Flying Hazards: Flying Hazards: Jenny Zhang (Flying)

Flying Hazards

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Thunderstorm? Do NOT Fly!

Thunderstorms are convective clouds formed by the buoyancy of less dense, warm air rising through a cloud

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Source: Flights Blog, https://www.flights.com/blog/is-it-safe-to-fly-through-a-storm/, Links to an external site.Nov. 12, 2018

There are immense risks associated with thunderstorms so the most reasonable thing to do is to avoid them. However, if the plane is in air already, aviation authorities in Canada and US generally recommend staying at least 20 nautical miles away.
Some of the risks include:
- icing
- turbulence
- downbursts
- lightening
- hail
- tornadoes
- heavy rain
- bad visiblity
The following paragraphs will discuss some of these points in detail and what to do to avoid these hazards.

Icing

Icing occurs when super-cooled droplets of water freeze onto something solid like the exterior wings of an aircraft. This is very hazardous as icing on an aircraft can cause an increase in drag and weight as well as a decrease in lift and thrust. Thus, ice accumulating on an aircraft is extremely dangerous and if a pilot finds himself in such a predicament, the pilot may lose control of the aircraft.

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Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icing_conditionsLinks to an external site.. Nov. 12, 2018

Most large aircrafts have heating systems which can stop the formation of ice but many smaller aircrafts still need to avoid the accumulation of ice. Pre-cautions can be taken by checking weather forecasts, pilot reports and avoiding routes with likely areas of ice. A great source would be icing forecasts which can be accessed in Useful Resources.

Downbursts

A strong downburst of air from a thunderstorm is very hazardous to aircrafts as it can push an aircraft down towards the ground causing impacts with buildings, trees and towering structures.
It is also cause difficulty in landing or take off as the radial straight-line winds near an airport causes wind shift.
If a pilot encounters this hazard, they may fly a bit quicker towards the airport for landing or they may also circle around in the air before attempting landing. In addition, pilots can recognize signs of downbursts by looking for dust blowing up from the ground.

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Source: Michael R. Smith, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/07/02/defeating-the-downburst-20-years-since-last-u-s-commercial-jet-accident-from-wind-shear/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8f5e20f12e52Links to an external site.. Nov. 12, 2018

Poor Visibility

VFR pilots require good visibility throughout their duration of flying thus in cases of poor visibility, pilots generally fly IFR. There are many factors that lead to poor visibility. These factors can be mist, fog, smoke, volcanic ash, sand, haze, spray, dust and snow.

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Hail

Hail is one of the most serious hazards to an aircraft and is one of the main reasons why pilots are recommended to stay 20 nautical miles away from thunderstorms.
Hail produces hailstones, which are irregular shaped balls of ice and can cause extreme damage to an aircraft's wings and tail causing it to be extremely un-aerodynamic.
In North America, the greatest hail risk is in the USA mostly centred in Oklahoma and in Canada, hail is often found in Alberta, BC and in the southern prairies of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Hail can also damage parked planes. Thus, if an parked plane is in an open area, hail can cause dents on the surface of the plane which can result in a decrease in lifting force. Thus, the best way to prevent this hazard is to stay out of thunderstorms and park the plane in an enclosed space.

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Severe Weather Europe. http://www.severe-weather.eu/recent-events/hail-vs-airplanes-july-27-2017-istanbul-turkey-hailstorm/,Links to an external site. Nov. 12, 2018

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[{:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"Thunderstorm? Do NOT Fly! \n<ul>\n<li>Thunderstorms are convective clouds formed by the buoyancy of less dense, warm air rising through a cloud</li>\n</ul>"}, {:section_type=>"attachment", :attachment_id=>3215293}, {:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"Source: Flights Blog, <a class=\"external\" href=\"https://www.flights.com/blog/is-it-safe-to-fly-through-a-storm/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.flights.com/blog/is-it-safe-to-fly-through-a-storm/, Links to an external site.</a>Nov. 12, 2018 \n<ul>\n<li>There are immense risks associated with thunderstorms so the most reasonable thing to do is to avoid them. However, if the plane is in air already, aviation authorities in Canada and US generally recommend staying at least 20 nautical miles away. </li>\n<li>\nSome of the risks include:\n<ul>\n<li>icing</li>\n<li>turbulence</li>\n<li>downbursts</li>\n<li>lightening</li>\n<li>hail </li>\n<li>tornadoes</li>\n<li>heavy rain </li>\n<li>bad visiblity </li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>The following paragraphs will discuss some of these points in detail and what to do to avoid these hazards. </li>\n</ul>\nIcing \n<ul>\n<li>Icing occurs when super-cooled droplets of water freeze onto something solid like the exterior wings of an aircraft.  This is very hazardous as icing on an aircraft can cause an increase in drag and weight as well as a decrease in lift and thrust. Thus, ice accumulating on an aircraft is extremely dangerous and if a pilot finds himself in such a predicament, the pilot may lose control of the aircraft.   </li>\n</ul>"}, {:section_type=>"attachment", :attachment_id=>3215310}, {:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"Source: Wikipedia, <a class=\"external\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icing_conditions\" target=\"_blank\">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icing_conditionsLinks to an external site.</a>. Nov. 12, 2018 \n<ul>\n<li>Most large aircrafts have heating systems which can stop the formation of ice but many smaller aircrafts still need to avoid the accumulation of ice. Pre-cautions can be taken by checking weather forecasts, pilot reports and avoiding routes with likely areas of ice. A great source would be icing forecasts which can be accessed in <a href=\"https://canvas.ubc.ca/eportfolios/1581/Useful_Resources\">Useful Resources. </a></li>\n</ul>\n \nDownbursts\n<ul>\n<li>A strong downburst of air from a thunderstorm is very hazardous to aircrafts as it can push an aircraft down towards the ground causing impacts with buildings, trees and towering structures. </li>\n<li>It is also cause difficulty in landing or take off as the radial straight-line winds near an airport causes wind shift. </li>\n<li>If a pilot encounters this hazard, they may fly a bit quicker towards the airport for landing or they may also circle around in the air before attempting landing. In addition, pilots can recognize signs of downbursts by looking for dust blowing up from the ground. </li>\n</ul>"}, {:section_type=>"attachment", :attachment_id=>3215323}, {:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"Source: Michael R. Smith, <a class=\"external\" href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/07/02/defeating-the-downburst-20-years-since-last-u-s-commercial-jet-accident-from-wind-shear/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.8f5e20f12e52\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/07/02/defeating-the-downburst-20-years-since-last-u-s-commercial-jet-accident-from-wind-shear/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.8f5e20f12e52Links to an external site.</a>. Nov. 12, 2018 \n \nPoor Visibility \n<ul>\n<li>VFR pilots require good visibility throughout their duration of flying thus in cases of poor visibility, pilots generally fly IFR. There are many factors that lead to poor visibility. These factors can be mist, fog, smoke, volcanic ash, sand, haze, spray, dust and snow. </li>\n</ul>\n "}, {:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"Hail \n<ul>\n<li>Hail is one of the most serious hazards to an aircraft and is one of the main reasons why pilots are recommended to stay 20 nautical miles away from thunderstorms.</li>\n<li>Hail produces hailstones, which are irregular shaped balls of ice and can cause extreme damage to an aircraft's wings and tail causing it to be extremely un-aerodynamic. </li>\n<li>In North America, the greatest hail risk is in the USA mostly centred in Oklahoma and in Canada, hail is often found in Alberta, BC and in the southern prairies of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. </li>\n<li>Hail can also damage parked planes. Thus, if an parked plane is in an open area, hail can cause dents on the surface of the plane which can result in a decrease in lifting force. Thus, the best way to prevent this hazard is to stay out of thunderstorms and park the plane in an enclosed space. </li>\n</ul>\n "}, {:section_type=>"attachment", :attachment_id=>3215190}, {:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"Severe Weather Europe. <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.severe-weather.eu/recent-events/hail-vs-airplanes-july-27-2017-istanbul-turkey-hailstorm/,\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.severe-weather.eu/recent-events/hail-vs-airplanes-july-27-2017-istanbul-turkey-hailstorm/,Links to an external site.</a> Nov. 12, 2018"}]

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