Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Often, turbulence is the harbinger of mountain waves, not the ideal ceiling—and visibility unlimited—day. We experienced moderate turbulence even at our gate. Eighty-knot tailwinds aloft and higher-than-normal temperature difference between the surface and aloft. I flew into that and the venturi effect that day.

Turbulence 89

Turbulence Weather Knot Descent 89

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

The route is simple, GPS direct, but…there’s my personal 1,000-foot en route ceiling requirement, and those silly Smoky Mountains. Also, from when I lived out West, there was the mountaintop clearance guideline—1,000 feet for every 10 knots of wind, with 30 knots meaning no-go. It was now time to plan the trip.

Airplanes 83

Airplanes Weather Ceiling Turbulence 83

Aerotime

DECEMBER 20, 2024

While most of it tends to be hidden away either in the cabin ceiling space or under the cabin floor panels, some of it – particularly the air conditioning riser ducts – is fitted in the cabin walls at certain intervals, making the inclusion of a window at that position impossible.

Cabin Crew 178

Cabin Crew Descent Runway Approach 178

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 17, 2024

These weather alerts each have their own role: AIRMETs warn about moderate conditions like turbulence, icing, and limited visibility, which can affect smaller or less equipped aircraft. SIGMETs alert pilots to more severe weather events like thunderstorms, volcanic ash, or strong turbulence that could pose serious risks to any flight.

UTC 52

UTC Turbulence Weather Knot 52

Northstar VFR

OCTOBER 20, 2023

An Airmet Sierra is issued for Ceilings less than 1,000 ft and/or visibility less than 3 miles affecting 50% of the area as well as extensive mountain obscuration. Airmet Tango (Turbulence): “T” for turbulence, this Airmet is pretty straightforward. In short, anything that affects visibility will issued as an Airmet Sierra.

Weather 52

Weather Turbulence Knot Pilot 52

Air Facts

APRIL 24, 2024

We had light winds, good visibility, full cloud cover, and ample ceiling heights. But, with a frontal system approaching, the conditions were expected to worsen over the hours subsequent to our passing through, including the chance for moderate to severe turbulence. But the turbulence would continue to worsen.

Turbulence 52

Turbulence Wind Shear Final Approach Ceiling 52

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

Another interesting model is the 172RG Cutlass RG, which features retractable landing gear and a more powerful Lycoming O-360-F1A6 engine, offering a cruise speed of 140 knots. For instance, Knots 2U offers a Cessna 172 Cowl / Body Fairing Kit that improves aerodynamics and can increase cruise speed by 3-4 mph.

Knot 52

Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 52