Sidestepping Storms

Its a staple of instrument flying: the need to alter your route to avoid weather hazards. Often the obstacle in your path is a building cumulus cloud-a thunderstorm. The good news is that ATC is almost always willing and able to let you maneuver around clouds with extensive vertical development. All you have to do is ask (although sometimes weve seen ATC offer a different route in advance). Before you make the request, however, there are several things you need to consider to safely and successfully maneuver around the threat.

Tom Turner

Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots are responsible for proactively requesting weather deviations and should plan a specific alternate route (e.g., direct to a fix) rather than a general deviation (e.g., "deviate north") for clearer navigation and ATC coordination.
To safely avoid hazards like turbulence and hail, maintain at least 20 miles from any precipitation (even light radar returns) if moderate, heavy, or extreme precipitation is present within a storm complex.
Effective deviation strategies include thorough pre-planning, staying high and visual, maneuvering on the downwind side of cells, avoiding dense storm areas, and always having an escape route while slowing to turbulent air penetration speed (TAPS) before encountering turbulence.

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It’s a staple of instrument flying: the need to alter your route to avoid weather hazards. Often the obstacle in your path is a building cumulus cloud—a thunderstorm. The good news is that ATC is almost always willing and able to let you maneuver around clouds with extensive vertical development. All you have to do is ask (although sometimes we’ve seen ATC offer a different route in advance). Before you make the request, however, there are several things you need to consider to safely and successfully maneuver around the threat.