Cell Encounterpoint

The answer given in question 2 of the quiz in your November 2018 issue (continue to fly straight through the storm) is incorrect. Fifty years ago I wrote and published the initial research papers on transmitting weather information into the cockpit after almost losing my life due to a thunderstorm. As a nationally recognized aviation radar/weather spokesperson, I continue to educate and update pilots around the country as the program progresses. The history of the Datalink program is best presented by AOPAs video on YouTube. Search for datalink concept to cockpit.

dstrahle

Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article refutes the FAA's guidance to fly straight and level when inadvertently entering a thunderstorm cell, citing it as dangerous and outdated advice from the 1940s.
The author, an aviation weather expert, advocates for an immediate 180-degree turn (or the shortest way out) upon encountering severe turbulence, as this often indicates proximity to the storm's edge, not necessarily being deep within its core.
Recommended actions include slowing to maneuvering speed, turning off altitude hold to allow the aircraft to climb or descend freely, and utilizing the autopilot in heading mode to assist with control during the turn, prioritizing survival over maintaining a straight course.

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(Editor’s Note: In our November 2018 quiz, we asked what a pilot should do when inadvertently entering a cell. The FAA’s Instrument Flying Handbook says to fly straight and level and essentially hope for the best. One reader with expertise in these matters, disagreed and offers his reasoning.)

The answer given in question 2 of the quiz in your November 2018 issue (continue to fly straight through the storm) is incorrect. Fifty years ago I wrote and published the initial research papers on transmitting weather information into the cockpit after almost losing my life due to a thunderstorm. As a nationally recognized aviation radar/weather spokesperson, I continue to educate and update pilots around the country as the program progresses. The history of the Datalink program is best presented by AOPA’s video on YouTube. Search for “datalink concept to cockpit.”