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Although the winter season and subsequent threat of icing for pilots are behind us, another familiar seasonal nemesis is upon us. Can you guess what it might be? I am referring to fog. Silent and sometimes impossible to predict, this weather phenomenon does not always follow the rules. For example, thunderstorms...
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We're having quite the afternoon here in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to a sizeable Low pressure and associated cold front, we're having wind shear and SLD causing some interesting PIREPS. Here's one just 60 miles north of our base in Seattle: BVS UUA /OV YVR150035/TM 2225/FL150/TP DH8C...
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Over in the Cirrus Flying forum, Ted Cohen posted a link to one of the best summaries of this accident that I've seen yet. AOPA did the study and has actual audio from the accident overlain into a pretty thorough discussion of the decision making points leading to the occurrence. The results aren't...
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It happens every year: G.A. pilots find themselves in icing with no easy outs. Terrain limits descent, the clouds are too high (or the ice too thick) to climb, and the only way to exit visible moisture is to deviate and land via an impromptu approach ... and the ice continues to build while the decision...
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I'm still in southeast South Dakota and have been hearing about a monster snowstorm coming our way. I went on ADDS ( adds.aviationweather.gov ) and sure enough, it's going to be interesting. I'm presently sitting exactly where the middle of the Low will be tomorrow, see below: I'm going...
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I have been in Southeast South Dakota for several days and we have quite the whopper of a low pressure system passing over. I saw on the radar that Rapid City (KRAP) is getting some significant precip, so I pulled up their METAR. KRAP 231830Z 34041G53KT 1 1/4SM TSPLSN BR FEW010 BKN015 OVC060 M02/M03...
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A while ago, Luke received an email from a client who had been chatting with him about the regs as they pertain to filing an alternate on an IFR flight plan. What most instructors say about alternates is probably not worth more than a quick mention here since most of you have heard it so many times:...
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By Austin Kemink Early in my instructing career I was teaching at the University of Alaska in Anchorage when I had my first experience with a true mountain wave. Why do I call it a “true” mountain wave? Simply put, our aircraft didn't have sufficient power to maintain altitude or airspeed...
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Written by Luke Lysen Today in Seattle (Kirkland actually) we had a weather phenomenon that I had never heard of before, Thundersnow. It is a very cool anomaly. It kind of makes you rethink thunderstorms and what causes them. Typically we think of hot and humid weather, not cold snowy weather. There...
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We're in for a fun weekend here in Seattle. Have a look: If anybody is planning on flying themselves up this way, I might suggest making an alternate plan. Safe flying! John Fiscus Chief Pilot, The Flight Academy www.theflightacademy.com