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January Fly-Bys
Taming
the 500-Pound Gorilla Named “Weather”
By Jesse DeKuiper
Airline Transport Pilot
Regional Airline Captain I’m jealous.
The technology for gathering,
analyzing, and reporting weather information in the cockpit of
the twin-jet airliner I fly around
the country
doesn’t equal that available in the cockpit of a Cirrus
airplane. It would be great to have that level of technology
at my fingertips.
On the other hand, because my jet can fly
faster, higher and farther than a Cirrus airplane, its onboard
weather systems
don’t need
to be quite as sophisticated. Onboard radar and computers,
ground control and other weather resources enable my co-pilot
and me to
see and plan for weather well ahead—and take the necessary
steps to deal with whatever situation may be developing along
our flight path or at our destination. Cirrus pilots have
less capability
for flying around or over weather, so the best possible level
of weather information-gathering for the earliest possible
pilot decision-making
is a terrific safety advantage.
But, regardless of whether you’re
flying a jet liner with dozens of passengers on board or a four-seater
with only yourself as passenger,
one thing no pilot can afford to forget is that weather is like
a 500-pound gorilla. It can be a big, unpredictable brute, and pilots
must be wary. That includes appreciating the fact that technology
can never substitute for good planning, common sense and extreme
caution—on the ground and in the air.
The smartest thing
you can do about any problem weather you see developing is to avoid
it. Fly around it, fly away from it--or
don’t fly
at all. You can use technology to identify, locate and evaluate
problem conditions, but, once you spot bad weather ahead, the best
solution
is avoidance. Use the pre-flight resources and technology described
in the January Cirrus Monthly Pilot Proficiency to plan ahead and
avoid bad weather.
The worst thing you can do is to challenge the
weather or hope that you can ride it out. Don’t ever count
on a quick break in bad weather. Turn around and get out. Even
if you have an IFR rating,
you may not have the experience to negotiate bad weather through
clouds. And even if you do, luck may not be flying with you.
Even
with the best forecasting and information available, weather can
easily surprise and turn unexpectedly ferocious. What then?
First,
fly the airplane. That’s always the first rule.
Then use
the technology in your Cirrus to gather all of the information
you can to chart your way around or away from bad weather. Also,
use your radio frequencies and air traffic control for help.
Today, many of the approach controllers and even some center controllers
have weather radar. They can help point you in the right direction
to skirt or retreat from bad weather.
When it comes to weather,
respect it—and always treat technology
as an asset and not as a savior. Use the technology in your Cirrus
to stay informed and aware of weather conditions along your flight
path and at your destination. Plan ahead to avoid bad weather.
And if, despite all your best planning, bad weather does confront
you,
solve the problem by staying cool, calm and in control.
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