Misfortune of Others

While some readers probably welcome a refresher on turbulence, shear, and thunderstorm dangers, others might see it as beating a dead horse. But Wx Smarts is that intersection between my 30 years of forecasting and your thousands of hours of instrument time. Within these articles I guarantee theres always something that wasnt fully covered in flight school or the FAA circulars. Whether its more detail or just an unusual situation, the goal is to keep you interested, thinking outside the box, and having more insight into aviation meteorology than the average pilot.

Tim Vasquez

Friday, July 14, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Dangerous frontal systems can produce severe turbulence and wind shear, even when basic cockpit weather radar shows little or no precipitation, requiring pilots to understand advanced meteorological indicators and consult comprehensive briefings.
Pilots must obtain thorough pre-flight weather briefings, actively seek out and provide PIREPs, and develop a deeper understanding of aviation meteorology beyond basic flight school to identify hidden hazards.
Maintaining critical situational awareness, trusting gut instincts, and always having an "out" are crucial; pilots must be prepared to divert or turn back from hazardous weather, even when receiving ATC guidance, to avoid getting "boxed in."

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While some readers probably welcome a refresher on turbulence, shear, and thunderstorm dangers, others might see it as beating a dead horse. But Wx Smarts is that intersection between my 30 years of forecasting and your thousands of hours of instrument time. Within these articles I guarantee there’s always something that wasn’t fully covered in flight school or the FAA circulars. Whether it’s more detail or just an unusual situation, the goal is to keep you interested, thinking outside the box, and having more insight into aviation meteorology than the average pilot.

A few times a year, we explore aviation accidents, going from the theoretical to the practical and drawing from the NTSB’s rich archives of accidents, error, and tragedy—specifically the meteorological ones. Let’s take a break from low ceilings, fog, and ice and look at some common late-summer and autumn trouble areas. Most of these involve thunderstorms and wind shear.