Density Altitude Ground Effect Weather 
Plane and Pilot
JULY 10, 2025
The Cardinal and I were fairly new to the area, but I respected its performance limitations and was careful to account for the elevation and temperature and the density altitude it would surely bring. So, what was a pilot new to the high and hot world of density altitude flying to do? More on that later. It all adds up.
Plane and Pilot
JULY 1, 2025
A witness reported that they saw the airplane lift off from the runway and remain in ground effect until it crossed the departure end of the runway. The calculated density altitude was 4,790 feet. He had no further memory of the event.
Chess In the Air
JUNE 24, 2022
He frequently hosted visiting pilots, providing them with detailed briefings of the area and the weather. The CAPE index, a measure of convective energy and instability, was below 100 joules, indicating a very low probability of severe weather or thunderstorms. 65 kts IAS given the high density altitude.
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