Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Anytime the airplane is heading downhill toward terra firma, our attention should be on the instruments in the clouds, and out the windows when the sky is clear. We often end up at higher altitudes to escape the wind shear layer, cumulus buildups, and turbulence below. Lets get that done before we start the descent.

Descent 55

Descent Approach Final Approach Wind Shear 55

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

With carrier aviation still in its infancy, airships could fly further than many airplanes of the day and remain in the air for days on end without the need to land to refuel and replenish their supplies. Moffett, christening USS Macon (ZRS-5) at Akron, Ohio, March 11, 1933.

Lift 56

Lift Tail Stability Hangar 56

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

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

In aviation, staying ahead of the weather is a must. When weather conditions shift unexpectedly, that’s when a SPECI report comes in. A SPECI (or Special Report) offers a quick weather update between the routine METARs. Let’s explore how SPECIs are going to help you plan around unexpected weather twists.

Altimeter 52

Altimeter Weather Wind Shear Runway 52

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

This year, a promising weather forecast featuring high freezing levels (expected to be 9,000+ feet) led to a decision to fly myself. The day before departure, satisfied that days of consistent weather forecasts reasonably assured a successful flight, I cancelled the rental car reservation. Wilkes-Barre Departure, Air Force One."

Approach 77

Approach Wind Shear Runway VOR 77

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. The peppering of rain on the windshield, the darkening of thick clouds, or the battering of wind shear all deliver a clear message that some piloting is now required.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Crosswind Ceiling 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. The peppering of rain on the windshield, the darkening of thick clouds, or the battering of wind shear all deliver a clear message that some piloting is now required.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Crosswind Ceiling 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 1, 2024

The weather can change, and approach equipment can fail. ATIS broadcasts usually include active runways, available approaches, important NOTAMs, and the weather. Get the destination weather as soon as possible. Use the weather (along with the NOTAMs) to ensure your chosen approach is still the best choice.

Approach 52

Approach NOTAMs Runway Weather 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 26, 2025

The sky is clear, and a jetstream wind gently carries you forward. These weather events are fierce and brutal, and whats worse is that you never see them coming. Weather reports, forecasts, and PIREPS are the best way to identify and warn others about CAT. Clear air turbulence doesnt need stormy weather to show up.

Turbulence 52

Turbulence Wind Shear Weather Jet 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

Answer: When looking at the surface analysis chart issued every three hours by meteorologists at the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), you may have seen a tan dashed line with a label “OUTFLOW BNDRY” nearby. Crescent-shaped convective outflow boundary as detected on NEXRAD Doppler weather radar.

Wind Shear 116

Wind Shear Weather Turbulence AGL 116

Northstar VFR

MARCH 23, 2025

Corrective inputs are added with pitch and power, and before you know it, the airplane is just all over the place! Weather, hazardous conditions, wind, or a congested pattern can also add challenges to the approach making it more likely to be unstable. Wind shear can create landing hazards for all sizes of aircraft.

Pilot 52

Pilot Wind Shear Instrument Meteorological Conditions Runway 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Weather experts classify storms as single-cell, multi-cell, squall line, or supercell. Thunderstorms create turbulence, wind shear, and icing risks for aircraft. Pilots should use weather forecasts and SIGMETs for safe flight planning. Key weather features include: Multiple updrafts and downdrafts.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Weather Turbulence Flight Plan 52

One Mile at a Time

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

What causes airplane go arounds? Ive heard of aborted landings due to weather conditions, but this is the first time I have encountered an aborted landing due to another aircraft. As Will mentions, sometimes go arounds happen due to weather or other flying conditions. How common are airplane go arounds?

Airplanes 74

Airplanes Wind Shear Weather Approach 74

Plane and Pilot

JULY 2, 2024

And the operating environment presents its own limitations on our activity, quite aside from the skills of the pilot and innate performance of the airplane. Each of these three constraints—pilot, airplane, and environment—needs its own consideration to assure adequate safety. Stay honest in your relationship with the airplane.

Density Altitude 60

Density Altitude Wind Shear Airplanes Pilot 60

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

Weather Go-arounds due to weather occur due to wind shear caused by gusting winds or microbursts. When an aircraft encounters horizontal wind shear, it could be blown off centerline. Similarly, if an aircraft encounters vertical wind shear, it reduces or increases the sink rate.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Aeronautical Decision-Making Approach 52

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

This is a hard one to gain insight from other than this: Some atmospheric events are bigger than our plastic airplanes. He frequently hosted visiting pilots, providing them with detailed briefings of the area and the weather. Boundary layer winds were moderate at 10-20 kt out of the WNW.

Pilot 52

Pilot AGL Wind Shear Runway 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

The pilots fought to recover, but the wind shear was too strong. This weather phenomenon is called a microburst , one of aviations deadliest threats. Key Takeaways Microbursts can cause severe wind shear and downdrafts. It is the most severe type of wind shear. So, what makes microbursts so dangerous?

Wind Shear 66

Wind Shear Weather Descent Approach 66