EXTREME WEATHER

[C650CPT]

Sooo .... I'm racing Weather to get to my destination airport and it looks like the weather is going to win (again). ATC advises me that they are showing Extreme Weather 3 miles west of the airport and it looks like it will be over the field at any moment. I elect to break off my attempt to land and divert south (blue sky) and enter holding, ATC keeps me informed about the cell's movement, which he is still calling Extreme, which I am also tracking on my inbound course. Long story short I query the controller to as why he is calling it Extreme Weather, answer: ATC is now calling Level 5 Weather as Extreme to pilots. Be careful out there!

Jim

[FlyingNole]

Is there a Harold and Kumar joke in there somewhere?

"This weather is totally NOT extreme bro!"

[mnixon]

3 miles is plenty of breathing room

[FlyChicaga]

With some of the Level 5's I've diverted around in the Midwest so far this season, they aren't too far off... There was one particular storm that ATC and Dispatch were saying was "some scattered Level 2 and 3, easy to get around" that was lighting the skies up like a big flashbulb and killed 20-some people with the tornadoes that spawned.

We also got jammed right into a storm when ATC was telling us it was less intense and slower-moving than it really was, so them going a little overboard is OK with me after that experience.

[C650CPT]

Originally Posted by mnixon

3 miles is plenty of breathing room

OK Hero.

The fact is that the weather got to the airport before I did, I was still working with approach (never got below 3000 AGL). I elected to abandon a potentially bad situation and wait out the weather.
The reason Freight Dogs make such good pilots is that at some point in thier early freight career they will have suffieciently scared themselves never to repeat thier mistakes. I just realized Freight and Fright are only one letter apart.

The real intent of my thread was to advise everyone here about an apparent new venacular within ATC communications.

Jim

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by mnixon

3 miles is plenty of breathing room

The FOM may or may not agree.

[RynoB]

Originally Posted by C650CPT

Sooo .... I'm racing Weather to get to my destination airport and it looks like the weather is going to win (again). . . .

Jim

I don't care if the weather wins, or if I win, as long as it's not a tie.

[bLizZuE]

Originally Posted by mnixon

3 miles is plenty of breathing room

I'll take 20

[bLizZuE]

Originally Posted by RynoB

I don't care if the weather wins, or if I win, as long as it's not a tie.

lol at your sig comments

[mtsu_av8er]

So much tension towards us freight dogs around here . . .

3 miles is plenty of breathing room Today 10:37

Not always!!!

There was one particular storm that ATC and Dispatch were saying was "some scattered Level 2 and 3, easy to get around" that was lighting the skies up like a big flashbulb and killed 20-some people with the tornadoes that spawned.

This morning, the controller kept telling me that the weather I was looking at was just a patchy area of level 2 and 3 weather, nothing to worry about - as the lightning blinded me from 10 miles away..

So, I simply told her that I'm not worried about it at all, since I'll be deviating a bit to the south to stay completely out of it!

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by C650CPT

The reason Freight Dogs make such good pilots is that at some point in thier early freight career they will have suffieciently scared themselves never to repeat thier mistakes. I just realized Freight and Fright are only one letter apart.

Come on, Jim - Freight Dogs can be just as responsible and safe as any other pilots. Just because we don't have RADAR and we have to keep a schedule, doesn't make us reckless!!

[C650CPT]

Lloyd ... et all Freight Dogs
Please don't mis understand my comments, they were NOT meant to be a slam, just an observation. The majority of freight guys are running around with realatively low flight time / experience and flying under enormous pressures to get the job done. Combine that with flying older equipment not equiped with the proper on board weather avoidance systems and you have the makings of "really neat" learning opportunities. You will do things flying freight that you will never do the rest of your flying career. I am a better pilot today for stupid things I've done in my past. My present employer benifits from my prior "learning" at some one elses expense. I believe it is South West that really likes to hire from the mid night freight community because of this. Now be careful out there.

Jim

[jtrain609]

This all coming from the guy that has, "Fly fly, but don't be a #####!" in his signature

I've found while poking my Cessna 172 and occasional Seminole around the country without radar that the level of weather I'm willing to get close to is directly tied to the ATC facility I'm talking with. I've had regional approach in Dallas get me around multiple embedded level 5 storms with no problems at all. I trust the guys in the tracon up there, and I'm aware that they have an overlaid weather image over their radar scope.

Abiline approach on the other hand, tried to vector me into an obvious 50,000' monster. I asked them if they saw anything out there, they replied with "Yeah there's some precip, type and intensity unknown." I took a pretty big deviation around that one.

It would seem to me that a Garmin 396 with uplinked radar would be some cheap insurance to a freight dawg, though at $2,500 and $75 a month for the weather I can't imagine many freight dawgs can afford it. Though at only $900 a year for the subscription to the weather (and XM radio!) it might well be worth it if you could stomach the initial aquisition costs.

[Texasspilot]

[quote=C650CPT] I just realized Freight and Fright are only one letter apart.
QUOTE]

This will become my new signature shortly....thanks for the info on the new terms. Though I'm fairly certain the first comment was missing the "Sarcasm" tag.

[C650CPT]

This all coming from the guy that has, "Fly safe, but don't be a #####!" in his signature


ah but John you must realize or remember where that quote came from. It was from a Battalion Commander in Iraq briefing a flight where bullets would be flying, we incorporated that statement in all our mission briefs while I was over there flying over Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jim

[C650CPT]

I'm fairly certain the first comment was missing the "Sarcasm" tag.

Now I feel bad for not reading it that way ... you are probably right.

Jim

[jtrain609]

Gotta bust your balls about somethin', Jim

How's that Citation gig of yours? You guys ever end up in Dallas?

[Ophir]

Originally Posted by mnixon

3 miles is plenty of breathing room

Say that in an airline interview and kiss the job good bye.

Check your AIM

[C650CPT]

Take your best shot ...


Yeah we have a factory just north of Dallas, problem is that it is running really smooth so we don't go there too often. I'll look you up next time I'm in town, we'll have to haul Stan out also ... could be a lot of fun.

Jim

[Ophir]

Yeah Jim, it would be good to catch up. Maybe by next fall I will have the seniority to come to Network JC. Anyway, I'm glad you're Stateside nowadays.

[Bandit_Driver]

Originally Posted by C650CPT

The reason Freight Dogs make such good pilots is that at some point in thier early freight career they will have suffieciently scared themselves never to repeat thier mistakes.
Jim

Well Said Jim.

[RynoB]

Originally Posted by bLizZuE

lol at your sig comments

That was actually during a flight around some bad weather at night west of OKC. We were in the clear but got some nasty turbulence anyway.

[AP2B]

John H.

It would seem to me that a Garmin 396 with uplinked radar would be some cheap insurance to a freight dawg, though at $2,500 and $75 a month for the weather I can't imagine many freight dawgs can afford it. Though at only $900 a year for the subscription to the weather (and XM radio!) it might well be worth it if you could stomach the initial aquisition costs.

Just to elaborate a little on John's observation. The 396 is really somthing else. It's pretty much the only unit I've seen overlayed weather on. Everyone I've talked to that has one seems very appreciative of having that kind of weather awareness.

Fun Fact: This(Attachment 769)looks surprisingly at home in a panel.

[JayAre]

Originally Posted by AP2B

John H.
Just to elaborate a little on John's observation. The 396 is really somthing else. It's pretty much the only unit I've seen overlayed weather on. Everyone I've talked to that has one seems very appreciative of having that kind of weather awareness.

Fun Fact: This(Attachment 769)looks surprisingly at home in a panel.

Have one in my 210 came in very handy last friday leaving Heber Utah with all the storms around. And the music is nice plus!

[jsb172]

You guys ever here of a man named Lindbergh. He flew over the atlantic solo with nothing. Imagine that, no FMS or anything. Good skills, a map, and a radio is all you need.