Flying Through Clear Air Turbulence and I Hit My Head!

[@123d123k]

Great content and commentary. Had our first family excursion recently out of Tune in Nashville, clear air turbulence all the way up to 9,000, glad I remembered to decend slowly like you did, I see how easy people get in trouble.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

Some days you just have to slow down. Where were you headed?

[@123d123k]

@@TheFlyingSalesman we are based out of BEH.

[@billgalante1181]

😊 Great video and content, very informative, you do such a great job Matt, thanks for taking me along.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

It is always a pleasure having you along!

[@measuringman4811]

What's the name of the lake off your left shoulder when you hit your head, 30 minutes from Shreveport?

[@observer1242]

I don’t get that. Clear air turbulence printed out on the storm scope? I thought the storm scope printed out lightning strike discharges.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

First off, a little background on me- I started my aviation career as a student pilot and "helper" to avionics service techs. This means I handed them tools and rolled in and out extension cords. BUT, I learned and progressed to be able to perform troubleshooting and repairs along with assisting in the install department when needed. I was also the main salesperson for a while. I was then hired by BF Goodrich/Goodrich/L3 as a service tech rep. I also had the pleasure to spend some time with one of the test pilots of the 3M stormscope and learn more about the science of what is displayed. I am telling you this because I want you to understand that I have had more in-depth conversations with the REALLY smart guys about stormscopes than most avionics shops or techs ever get to have. Not that I was a great student, but some of the info got through. If you have flown a strikefinder or stormscope you have seen random strikes pop up at random times and in all sorts of weather. After a while you begin to ignore the solitary strikes on clear days and really only pay attention when you know you are around convective activity. In the first section of the WX-500 User's Manual it states- "There are several atmospheric phenomena other than nearby thunderstorms which can cause isolated discharge points..." Keep in mind, a stormscope or strike finder is simply detecting electrical discharges. A discharge is normally associated with an "arc" of electricity or the "Flash" we see. However, it will also depict the presence of electrical current. Power lines under taxi ways for example can be depicted. What Jerry Smith, the test pilot shared was that he would notice that some strikes would correspond with turbulence. When talking with the guys at Goodrich that were in Tech Support, and the engineers, they believed that static electricity was being generated by the air currents moving in opposite directions. This current is enough to show up on the display. So you are not seeing a Lightning strikes, but rather static electricity that is building up because of the air currents. You will also see similar phenomenon during the building and dissipating stages of a thunderstorm when there are no lightning strikes occurring. The reason why they cannot advertise the unit as being capable to detecting turbulence is that it is not reliable and it is dependent upon the strength of the charge to be able to pin point its location. That is why "Cell" Mode works so well because the algorithm is calculating the strength of each strike and making a determination of the where they are clustered. However, everyone associated with the program understood that turbulence would often be depicted as a strike when in fact it was as clear day. There was simply not enough consistency in the data to derive an algorithm to detect it. Congrats! You just received my longest reply ever, LOL. Thanks for watching and coming along. More importantly, thank you for the question and helping us all learn more. Blue Skies -TFS

[@BryantVucich]

What are your power settings and fuel flow for cruise? I also have a T210 so it is always seeing how other planes compare.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

Here is the rundown: 28"MP, 2400 RPM 100 Deg ROP yields about 16 GPH. Combine that with Max TO Power and then 30" X 2500 RPM climbs and I flight plan at even 20 GPH. This gives me a conservative flight plan fuel of 4.5 hours. At 3.5 hours I am ready to stretch my legs and this keeps me going all day if need be. Do you have the air vent kit in your 210? Summer is here in Louisiana and I will be taking advantage of those again this summer.

[@747FoSophie]

CAT makes seeing instruments at night a real PITA, I do have more headroom in the 747 cockpit so I haven't smashed my head yet. CAT does make trying to sleep in the bed almost impossible.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

By far the worst I have encountered was coming over the ridge into Grand Junction, CO. Thank goodness I was slowed and prepared because it was rough. Again, though this was in the 210 and not a 747. What routes do you fly most often?

[@747FoSophie]

@@TheFlyingSalesman When flying near the edge of a jetstream the turbulence is crazy, mountains can also be an issue. Most of my flights are between Anchorage and Asia, Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong. I have flow other routes but those are the most common routes.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

@@747FoSophie I Wondered if you flew in and out of ANC. I was there for the Alaska Air Carriers trade show a few years back and the show was at the airport. I looked out the window and started counting the aircraft pulling in to the ramp all the way out the furthest landing light I could see and counted 12 aircraft. When the last one landed, every one of them was a 747. Y’all must fly a conga line on that route like going into OSH.

[@747FoSophie]

@@TheFlyingSalesman It's a major hub for us the other being Miami. So much cargo goes though Anchorage it's crazy. We don't have to rock our wings to acknowledge ATC though. I don't live that far from OSH and ATW

[@ProPilotPete]

Did you say hey to Ron and Janis from Parr4theCourse?

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

I am still trying to connect, I am looking forward to it.

[@shinc4054]

Thanks for filming, What is your VNE in your 210? , great job 👍🏽

[@Tom-zs6bb]

VNE? Strange question.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

I need to double check, Yellow arc starts at 165 KIAS and I believe Vne is 175, Let me get back to you though. Vlo is 140 and the Vle is the same as Vne once extended. 10 Deg flaps is 150 KIAS with 20 and 30 Deg at 115 KIAS

[@Tom-zs6bb]

@@TheFlyingSalesman It's been a long time but I believe the turbocharged one I flew had a VNE of 180 or 185 knots. I just cant understand why, of all things, he asked you that question.

[@TheFlyingSalesman]

@@Tom-zs6bb I do not read anything in to this other than curiosity. @shinc4054 has been watching for a while now and we often have exchanges about the plane and how I fly. I will not pretend to know what someone is thinking but I appreciate the engagement and I am happy to answer questions. PLUS, now I have to dive into my POH (or look at the airspeed) and re-learn something I should know. All in all, it is a good thing for me. Thanks for coming along on this flight and I appreciate you participating in the discussion. Blue skies! -TFS

[@Tom-zs6bb]

@@TheFlyingSalesman I guess I sounded like I was criticizing him for asking the question. My intent is to understand why he asked it as it's kinda came out of left field. Years ago I was flying at a Florida Sheriff's Office and we purchased a T210 that was a dream to fly. In fact, it was my favorite a/c after the helicopters. Smooth as glass. After I left (not voluntarily) the unit I learned that the mechanic found a ton of corrosion of the main spar and that might have compromised the integrity of the integrity of the structure. Yikes! Regarding going back to the POH, isn't amazing what will transpire to create a learning opportunity? It's like being a CFI and drawing a blank when the student asks a question!