FLYING THROUGH CLOUDS - Why Are They So Dangerous? - Weather conditions are a huge factor in aviation safety, and learning about cloud formations and their potential dangers when flying is a vital part of pilot training in New Zealand. Sometimes flying through clouds is just like driving through fog – you really can’t see much but nothing bad happens – but sometimes they can represent extreme danger for pilots, planes and passengers. Across the history of aircraft flight around the world planes have been damaged and even broken up when encountering severe thunderstorm clouds in-flight. Some clouds such as the cumulonimbus are definitely a direct danger to aircraft; some clouds simply indicate a potential problem and others have no effect at all. During flight and in pre-flight planning it is the pilot’s job to assess and evaluate weather conditions as to whether they are a threat to the aircraft or not. In order to accurately assess threat levels as a pilot it is important to know the different types of clouds and how they affect weather and flight conditions. Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets formed by rising water vapour as it cools. These tiny water droplets form clusters in which the air swirls about unpredictably due to the denser internal conditions compared to the surrounding external air. As a result complex updrafts and downdrafts are created. These cloud-borne updrafts and downdrafts result in rapid and unpredictable changes to the lift force on the wings of an aircraft.

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Flying Through Clouds

Why Are They So Dangerous?

Southern Wings

Weather conditions are a huge factor in aviation safety, and learning about cloud formations and their potential dangers when flying is a vital part of pilot training in New Zealand.

Sometimes flying through clouds is just like driving through fog – you really can’t see much but nothing bad happens – but sometimes they can represent extreme danger for pilots, planes and passengers.

Across the history of aircraft flight around the world planes have been damaged and even broken up when encountering severe thunderstorm clouds in-flight.

Some clouds such as the cumulonimbus are definitely a direct danger to aircraft; some clouds simply indicate a potential problem and others have no effect at all. 

During flight and in pre-flight planning it is the pilot’s job to assess and evaluate weather conditions as to whether they are a threat to the aircraft or not.

Types Of Clouds

In order to accurately assess threat levels as a pilot it is important to know the different types of clouds and how they affect weather and flight conditions.

While there are officially hundreds of types of clouds, here in New Zealand the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) categorises NZ cloud types in the following 3 ways.

1. Low Level Clouds that form below 6500 feet

·               Stratocumulus (Sc) – flattened heaped cloud

·               Stratus (St) – low level dull grey layer cloud

·               Cumulus (Cu) – heaped or piled cloud

·               Towering Cumulus (TCu) – towering heaped cloud

·               Cumulonimbus (Cb) – rainy thundery heaped cloud

2. Middle Clouds that usually form between 6500 feet and 20,000 feet

(Nimbostratus clouds may form at lower altitudes in some parts of NZ)

·               Altocumulus (Ac) – billowy mid-level cloud

·               Altostratus (As) – mid level layer cloud

·               Nimbostratus (Ns) – rainy layer cloud

3. High Level Clouds that usually form above 20,000 feet over New Zealand

·               Cirrus (Ci) – thin wispy hair-like high level cloud

·               Cirrocumulus (Cc) – billowy or rippled wispy cloud

·               Cirrostratus (Cs) – veil like high layer cloud

Turbulence When Flying Through Clouds

Why do aeroplanes jump up and down and lurch around when flying through clouds?

And can severe turbulence damage the plane?

To understand the answer to these questions we must first look at exactly what a cloud is and the also understand the forces acting on an aeroplane during flight.

Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets formed by rising water vapour as it cools.

These tiny water droplets form clusters in which the air swirls about unpredictably due to the denser internal conditions compared to the surrounding external air.

As a result complex updrafts and downdrafts are created.

These cloud-borne updrafts and downdrafts result in rapid and unpredictable changes to the lift force on the wings of an aircraft.

More or less lift and the difference between these changes is what causes the aircraft to lurch and jump about during flight, or turbulence as it is called within the industry.

While most encounters with turbulence are fairly routine (due to careful planning and skill), and aeroplanes are designed to cope with the forces and pressures placed upon them during these minor occurrences, it is the unpredictable nature combined with the low visibility that makes them a danger to pilots, aircraft and passengers.

What Happens In Severe Turbulence?

If a pilot is not skilled enough or experiences extreme levels of turbulence, this can cause them to lose control of the aircraft during flight.

This is a particular concern around Cumulonimbus clouds (thunderstorm clouds) which can be concealing severe turbulence, strong vertical motions, severe icing, thunderstorms and hail.

This is why pilots do not choose to fly through clouds if they are avoidable and plan their flight path in order to avoid certain weather patterns involving large and dangerous cloud formations (for larger passenger aircraft this means flying up above the cloud base).

How Do Planes Fly Through Clouds?

Even though clouds are dangerous it is not always possible to avoid them during flight, so how do planes fly through clouds?

First we need to understand the difference between flying using visual versus instrument based skills.

When training to be a pilot there are two sets of regulations that determine how and when pilots are able to fly their aircraft. These are using Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and using Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

Visual flight rules allow pilots to basically look out the window and fly according to what they see.

Flying IFR only means you have to rely solely on the aircrafts on-board instruments to maintain flight as there are little or no external visual references.

Not all pilots are IFR rated (able to fly IFR only) as this requires extra training and skills.

The low visibility encountered when flying through clouds means using Instrument Flight Rules are necessary. This explains the need, not only legally but also practically to avoid clouds during flight if you are not IFR rated.

What Makes Flying Through Clouds So Dangerous?

Other than turbulence and having the right skills to navigate low visibility flight conditions there is one major thing that makes flying through clouds extremely dangerous.

This is the possibility of mid-air collision, mostly likely with other aircraft but also with protruding buildings or landmarks taking up the combined airspace.

For aircraft which are able to navigate using IFR like large passenger planes, it is impossible to avoid passing through clouds during their daily flight paths, so how do they avoid collisions with other aircraft?

The pilots are kept informed by ground based Air Traffic Control (ATC) which keep track of all aircraft in the area using on-board transponders and radio communications.

Should this fail some aircraft are equipped with on-board emergency Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS).

Southern Wings is built on a heritage of flight training since 1935. It is one of New Zealand’s original aviation colleges, operated by people who are passionate about flying and assisting others to become pilots.  The college operates a varied, well-maintained fleet suitable for all training purposes. The college’s main base is located at Invercargill Airport.  Southland represents the largest uncontrolled airspace in New Zealand, with Invercargill Airport providing experience with Air Traffic Control in controlled procedural airspace.   Our second base is located at Ardmore Airport in Auckland. Ardmore is New Zealand’s busiest aerodrome and is on the doorstep of North Island’s best attractions.

Southern Wings is accredited as a training provider with CAA Part 141 and also has certification in Air Transport Operations under CAA Part 135.

https://www.southernwings.co.nz/flying-through-clouds-why-are-they-so-dangerous/

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WHY WATER APPEARS WHITE WHILE GOING OVER A WATERFALL - Water has dissolved oxygen inside of it. It is this dissolved oxygen that helps sustain the lives of aquatic creatures. Normally, you don’t actually see any evidence of oxygen being dissolved in water (apart from the fact that, you know, fish live there). Humans will never understand and appreciate the true value of dissolved oxygen in water bodies (ponds, lakes, rivers etc.) as much as fish do. Thus, in a still water body, you don’t see the dissolved oxygen, but when water falls over a cliff – like in a waterfall – the dissolved oxygen presents itself, or rather, makes its presence felt. When water is standing still, or moving at a very relaxed, gentle pace, oxygen dissolves in it through diffusion from the surrounding air. However, when water flows rapidly, its flow becomes turbulent. As a result, it offers more surface area for oxygen to diffuse compared to a flat, slow-moving river. In addition to that, churning waters create turbulence, which causes air to hit the water at a high pressure, allowing more oxygen to dissolve. This sort of aeration creates tons of small bubbles in water, which are eventually responsible for the white color of waterfalls. If you consider a body of water that’s sitting stationary, then you have one surface from which light can reflect (or refract). Just like a mirror, due to the even surface of a plain mirror, light rays that fall on it are reflected at a constant angle.

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Why Does Water Appear White While Going Over A Waterfall?

By Ashish

If water is really stirred up, or moving at a high pace (a pace that you can expect from waterfalls), then the trapped air in the water creates bubbles.

It is these bubbles (tiny air pockets) that make a waterfall look white.

Water is colorless; we all know that, right?

Still, the color of snow – which is essentially frozen water – is white.

Similarly, water that goes over a waterfall also appears to be white, despite actually being colorless.

Why is that water white?

What’s going on here?

The answer of this lies in how light interacts with matter, along with aeration.

Water and dissolved oxygen

You might already know that water has dissolved oxygen inside of it.

It is this dissolved oxygen that helps sustain the lives of aquatic creatures.

Normally, you don’t actually see any evidence of oxygen being dissolved in water (apart from the fact that, you know, fish live there).

Humans will never understand and appreciate the true value of dissolved oxygen in water bodies (ponds, lakes, rivers etc.) as much as fish do.

Thus, in a still water body, you don’t see the dissolved oxygen, but when water falls over a cliff – like in a waterfall – the dissolved oxygen presents itself, or rather, makes its presence felt.

Aeration

When water is standing still, or moving at a very relaxed, gentle pace, oxygen dissolves in it through diffusion from the surrounding air.

However, when water flows rapidly, its flow becomes turbulent.

As a result, it offers more surface area for oxygen to diffuse compared to a flat, slow-moving river.

In addition to that, churning waters create turbulence, which causes air to hit the water at a high pressure, allowing more oxygen to dissolve.

This sort of aeration creates tons of small bubbles in water, which are eventually responsible for the white color of waterfalls.

How light reflects off water in a waterfall

If you consider a body of water that’s sitting stationary, then you essentially have one surface from which light can reflect (or even refract).

Just like a mirror, due to the even surface of a plain mirror, light rays that fall on it are reflected at a constant angle.

However, if you roughen up the mirror surface (by denting, scratching or even breaking it), then light rays would still be reflected off it, but in random directions. That’s why crushed glass also looks whitish.

Similarly, in a water body where the water does not show much movement, light reflects at a constant angle.

However, when there’s movement in the water, the reflections you see are no longer as clear.

Tiny air pockets make a waterfall look whitish.

Moreover, if the water is really stirred up, or moving at a high pace (a pace that you can expect from waterfalls), then the trapped air in the water creates bubbles. It is these bubbles (tiny air pockets) that make a waterfall look white.

These bubbles have their individual surfaces, all of which reflect some part of the light falling on them.

This is why you can see reflections of objects on bubbles if you look really closely.

As you can imagine, there are a great deal of bubbles in a waterfall, and all of them are of varying sizes.

This is why light gets reflected in so many random directions, and what you eventually see is an evenly white color of the waterfall.

This is the same mechanism that makes clouds look white.

It’s just a lot of water droplets suspended in the air, all of which scatter light, resulting in the whitish hue of the cloud.

Ashish is a Science graduate (Bachelor of Science) from Punjabi University (India). He spends a lot of time watching movies, and an awful lot more time discussing them. He likes Harry Potter and the Avengers, and obsesses over how thoroughly Science dictates every aspect of life… in this universe, at least.

https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/why-does-water-appear-white-while-going-over-a-waterfall.html

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FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT – TURBULENCE FACTS - Experienced pilots will be able to spot potential turbulence caused by weather fronts or routes associated with turbulence - Turbulence itself is not dangerous and aircraft are built and tested thoroughly to withstand even the most extreme turbulence. When the seatbelt button is illuminated by the pilot, this is to ensure passengers are not thrown around the cabin causing injury. The best way to avoid turbulence is flight planning. Using the latest weather tracking and meteorological reports, dispatch teams will use all the data available to them to develop the best flight plan avoiding adverse weather. Light turbulence briefly causes slight changes in altitude. Passengers may feel a slight strain against their seat belts. Moderate turbulence is more intense than light turbulence. There is no loss of control of the airplane. Passengers will feel a strain on their seatbelts, objects will be dislodged, and drinks may spill. Severe turbulence causes large and abrupt changes in altitude. The aircraft may temporarily be out of control. The aircraft drops/rises around 30 meters. Extreme turbulence the airplane is tossed around violently and cannot be controlled. It may cause structural damage.

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Fasten Your Seat Belt – Turbulence Facts

Experienced pilots will be able to spot potential turbulence caused by weather fronts or routes associated with turbulence

Jetex, The Foundation

What is turbulence and how can it be avoided?

Everyone has experienced a bout of turbulence when traveling on a commercial flight or private jet.

It could have lasted a few moments or an hour – usually when you’re about to enjoy a beverage or need to use the restroom.

Turbulence is a common occurrence on most flights – but what is turbulence?

How is it caused and is it dangerous?

We answer the most common questions and dismiss myths about turbulence.

Let’s look at the reasons why it happens.

Types of turbulence

You have probably heard that bad weather causes turbulence, which is not wrong. However there a range of factors that cause turbulence.

Mechanical Turbulence: This is caused by irregular air flow over the surface of the Earth, usually caused by hills, mountains and buildings.

   Friction between the air and the ground causes eddies and irregular wind flow patterns, so during take-off and landing the turbulence can be more pronounced.

Mountain Wave Turbulence: As air travels over mountain ranges, turbulent eddies are created downwind and cause a wave-like pattern. These breaking waves and rotors can create severe turbulence and can be found for hundreds of miles downwind from a mountain.

Frontal Turbulence: A weather front is caused when two different air masses of different densities and temperatures begin to transition.

   Cold fronts are associated with thunderstorms and warm fronts with fog and precipitation. Frontal turbulence is caused by friction between the two air masses and most commonly with fast moving cold fronts.
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Clear Air Turbulence: This is most common in the cruise stage of flight, above 15,000 feet. It is caused by wind shears in the jet stream.

   What is wind shear? Wind shear is caused by sudden changes in wind speed and direction, both vertically and horizontally.

   Wind shear is often related to jet streams. A jet stream is a ‘river’ of fast-moving air in the atmosphere – sometimes traveling up to 250mph. Usually flowing from West to East, aircrafts use them to travel faster and cut fuel costs.

   When the jet stream encounters slower moving air or wind shear, turbulence is caused. Clear air turbulence is more frequent during winter months and is impossible to detect with instruments or the eye.

Thermal Turbulence can be categorized as a form of Clear Air Turbulence: The sun heats the Earth’s surface unevenly – barren earth, rocky and sandy areas and desert are heated more rapidly than grass fields and much faster than water.

   As warm air rises and cooler air descends, the rising and falling currents cause bumpy conditions as the aircraft flies in and out of them.

   If a pilot expects thermal activity on a flight, they may prefer to fly early in the morning or in the evening when the thermal activity is not as pronounced.

Wake Turbulence: When an aircraft travels through the air it generates a wake which in turn can cause wake vortex turbulence. Airflow traveling over the wings generates swirling air masses downstream of the wing tips.

   The wake now consists of two counter-rotating cylindrical vortices. They can exist for a few minutes depending on altitude and wind speeds and is a risk to other aircraft in the vicinity – especially business jets and light aircraft.

Thunderstorms: Cumulonimbus clouds – commonly associated with thunderstorms – cause vertical currents which can displace an aircraft up or down vertically as much as 2,000 to 6,000 feet. In some cases, they can be severe enough to stall an aircraft.

   To avoid thunderstorms aircraft pilots usually have two options. The standard procedure is lateral deviation of 20 nautical miles. The second option is to fly above the clouds however, this is usually a last resort.
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Now we know more about the causes of turbulence there are also different turbulence categories. You have probably experienced light turbulence, but there are other categories:

Light turbulence briefly causes slight changes in altitude. Passengers may feel a slight strain against their seat belts. The aircraft drops/rises around 1 meter.

Moderate turbulence is more intense than light turbulence. There is no loss of control of the airplane. Passengers will feel a strain on their seatbelts, objects will be dislodged, and drinks may spill. The aircraft drops/rises around 3-6 meters.

Severe turbulence causes large and abrupt changes in altitude. The aircraft may temporarily be out of control. Passengers will be moved aggressively in their seats. The aircraft drops/rises around 30 meters.

Extreme turbulence the airplane is tossed around violently and cannot be controlled. It may cause structural damage.

Is turbulence dangerous?

Turbulence itself is not dangerous and aircraft are built and tested thoroughly to withstand even the most extreme turbulence. However, it is when items or people in the cabin are not secured that can cause injuries.

When the seatbelt button is illuminated by the pilot, this is to ensure passengers are not thrown around the cabin causing injury.

Most injuries reported due to turbulence are cabin crew, who often are performing their duties in the cabin when spells of turbulence occur.

Can you avoid turbulence?

The best way to avoid turbulence is flight planning. Using the latest weather tracking and meteorological reports, dispatch teams will use all the data available to them to develop the best flight plan avoiding adverse weather.

During flight, reports are shared with other aircraft and ATC (Air Traffic Control) to warn them of any turbulence or changes in weather. Speak to the Jetex Flight Planning team for trip planning, dispatch and flight following.

Can pilots spot turbulence?

Experienced pilots will be able to spot potential turbulence caused by weather fronts or routes associated with turbulence, however it is difficult to say for definite when turbulence will occur with the naked eye.

As it’s difficult to predict and avoid turbulence, it’s difficult to say what are the most turbulent flight routes.

However, in the case of Mountain Wave Turbulence, mountain ranges like the Rockies, Andes or Himalayas are commonly associated with turbulence and flight routes will try to avoid these.

Turbulence on private jets

Private jets fly higher than commercial jets – Boeing and Airbus fly on average at 35,000 – 40,000 feet.

Business jets generally fly at 41,000 – 50,000 feet where they are less susceptible to air pockets and severe turbulence, as well as a more direct route.

However, the reduced weight of private jets can mean the same amount of turbulence would feel worse than if you were on a 747 jet.

Private jets can also be more flexible with their flight routes in comparison to commercial flights, so if bad areas of weather are spotted, the route can be altered to avoid a turbulent journey.

Is turbulence becoming more common?

With global warming affecting weather patterns across the globe, scientists say that events of turbulence could increase in severity by 10% to 40% by 2050. A 2007 study found that instances of clear-air turbulence over North America and Europe increased between 40% and 90% from 1958 to 2007.

Jetex, The Foundation

We exceed expectations, every time!

Since our launch in 2005, we have become global leaders within the executive aviation industry. We have built a reputation of delivering excellent trip planning solutions perfectly paired with our global network of strategically located Operation Centers, along with our FBOs and collaborative locations all around the world.

We deliver our promise of excellence through our strong values and belief in providing a quality service. We achieve this by ensuring that everyone within the company lives and breathes our core values:

https://www.jetex.com/fasten-your-seat-belt-turbulence-facts/

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