The Key to Flying thru Turbulence | Getting Knocked Around in SoCal | Update Your Maneuvering Speed

[@BumbleBee55R]

Can the calculations used in this spreadsheet also be used in MPH by just substituting the speeds in KnoTS with MPH?

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

yes, the units don't matter. just change the text to MPH anywhere it says knots. The calculations are the same.

[@BumbleBee55R]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey that's what figured. Thank you so much for doing this!

[@gnuclur8952]

Christopher froeschl what are about 4?

[@aaronposteraro1986]

I just discovered this channel and it’s criminally underrated. Subscribed.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Feel free to share it! :)

[@flyinwithbrian9753]

No doubt!

[@PistolPackingPilot]

Bob, you’re 100% correct. I subbed as well.

[@thefreediverjohn]

Criminally!

[@akamaverick6205]

Same

[@teacherzach8691]

I predict this channel will take off in the coming year (pun intended)

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks for the support!

[@carlhopkinson]

the key is: slow down...just like a car on a bumpy road.

[@jacobboudreaux1117]

Carl Hopkinson idk, I’ve driven through unpaved roads in New Mexico and the faster you go. The smoother it is

[@Handotr]

Just like the bumpy road will tear up your cars suspension if you drive hard, blasting through turbulence subjects your airframe to unnecessary abuse.

[@shadowsrwolf]

@@jacobboudreaux1117 This works great on wash boarded roads

[@pdutube]

Yup, you can break it sooner or later :)

[@captkerosene]

Slow waaaaaay down is the secret - not just a little. The jolts turn into mush and you don't worry about breaking something. Only accelerate up to maneuvering speed if you are worried about losing control of the plane (which isn't going to happen). Took me 30 years to figure this out.

[@PistolPackingPilot]

Factually, very good information. You did your homework. Only one minor criticism. “Extreme” turbulence can not only damage small airplanes, it can damage any airplane. In the A320 the turbulence penetration speed is 250 KIAS below 10,000 feet, and 275 above 10,000 until reaching Mach .76. In my 20 years of experience, up to this point I’ve only hit severe turbulence twice. Don’t ever be able to use the word “UNABLE” with ATC. It’s one of my favorite words actually. You’re in command of your aircraft, not them! You can never be violated for not complying with ATC instructions if you’re “UNABLE,” for whatever the reason may be. Just be prepared to articulate your actions later on if requested to do so. Fly safe......

[@TheVahaj]

@@LazloNQ Roma wins son

[@kevinmeyer3056]

Excellent channel. It’s now my new favorite flying channel. I flew into Stevens Point, WI. (STE) in a 172 and the turbulence was so bad things were coming out of the map pockets. Along with slowing down, I found screaming and swearing helps. LOL

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Haha- we had one of those screaming in sheer terror experiences on the flight I talk about coming out of Palm Springs. But things coming out of the map pockets sounds really bad. Thanks for the kind words about the channel.

[@brandonmurray9448]

About 20 years ago I was flying a Piper Lance near Paducah KY. We were in solid IMC and I was (ignorantly) relying on a storm scope to keep me out of imbedded T-storms. I also assumed that Indianapolis Center had weather radar to help keep me in the clear... They didn't. First the clouds turned dark green, then the lighting became intense, about that time the storm scope put up an error message. I have never encountered turbulence like that in my life. All I kept saying was VA wings level and I let the airplane go where the storm took it. At one point I had the throttle at idle and the VSI was pegged in the climb. We lost multiple screws and cam locks, the back of the cowling was displaced... We landed uneventfully. After landing I found out that one of the guys in the back came out of his seat, was body slammed on the ceiling and then on the floor before getting back to his seat.. huge mistakes on my part and it changed the way I flew when storms were part of the equation. Great videos by the way and great flying. Be safe!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Wow thanks so much for sharing that story. That sounds insane to me. It is so important to be able to look back and admit mistakes or judgment errors to learn from them and valuable for the rest of us when you share. I definitely try to stay far away from storms and only have ADSB so I go WAY around due to the delay.

[@falconwings3864]

Sounds scary as hell

[@Zackbrooks737]

Falcon Wings Nah. Hell is much scarier. And it lasts forever.

[@donc9751]

Very scary situation! I'm not a pilot, but anyone who has lived in the South knows dark green clouds are bad news on the ground and can only be worse in the air! Glad you landed safely!

[@brandonmurray9448]

@@donc9751 Thanks! Me too!

[@georgepeach5430]

I fly a Cessna Cardinal. Like you, I absolutely hate turbulence. My imagination sometimes gets the best of me and a picture a wing just folding at the fuselage. Your video is very instructive. I will definitely use a weight versus maneuvering speed formula for future bumpy flights. Thanks for a great video!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I'm so glad you found it useful. Thank you for the feedback.

[@PilotBossify]

You shouldn’t hate turbulence, I find smooth flights boring.

[@mikemather7366]

During this time that I am not flying in rentals, I have been looking for aviation channels and pilots that resonate most with me. This is it. Everything from the compelling video (to be expected, I have since discovered), to the inclusion of your family, to the real-world use of a private-pilot certificate, has me hooked. Really great content.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

wow thank you so much for this comment. This kind of feedback really keeps me wanting to make more. We are having fun doing it and knowing that others are enjoying it is very fulfilling as a creator.

[@tonysaunders9655]

turbulence is weird so there we were flying along with a 35 knot headwind not going anywhere very quickley. air was smooth as silk, not a bump in the sky. suddenly with five miles to run instantly the world went mad. and as we decended into the circuit it got worse. my mate was flying at the time, it made him sweat landing and me and i was only watching. moral of the story it can strike when you least expect it. but when it does it get's your attention😎

[@markstevens6359]

From a guy that spent 30 years flying through hurricanes with the air force reserves Hurricane Hunters... its all about Va, maneuvering airspeed. Yes it is published in your POH for gross weight. It goes down as gross weight goes down. Lower than that speed is even better, to a point. Notice when your airline Captain announces the fasten seat belt sign has been turned on, you feel the throttles come back, the deck angle/pitch changes and the aircraft slows down. You want the speed to reduce, the pitch to change (increase), so that in the event of a severe vertical gust (turbulence), your wing is nearer stall angle of attack, so the wing stalls, well before the load would result in overstress, damage, or worse yet, structural failure. The reduction in airspeed results in needing a higher AOA in level flight, so your closer to the critical angle of attack if a sudden vertical gust occurs. The other key is to request a block altitude say 6,000 - 8000, while staying "around 7000". Then you can ride the up drafts up, and avoid putting the nose down to maintain a hard altitude during an updraft, or avoid a large change in pitch or power during a downdraft. The block altitude is key to softening the ride...

[@clarencerudy63]

Turbulence is all ways worse when your IMC. Be gentle with the control inputs. In the roll. Axis the first jolt will always knock you off your heading second jolt brings you halfway back. If you want to maintain your heading just slowly roll to the heading. The airframe can always take more than your nerves can. Pitch plus power equals performance set your power your airspeed will vary wildly don’t chase airspeed. Next Comfort your passengers by informing them that it’s just gonna be a little bumpy for a while and it always worked at the airlines ha ha. Then tell ATC about the level of turbulence and if you can try to inform other pilots in the area. Smile and make you feel better and enjoy the ride.

[@azcharlie2009]

I've never heard of requesting block altitudes. That's a great idea! That would have helped me quite a bit on a flight down the Rio Grande valley some years ago. I was trying to stay at 9,500 and the thermals would not let me, and ATC didn't like it. It wasn't rough really... Just huge updrafts where I was at idle power, and downdrafts where I need full throttle.

[@alialmutairi8387]

Can someome bank like 30 deg when it is turbulent?

[@azcharlie2009]

@@alialmutairi8387 I think so, but check your manual. As long as you stay below the maneuvering speed limits adjusted for weight, you should be ok.. Just remember, your stall speed increases with the angle of bank. In my Archer, it climbs from 54 knots to approx. 60 knots @ 30 degrees bank with no flaps. In turbulence, I only use standard rate turns. It just feels more comfortable. Also, at slow pattern speeds, I'd be very careful not to bank more than standard rate at all times.

[@alialmutairi8387]

@@azcharlie2009 what do you do in the pattern when you often need to be at 30 deg of bank?

[@zgeekdiver]

Living vicariously through Flying Monkey...maybe one day I'll get into the sky.

[@just4stringsnme]

Dude, killer video content. Especially loved the Mario sound effect. I have a feeling that either this year or next, you’ll be signing autographs at Oshkosh.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Finally someone appreciates the Mario sound effect!!! Thank you for that. It's like my favorite part and gave me a solid 5 minutes of delirious laughter when I cut it in there at like 1 am while editing. :)

[@bellofello1]

SoCal Flying Monkey I rather enjoyed it too ☺️

[@jimhefner]

Thanks for this valuable info! I generally fly solo with light loading, and hadn't thought about or calculated Va difference with loading... just stall and approach speeds. I added the Va formulas to my W&B spreadsheet and will be noting that in the future thanks to your video.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I’m so glad you found the video useful. Thank you for the feedback! Fly safe!

[@jeanchapman1301]

When I was learning to fly and building time for my commercial, I was flying around Mt. St Helens and got on the downwind side of a mountain wave. The plane was being thrown so violently that my head kept hitting the door and I was inputting full lock aileron left and right trying to stay upright, combined with big altitude changes. Was far too busy flying the plane to be scared at the time, but afterwards I was extremely grateful and relieved to still be alive. Always kept a suspicious eye on mountains after that and am mindful of wind direction when flying below an isolated peak.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks for sharing that- the mountain wave can be super dangerous. I took a mountain flying course and learned a little about flying around peaks, etc. Windy.com is a good site for looking at and planning for winds aloft. Easy to visualize with that site and a cool interface.

[@stealhty1]

Great video , im not a big fan of Turbulent flying either as my Glider pilots friends does,I also reduce speed ,take deep breath and try to accept the conditions

[@markstevens6359]

Heres a great video of penetrating the eye of Hurricane Felix in a WC130J. Note the red light in the gear handle. It illuminates when power is near flight idle and the gear is up, there is a horn as well. This plane weighs about 130,000 pounds at this point in the mission. At idle power, red light on, idle power pitch to remain at or below about 175 knots, they are going up about 5000 ft/min!! We fly a big block altitude, or just at/below 18,000. Usually trying to maintain 10,000 ft pressure altitude for data integrity, but deviating up/down in our block during big turb. Enjoy....

[@NCTuskie]

Did my solo cross country yesterday and had turbulence the entire way. Didn’t get lost tho

[@azcharlie2009]

Congratulations! Did you get your license yet?

[@NCTuskie]

@@azcharlie2009 yessir. March of 2021

[@azcharlie2009]

@@NCTuskie Well done!!! Fly safe, and keep learning....

[@merkster12]

First off, I hope you get back to work soon. Wishing the best for you and your family. Thanks for using the time for videos like this. Ton of information boiled down to an easily understandable format. The minutia like this is one of my favorite parts of flying. Figuring out all the V speeds, weight and balance, etc is a joy for me. #flyingnerd These are really awesome.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thank you for the kind words. I'm right there with you on nerding out on the little details. I really love how in depth you can go...you don't NEED to but it can add a lot of extra enjoyment and refine your skills. The science part of aviation is very interesting to me and combining that with adventure is super fun. :)

[@rickkimball6125]

Here in the SE we get turbulence in the transition from winter to spring and the cold fronts pushing thru against the warm fronts...Those are days with 'perfect visibility' and brutal turbulence. I try to fly exactly as you said -- slower, with weight in consideration, do not panic/accept the circumstances. The part of those flights you didn't mention -- is the fun, and danger, of landing in gusty conditions. I've been guilty of congratulating myself after completing a couple hours in the washing machine and finally reaching the traffic pattern..and relaxing... and then forgetting about the nasty crosswinds in those conditions. As my CFI used to say, "fly it all the way to the tie downs". We are always learning, aren't we. Great video, great advice. I'm a subscriber now.

[@commercialpilot54]

Man! Great video… Yeah turbulence like that is the pits. I encountered that kind of ride flying “up the valley from the Knoxville area to Johnson City Tennessee… Constant speed adjustments, going with the flow, and even a little singing helped me get through it… Gotta remember that it’s not gonna knock you out of the sky…. But! It still gives you the willies!

[@NETBotic]

I flew a SIGMET tango once, same area. If I wasn't dual I would have turned around and flew home!

[@jasonthomas9364]

I see coyotes at airports all the time, they know when to get out of the way

[@SkyNdiveProductions]

Appreciate the video. As a new private pilot I tend to get a bit nervous when I get into some wind.. Glad it's not just me.

[@samrutkowski1]

Not just you for sure. I like a nice "boring" smooth day and "sweat" the bumps every time. My CFI who was a young guy (20 years my junior) but with 1000's of hours never seemed to mind getting tossed around and I used to act as if I felt the same. On one particular training flight, visibility was 10+ and surface winds were well within my minimums. I did however notice an odd looking cloud layer during pre-flight that was well above the altitude I intended to fly so I gave it no thought. Once aloft I was white knuckling the yoke and sweating through my shirt as it felt like the Cherokee was a sneaker in a clothes dryer. Climbing at 80 knots I hit a wall of air that felt like we stopped dead as the stall horn sounded. It was a trying hour and a half, at the end of which I landed, parked and sighed deeply. As i put the mixture to full lean and the engine sputtered to a stop my CFI turned to me and remarked that it was a rare occasion when he'd rather be on the ground. I was glad he did because it was the first time I had felt the same and felt good to know I was not alone.

[@SkyNdiveProductions]

@@samrutkowski1 lol I can imagine Sam.. Thanks for the input! We just got to keep at it I guess.

[@AvgDude]

My trick always works... I scream... "Mooooommmmmyyyy!!!..." and try to keep my thumb off the transmit switch.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

🤣

[@spiritamokk]

Why am I watching it? I don't even have a plane =(

[@GlenGGonsalves]

I got nervous just watching from my couch.😆 I would be “white knuckled” the whole way. You are the man!

[@nunyabidness3075]

Do you get ATC mandated turbulence in your area? Around here, they pretty much push you down into the summer chop about 40 miles from the big airports even when you are filed and approaching from a direction rarely, if ever, used by larger aircraft. That space is reserved for the airlines whether they are even flying that day. I don’t think it’s laziness by ATC, I think it’s a thoughtless policy that ignores added marginal danger to piston pilots affected in order to gain a quadruple layer of margin for an airliner that isn’t even around and hasn’t been within 2 miles or 2,000 feet of the optimal path in over a decade. Seriously, it’s just wrong. A couple thousand feet higher you would still be 5,000 feet from any jumbos and have smooth cool air and plenty of glide distance.

[@essel23fly]

I remember my first long cross country I just turned back cuz it was too bumpy 😂

[@knotfunny]

That's good decision making.

[@twc9000]

I almost turned back on my second cross country flight. I had never felt anything like that before. I climbed a couple thousand feet and found a little smoother air. It’s definitely not fun.

[@brennanwolfe1814]

I’m a student pilot and I had first 150 nautical mile solo cross country yesterday. On the 70 mile leg back the whole way I experience turbulence almost identical to the turbulence you experienced in this video. Extremely stressful and definitely hard to multitask as we often do as pilots. Because of this, I am more interested to learn on how to deal with turbulence as a newer pilot

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

that DOES sound stressful. I'm not a flight instructor but I find that slowing down and flying the airplane as the number one priority really helps. The most important thing is to stay calm and keep control and keep the airspeed where it needs to be. All the other stuff like navigating and communicating can wait.

[@allenustianowski9757]

I can relate with what you went through. I did my solo XC today and the entire time had extreme turbulence. I did not enjoy it at all and it was terrifying since I never experienced it with my instructor. There was no good altitude and a perfectly clear day. Kept it slow and steady and pushed through it since I had no choice. Very demoralizing.

[@Food.Dog.Car.]

I went on my Discovery flight yesterday and it was pretty much equal to these conditons. I never stopped moving the yoke and the crosswinds were at 20 kts. The landing was quite interesting to say the least. Its just an unatural feeling to fall, twist, and lean all at once without notice. I was in a cessna 152.

[@MissionaryBushPilot]

Very well made video. We also use weight adjusted VREF's when landing on mountain airstrips here in PNG. It makes a huge difference on our landings and actually hitting our spot. I like how you said don't just lower your speed to Va, but actually lower. I have also found that to be true when flying through bumpy storms, is to lower my speed at least 10 knots below Va because your speed varies so much when flying through turbulent air. Great video. Come check out my flying videos here in PNG if your interested. I've got some good ideas from your very well made video. Thanks

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks for the comment. Using weight adjusted VREF changed my landing game when I had a PA28. And you are correct, I lower that maneuvering speed based on weight adjustment and then fly somewhere between weight adjusted Vb and Va. I want my airplane to last as long as it can.- haha. I'll check out your videos.

[@flynomo]

Still gets interesting flying over the Pacific or Atlantic at night when it gets really bumpy. Not much you can do other than slow down and find another altitude.

[@trizvanov]

Or flying over Indonesia and India at night.... ooof!!!

[@jcposada]

I am loving your videos. The Mario sound when you bumped your head has me ROFL.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I was delirious at 1 am editing and when I cut that in I laughed for awhile too. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@airman329]

Good video. Haaaa, love seeing these. Over 30 years of freight flying and airline flying I can tell you turbulence is scary but not deadly until you slow down too much and stall, or overstress the aircraft from over controlling it. Just fly Vma and chill out, and this to will pass. Promise.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Thanks for watching!

[@mattolmstead6150]

Thanks for the advice! I am a student pilot currently flying a 1960 cessna 150 and I can tell you turbulence certainly isnt my favorite. Its nice to get a professional's feedback on something to give me peace of mind

[@gradywebb5780]

One time I hit my head hard enough on the ceiling my headset stop working for that flight, turns out it was a radio bug!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

haha. I have learned the hard way to tighten that lap belt...

[@SkyLifeFlyer]

I really enjoyed this video, thanks for sharing! (Edit) I cannot tell you how much I laughed at that Mario jump

[@flyinwithbrian9753]

More great content! Turbulence is a fact of life if you fly a lot. I'm an 8000 hr 767 captain, but I don't like it in my Bonanza. Great job pointing out that Va (and the other V speeds) are weight related. I hadn't thought of making a spreadsheet and putting it in Foreflight. I'm gonna add that to my bag of tricks!

[@paduag1782]

Great video, I learned something new today that I haven't seen in any other aviation channel. I hate torbulance! So tiresome.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Glad you found it useful!

[@paduag1782]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Good morning =) I had a question of topic from aviation. I was wondering how did you started your career in cinematography? Where do you start, learning wise? By the way that was another good idea to right down the calculation/chart thingy.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

There are dozens of ways to approach it. I recommend some sort of film school to start. Getting to work on small productions in any capacity is a good start as well.

[@paduag1782]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey what are some good schools here in LA?

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

@@paduag1782 My instructor is no longer teaching so I am a little out of the loop on flight schools in the L.A. area. But I think some of the pilot groups like Facebook Student Pilot group or Pilots of America forum may be helpful resources.

[@kyleburkett5864]

Thanks a ton for posting all of this info! If you’re ever in the Cleveland area and want to teach a noob about flying and/or video editing then let me know! On that note, ever think about making videos about how you do your video editing? I’m a Mac user and any Final Cut Pro tutorials would be awesome!

[@BruceClark]

Great video - thanks! Turbulence is the most disconcerting thing I faced while taking flying lessons. Sometimes we have less control than we think!

[@PILOTVIDS]

A couple of years a go I was following a strong cold front on my way to Sun N Fun. I caught up to the back side of it and it was like a brick wall. I just slowed way down. I knew that Va decreased as weight decreased, so I slowed way down. It never helped with the turbulence but A LOT of cussing didn't help either but I tried it the whole 3 hours!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Haha. 3 hours is a long time to get bounced around. I think the back side of a cold front is almost always turbulent right? Sometimes you just can’t avoid it.

[@TAOM5963]

You have to use all the curse words in the correct order. One slip up and you have to @$#!&*% start over.

[@PILOTVIDS]

The Pit I have a checklist, At onset of Moderate, “$%^+” repeat as necessary or until turbulence subsides. Report to ATC light chop If Severe turbulence is detected then it’s, “Oh £#?%” what did I run over? Then ask ATC for a better altitude and make pirep in your best captain’s voice that it got a little bumpy back there.

[@kcmo1992]

Super wide, may be fisheye, lens!

[@CMB193]

This one time, I hit light chop on descent. Scariest moment of my life. Could barely type the pirep I was shaking so much. - Delta pilot

[@matthewrammig]

I found overall, in the world of aviation training, there are very few resources on flying through turbulence and maintaining situational awareness while doing so. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

i agree!!!

[@matthewrammig]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey so what have you found in term of research and/or personal experience to help with this? Obviously, you’ve identified the correct speeds to fly through it but what about managing the emotional response or stress that results from the inner ear being jostled around?

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Nothing about that. Just read a lot about turbulence penetration speed which is mainly a concept for larger aircraft. Weight adjusted speeds should be taught more.

[@sebastiangrimm5671]

Thanks so much for the spreadsheet idea and for providing it! Keep up the great videos, real fun to watch! Greetings from Germany

[@1macca]

Funny how you said you wanted to learn more about flying in turbulence after the Palm Springs incident. I literally watched this video after flying through the Banning Pass last night and had crazy mountain waves hitting me just after departing KPSP. Good thing I realized after watching the video was that I didn't really miss out anything knowledge-wise and that's what I think I'm still alive right now lol.

[@jmitterii2]

Was stormy winter day with my CFI a night x country dual instruction. The irony was it was calm at the destination airport and back to returning airport where I was able to do several touch and goes. And it was only really bumping on arrival at both airports 20 nm to 8ish nm distance from the airports. But that 20nm to 8 nm were really bumpy... snow was screaming down, my instructor thought it funny to show me how much snow was screaming down by shining his flash light out the window. Ceilings were still VFR but on returning became MVFR and last touch and really started to become IFR. Was so bumpy on that 20nm to 8 nm from the returning airport, approach handed me off to tower, I couldn't switch radios... and my instructor tried, and he couldn't either... so we remained on approach frequency longer... to which approach asked us if we could see a life-flight helicopter near the mountains about 10 miles North of the airport... we could... the helicopter wasn't responding for a while... I advised traffic insight, but they're probably being pumped around like we are. Few moments later the helicopter did respond, sounded like shouting to get words to come out of their mouth... it was bad for us, and them... 8 miles though it smoothed out... switched to tower... and we did touch and goes... several of them until clouds started rolling in at 1,000 ft AGL. I was actually having lots of fun on the flight... giggling and all around loving every moment. But I told my instructor (who earlier prior to this flight would have agreed this would be a no go VFR flight with just my VFR license... but he was IFR and felt comfortable enough on wx reports, that if need be he could turn it into a IFR flight... and takeover)... I told him if he wasn't there sitting next to me.. I'd pooping my pants. But he and I were having lots of fun. Going bumpity bump all over the place. Again, only for short period of the flight, but it got intense. So far, still the most intense sustained turbulence I've experienced. I don't think I did that bad at managing the flight controls and all. I dislike going up with friends and family in any turbulence though. Just makes the flight experience awful for everyone. Only pilots (might) enjoy. Means nobody will enjoy it onboard LOL!

[@AeroRamer]

Awesome! Great content. I was looking for Va info and got a lot more from the video. File downloaded. Thanks for the tip about uploading to FF. I was not aware of that functionality.

[@blanbec14]

In my youth I used to be shot by turbulences during my initial training. I don’t known in the states but here we must go for 2 solo nav of minimum 100 nautical miles. It was November in north of France. I was flying a Morane 120hp. All you can call vintage. VOR and no glass at all. With of course a little fear I prepared my estimate and radials and so on. At one time, I faced these nice cumulus convection. Flying 1500QNH I was hammered until a point the sliding canopy unlocked. Is it because I did not locked correctly ? Or to some deformations ? Whatever it came to BANG suddenly during a bump when I was looking at milestones outside. What a shock for my inexperienced sens of the air ! These Morane are well made and it can not open even unlock but man it was intense. By the way during this flight I was passed left right by 2 fighters same altitude about 200 m from each other. Woosh woosh that was closed too. I bet they did not see me at all at this speed with this angle. At 17, you remember these.

[@francescaf7967]

Turbulence in a light aircraft can be scary… rough that you damaged the aircraft with your head - I hope you were ok?! Thanks for sharing!

[@schoneschone]

Maybe I am misreading it or not understanding it thoroughly, but i believe the formula of Vnew=Vold*Sqrt(CurrWt/MaxGross) is only applicable (and even then with heavy conservatism) for maneuvering speed, not all V speeds. I believe one of the articles linked in the about section even mentions it at the end? While it's true that all V speeds change with weight, you'd have to test in flight how each of them is affected for a different given weight. There's no blanket one delta for all weights rule Absolutely love your channel and your videos!

[@BonanzaPilot]

Flight planning is the best way to navigate turbulence. If there is no way to avoid it, flying close to gross and slow down is the best you can do and for the love of all things, turn off your autopilot!

[@LISRAREF]

As a pilot and ATC, try to use actual terminology when you report this. I can’t tell someone else you were “getting bounced around” with much meaning. We want to provide PIREP’s that are current but need the proper terms to disseminate with. A Cherokee on moderate turbulence vs moderate chop is more beneficial to other pilots. Keep up the videos, enjoy the channel.

[@wanzainal8301]

Good Morning admin.Have subscribed to your channel.

[@flyingrasa7094]

Wow your editing is 🔥. Loving your videos

[@pierre6940]

Thank's for the inspiration, really enjoy your work.

[@michaelfletcher1224]

Great video! Worst turbulence I ever flew in was during my flight training (which I did at Van Nuys airport.) We were over Simi Valley (where this video is being filmed) and Santa Ana winds were so strong at one point while practicing minimum controllable airspeed my instructor took control of the plane and told me to look below us.... we were pretty much standing still over the ground. We were getting tossed around so badly that we cut the lesson short. I was fighting to not throw up and my instructor landed the plane at Van Nuys because it was well beyond my skills at the time. It gave a very healthy respect for turbulence... particularly in small planes.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

It can get pretty bad in that area with the right conditions. It’s good experience to do it with an experienced CFI.

[@Db--jt7bt]

Simi valley seems like a bad place for a flight lesson… unless it’s a lesson about turbulence. The mountains on 3 sides almost guarantees a bumpy ride. You can fly over it but it probably won’t be fun.

[@MotmedGaming]

My home-airfield has a forest in the final where i experience turbulence very often (and since were on final, we get really close to the trees). What i try to understand is, how much should I fight it, because on one hand people say dont fight it too much, on the other hand I want to land on the runway and not in a tree, so its really hard to get the right feeling. Im really frustrated because my landings with crosswind and thus turbulence feel really bad, but since im still a student pilot I hope it will get better

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I’m not a CFI but my suggestion is fight it enough that you are keeping control and the plane is going where you need it to go but not so much that you’re over correcting and having to add more inputs because of your previous inputs. And once you round out are in ground effect, relax, because everything will smooth out and you can concentrate on maintaining centerline and kicking out the crab angle.

[@MotmedGaming]

@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Alright, thanks alot :) I will try that, and I think ill just have to get used to it aswell, because for now it still feels a bit scary to get knocked around so close to the trees😅

[@adamcoronado5447]

Mexicans , we are Coyotes as bad luck. Guess it's true 😬. Love the videos

[@thenerv37]

I have never even heard of weight adjusted speeds. Thank you

[@codeandfly]

4:06 is my new screen wallpaper. thanks!

[@themark4u]

Love watching your aviation journey through these videos. Thanks for taking the time to produce and share them with us. Would you be open to making a video on how you record your in cockpit videos, ATC/ICS audio, and editing videos for uplaod? Looking forward to more videos.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Stay tuned! :)

[@suzukitlr01]

I fly out of French Valley. Any time I fly east, I fly to Thermal vs going through the Banning pass to Palm Springs because of the turbulence.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

that mountain that has hwy 74 descending into palm springs must give u concerns its a very abrupt rise of what 4000 ft from a hot flat valley floor; we call that hwy Divorce Drive; lots of divorce lawyers offices right at the bottom of that mountain i see.....

[@lashturner]

Turbulence is only heat rising from the surface of land not over water as much.

[@joecarpenter4522]

I think you’ll find that as you gain more experience flying in turbulence, the less it’ll bother you and perhaps even your family. You have a solid understanding of the phenomenon and more importantly, how to stay on the safer operating zone by remaining at or below Va. Tango can definitely be a challenge and is annoying but it’s one more element of flight that we often have to deal with. -Joe (Check Instructor, CFI, CFI-I)

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

We almost always have an Airmet for Mod Turb below 18k in SoCal so yeah better get used to it right!

[@hytthtty1]

Hehe that's normal....

[@cheewurz]

Back in 1979 when I was a Student Pilot doing my Three Leg Cross Country out of Grass Valley California I experienced Unimaginable Clear Air Turbulence on a Perfect Summer Day while Flying over Very Rough Canyon Like Terrain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I was Petrified with Fear and was Certain the Wings were going to Fold Up and Fall Off on the Cessna 152, thus I would Fall to the Earth Like A Rock and Die! I remember all I could do was Pull Back on the Throttle and Hand Fly the the Airplane in an effort to Smooth Out the Violent Drafts as best I could...it was Exhausting Mentally and Physically. I guess it worked...I'm here Writing about it with Pilot License in hand!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I can't even imagine how that must have felt as a student pilot in such a small, light aircraft. That's horrible. Good on you for sticking with it after that!

[@BigfootBrass]

The camera roll you added in really messed with my head at 20 seconds haha.

[@rangatangbangbang3180]

Your whole videos needs 1m more views 😂 subscribe

[@RotorcraftDriver]

I fly in the mountains a lot as a helicopter pilot and typically I'm pretty low. I normally just lower the torque and airspeed and let her rip. If its really bad an I need to get over a mountain I'll climb pretty high. If no luck, turn around go home.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

cool to hear from a rotorcraft persepctive. thanks.

[@chenjunalex]

Nice video, and thanks for the spreadsheet👍

[@FAATALITY46]

Reminds me of the coyote scene in Collateral.

[@thatflywelshguy9662]

"jesus take the wheel"

[@ihab6984]

That's Crazy ! I just had some crazy turbulence the other day flying from Chino to Camarillo just before my decent above those mountains I got bounced around pretty good. it was my 3rd Solo Cross country. I just got back from a night flight Chino to Palm springs and that's the first time I feel this worried. speed near the mountains were 16 gusting 32 and it almost flipped my plane over with full opposite Ailerons in the opposite direction. Not sure If I'll ever fly back to KPSP again !

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

That’s why the Banning Pass is called the washing machine!

[@Rockingruvin]

When I was in my 20s, my father and his instructor flew up to the college where I was finishing my degree and picked up my girlfriend and I to fly from the North Carolina mountains to the Outer Banks. On the way back, my father chose to stay behind with my mother, who had driven, so the flight back was the instructor, myself and my girlfriend. He had filed an IFR plan, but he let me do some hand flying in the clear parts, as we were approaching some clouds at maximum cruise about 130 kn in a Cherokee 180, we hit some turbulence, and I instinctively reached over to reduce speed because it was pretty rough …at that speed, at least. And the instructor said, “good… good, good instincts to slow down in turbulence so you can maintain control of the aircraft and not get in a bad situation”. It was kind of interesting flying through the clouds, since it was summertime and thunderstorms were inevitably starting to coalesce around mid day. Just keep it level, watch the climb/decent indicator, which I did anyway because I wasn’t proficient at all and was still struggling a little bit with maintaining level flight without climbing a little or descending a little. I never got my private license, but 30 years later I’m pretty serious about getting a sport license.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

make it happen!!!! you won't regret it. Sounds like you have a good instinct and feel for it already.

[@wangzunzhi]

It’s really common over that area, from susana pass to whp, always turbulence. KCMA or KOXR to WHP I prefer approach from new hall pass.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

yeah south of the mountains you get tumbling of the winds from the north over the mountains. North of them maybe get a little more lift and less rough stuff...

[@ralphlong9973]

I did not read through all the comments, so if this was mentioned before apologies. If you hit moderate or severe turbulence do the rest of us a favor and submit a PIREP. Although AIRMETs, SIGMETs and the like give us an idea that turbulence may exist, the only way we REALLY know is through PIREPs. Great video by the way. 👍

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

yes that is a great tip thank you

[@clarencerudy63]

I watched your video again, and would like you to consider this. The design maneuvering speed (Va)is the speed at which the airplane will stall before exceeding its design limit-load factor in turbulent conditions or when the flight controls are suddenly and fully deflected in flight. The key point is "when flight controls are SUDDENLY and FULLY deflected in flight". Make your corrections slowly to maintain the desired attitude.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Good point!!!

[@bladeswelove]

I was on a KLM flight (Boeing 767) flying out of Moscow to the Netherlands back in 1997 (student group). We hit a big storm close to the Netherlands and it was just throwing that big plane all over the place. It was scary to say the least, and there was also a missionary group in the back of the plane and they were praying and speaking in tongues. People were wailing. Finally we banked out of the there and the Dutch pilot in his perfect english got on the PA and said "I thought maybe I would just get the plane out of here in 1 piece". We diverted to Vienna, Austria and sat on the ground for an hour and a half. I was in the middle seats and wanted to stand up after landing. The lady sitting next to me was so scared, she couldn't even talk and was still white knuckling the armrests. A bunch of people were talking about renting a bus and driving to the Hague. We took off and the rest of the flight was perfect. Turns out that was like a 100 year storm in the Netherlands and had blown over a bunch of trees and stuff. Good times!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

That sounds terrible! Thanks for sharing the story. I always laugh at the people that get real upset when a flight is delayed due to weather. I just am grateful that the pilot has made the call that our safety is more important than airline revenue.

[@TheTerrypcurtin]

I had severe out of Palm Springs over I 10. I was shocked the plane didn't come apart. Things were being tossed around and could have easily knocked me out. I couldn't climb in an Apache 180hp twin. Worst I ever experienced in 3000 hours. It was calm at the airport. The north departure is insane at times.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Wow that sounds terrible. And in a twin too. Hope it was a rental. LOL. That area can be so bad for turbulence.

[@jamesjobe4307]

Last I flew, Diamond DA40 business commute with an associate, we got bounced around terribly. Our flight was going to be about 3 hours and it was bad enough that we reversed course back to home. I got the worst motion sickness EVER. Haven't been in the air since. Stopped my flight training then as well. Hmmm...I've got the itch lately though.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Get back on it! :) i find that I don’t get sick or bothered when I’m on the controls but if I’m just a passenger it’s no good at all!

[@stevemyers2092]

Once when I was time building for my commercial and on a long X-country I was skirting a thundercloud/Cumulonimbus, approx 12 miles away...and all of a sudden it felt like the Jolly Green Giant stepped on the little 150 cessna so hard that the ELT went off. It was just a flat out "foot stomp" no wing up or down - the ELT was blaring in my headphones and I was yelling over the engine and my adrenalin for my wife to turn off the ELT she didn't know what i was talking about because she didn't have headphone on and I did...so only I could hear it - and i didnt want any emergency started because we were safe/ok. Except I was a bit rattled and taking it out on her inadvertently, instead of calming down and removing my headset and asking her to reach back and flick the switch to off - then back on. Yes I did call the closest Tower and explain what happened - no harm no foul. LESSON LEARNED: nothing ever got accomplished in an emergency if your yelling or not communicating. Calm down take a breath and proceed gently.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

That’s true!

[@scottallen8950]

Seriously I don't know how you did that. My heart races in light chop on a 737. I'd be freaking out, lol. I'm impressed and jealous that you can be that calm while you're getting bumped around like that. I'm not a pilot of course, but I've had some lessons. I should probably have some more to desensitize myself a little. Which offers more stability? A 172 or a Cherokee like this?

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

This Cherokee 6 is larger and heavier than a 172 so it handles the turbulence a little better- it's a bit more stable overall and just feels like a smoother ride. Handles like a truck compared to a 172 though. But still, its a light airplane and you feel almost everything.

[@CarlJohnson-dt9yf]

Had a really harrowing event flying into Whiteman one clear beautiful day from Santa Paula, out of the blue, I was flipped up on wing tip so fast wings were completely vertical before I could even react. Made for a shaky landing :-)

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Oh wow that's crazy. That would definitely put me on edge too!

[@Lincolnpark2735]

Very helpful. I just downloaded and modified for my PA 28 for my ATP checkride. Thanks !!!

[@live2ride387]

I did this going to my check ride, I turned around and went back to my airport. Scared beyond words

[@samcowell2768]

My Pa-32-260 has a turbulant air penatration speed placarded on the dash? Do you not have one or am i off the marks as far as specific speeds based on weights...I think answered my question already but would like your input...

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

The only placard it has for that kind of thing is maneuvering speed but this is based on max gross weight. My Airplane Flight Manual does not describe any other required placards for maneuvering or turbulence. 1973 PA32-300

[@tomasjay1005]

The rule I understood was that the faster you fly through turbulence the more bumpy it gets. Well Hell, I putt-putt through clouds with my Stinson at 120 on IFR and still get all beat to crap. Try holding the barf down .

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

its unavoidable I suppose!

[@AdA-rl4eo]

I was doing my commercial licence when I was 21, had my private licence and ended up deciding against chasing commercial licence… I haven’t flown in 15 years and recently came across your videos… I think I’ll have to dust off the old gear and get back up there

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

do it!!!!

[@nathanaller1602]

VA only protects on one acess

[@notsoancientpelican]

Basic rules to mountain fly / Take off early / Cross them high / If it’s gusty / Take it slow / If you’re rusty / Just don’t go.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

love it. never heard that one before!

[@JuanGarcia-yk9fg]

There were a few moments in this video where you looked scared or nervous. I'm not a pilot and really hate turbulance, I panic on commercial flights. It's terrifying to me, turbulance combined with fear of heights and other negative thoughts that come to my head while flying.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

yeah i was definitely a little nervous wanting to rather be on the ground!

[@justinstephens72]

Man I would have jumped if I had a chute. I have such bad PTSD from paragliding and my chute collapsed and I fell 60 feet breaking my back and shattering my heel. I have to take 2 Xanax and a jack and coke just to even get on. Even then I am still not passed out . At home half of a Xanax put me out.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I'm so sorry about your paragliding accident. That sounds terrible.

[@stevemyers2092]

I fly in BC - low time commercially rated 430 hrs. once I was flying East in a valley that was going to "T" into the Fraser River valley where I would turn left/North. A little bumpy but minor deflection of the ailerons corrected - nothing concerning. When I came into the left turn and nosed into the N/S valley all of a sudden my left wing felt like it went vertical - which it didn't but it sure felt like it - full aileron and it stayed up would not come down (this all happened in 3 seconds) i held full aileron right and finally the wing came down...when it wanted to. I had zero control while it was up, however the nose pretty much stayed on course and no major attitude change. That was freaky and surprising. Lesson: when coming into a canyon from another valley approach from the the middle of the valley, not the closest to the corner/direction you are turning. This will give you room to move left or right if turbulence continues. We never stop learning.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Yes never stop learning. Thank for sharing that story!

[@HowDoYouVideos]

Agree times are hard unless your work is essential. You should try or consider doing some live streams (people can send super chats). During the stay home stay safe weeks people are enjoying live streams plus it grows your subscriber base. Food for thought. As far as turbulence I been in a few hair raising times on long haul flights from LA to the Philippines even one that was so violent the owygen masks came down and the carry on bag compartment doors started to pop open while the carry on luggage came out. I felt very religious during that time and wanted to run for cover but as you know, where can we go..

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

Turbulence on commercial airliners freaks me out- I think its a control thing. I feel much better in my own plane although I clearly understand the statistics behind the risk of one vs the other!

[@ChrispyByDefault]

I am a student pilot and I despise turbulence. I can fly the plane all day doing various maneuvers but when it starts getting bumpy, that's when I toss my cookies.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

oh no i hope you can find something that will help you with that. You will inevitably encounter turbulence. Its unavoidable if you fly regularly

[@josephdunbar2105]

NC Skylane pilot here. Funny to see the hole in your ceiling. I took a 100 hamburger flight once and the winds aloft were pretty stiff, and rolling over the mountains 40 mikes to my west. It was like a washing machine and I hit one pocket we’re my head slammed into the ceiling HARD. All I could do is keep it level and get home.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I learned on that one to tighten the lap belt really tight....

[@jmac659]

I did my long cross country flight with turbulence like this. When I landed, an knew I had to return home, I had a anxious moment before takeoff. As an old boss of mine once told me, “just suck it up and make it happen!” Whew!!!

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

That would be very unnerving as a student pilot. I never had really bad turbulence going solo as a student- just always with a CFI which got me more comfortable with it.

[@extremereclusefallows5779]

Simple question. When carrying your family. If something happened to you during a flight (you are incapacitated), what would happen to your family? I beg you; teach all of them how to fly and get it on the ground without your assistance.

[@SoCalFlyingMonkey]

I think its a good idea for them to take a "pinch hitter" course.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

on a commercial flight from cancun to northern province the pilot took off 16 minutes ahead of flight plan so when we encountered a nasty thunderstorm over dallas ft worth our reserved airspace at 36000 ft was 15 minutes BEHIND US and we had to fly much lower ie THROUGH the thunderstorm it was the WORST FRIGHT OF MY LIFE!!! the turbulance was severe right out of a horror movie!! people screaming crying stuff flying everywhere; drink carts crashing; the big guys in the aisles put the stewardesses on the floor and held them down with their feet to prevent them from being thrown into the ceiling and killed! i had my seat belt done up so tight i could hardly feel my legs and i kept coming off my seat with the monstrous downdrafts ie wind shear and the updrafts pressed me so hard down into my seat I could hardly take a breath! when i got home i stayed in bed for 3 days just to get over the emotional shock... i quit flying after that; just not worth it. other ladies on that flight later told me they had never had a flight like that ever before...