I've been expeiencing severe turbulence in the last week in Socal, to the point that flying on PE lately is not being as much fun as it should. From departure to landing I don't have a moment of steady flying, aircraft shakes up and down, left and right all the time and it's a pain when flying without an autopilot (PA28, C185). But even if I choose an aircraft with AP I get dizzy with all the shaking. It makes for fun approaches but the enroute portion is really really annoying.
I don't know if you guys have been experiencing the same or if it's my ASN playing up. I've read reports of ASN exagerating turbulence, especially on small GA aircraft. Maybe it's some setting I am overlooking, I don't know, so I would like to read your opinions and experiences regarding these last few days. If it's normal I'll have to live with it otherwise maybe I'll have to turn weather off.
I don't know what the normal weather patterns are for that area, but I have also been experiencing quite a bit of chop when flying in XP10; I wouldn't be so hasty to blame ASN. I imagine it'll clear up in a few days once whatever weather system is causing this moves out of the area.
I don't know about the last few days, but there is currently an AIRMET for moderate turbulence below 14000 covering most of SoCal: http://aviationweather.gov/gairmet/plot (Also LLWS).
Nuno, I've been watching the winds for the past two days and have said to fellow controllers on numerous times, "I'm so glad I'm not flying in that."
When surface winds are 20 gusting to 40, you can be almost positive that it's going to be miserable. Throw in the nearby mountains at many of these airports and it goes from unpleasant to a seriously rough ride.
It's been rough and gusty out there recently so it will be bumpy until things calm down. However, you can mitigate it somewhat by checking your ASN settings. Be sure "Exaggerate Turbulence" is NOT checked under the wind options.
I was not familiar with the definitions of moderate and severe turbulence, thank you for explaining. I have never lost control of aircraft except having to constantly correct for banking left and right and being unable of mantaining altitudes, I've had a drop of 800fpm once but I was at 7500ft so no problem there.
Keith,
Yes, the mountains, never thought of that. Flying VFR in Socal with small aircraft is a new experience for me, it's been great and I owe it to PE.
hoser70,
I'll check that, thanks.
Meanwhile, until the AIRMET is over, I'll make sure I fly with autopilot only.
The winds are definitely crazy in SoCal this week, especially in Orange County. I for one have enjoyed the challenging conditions in the sim with r/w weather but as Keith said, I wouldn't want to be flying in it for real.
I flew a simple hop from KSNA to KLAX on Wednesday evening to verify a new setup for my simulator. I knew something unusual was going on when I called CD before getting the ATIS and Janevah told me to expect Rwy 1L. ATIS had the wind at 040, something like 15 gusting 25. Hmm, I thinks, sitting there in my trusty Cessna Skymaster. KLAX was reporting winds calm. First time I've ever done so: I called CD back and asked if they knew if LAX was landing in normal configuration. Yep -- winds calm.
I decided to give it a go. Takeoff was normal, but at about 300' AGL I was hit with moderate turbulence which was pretty much continuous all the way up to my cruise altitude of 4000'. Like Nuno described, I was getting banged around pretty badly and was unable to maintain my altitude better than about +/- 200 feet. This lasted all the way to SLI, the continued almost all the way to LIMMA on the localizer. Then -- it just calmed completely down. I don't remember winds at LAX, but the last 4-5 miles of the approach were basically dead smooth.
Very weird and I'm sure glad I wasn't doing it in real life.
-M.
Mark Hargrove Longmont, CO
PE: N757SL (Cessna 182T 'Skylane'), N757SM (Cessna 337 'Skymaster'), N757BD (Beech Duke Turbine)
Thanks for sharing Mark, I see now it's not my sim or ASN playing tricks on me.
I've just finished a flight with an A320 into LGB, again it was shaky but of course not much of a problem on an Airbus compared to a Piper. It was actually fun, I don't mind having to deal with moderate turbulence on a jet, there is nothing more boring than a stable approach with no winds. But landing under these conditions leaves a smile on your face after touchdown, because you know you had to make use of your best flying abilities. RAAS was going crazy with "unstable approach" warnings on short final, first time I heard that on my simulator. Very good for a change
