipitation, hail, and tornado formation.
- When facing a line of storms, making a choice between turning right or left, the upwind route is usually the best decision, as it allows for a safer passage.
- Pursuing courses in education and self-development, such as online education platforms like Boldmethod Instrument Procedures, can help pilots enhance their instrument flying skills and navigate around thunderstorms more effectively and safely.
- Navigating around thunderstorms can lead to unexpected closures with little warning, requiring careful navigation and decision-making, especially when choosing a path through cells or a small gap.
- As severe or extreme turbulence, hail, lightning, and strong straight-line winds can exist outside the visible thunderstorm, pilots should be aware of the anvil of a cumulonimbus cloud, which can lead to dangerous clear-air hail even downwind of powerful storms.
