First time through a Front

[Gone]

I received my Private license in 1987 and yesterday was the first time ever that I purposely and knowingly crossed a frontal system.  Mind you, it was a "weak front" according to the briefer and it was also a cold front.  I asked him the crucial question:  "Any convectivity?" and he replied: "None."

 

So I was good to go.  See http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFSWR/history/20131013/1400Z/CYKF/CYRO and you can see the two bands of precip.  The first was completely benign.  The second had very slight bumps - not enough to even call it "mild" or "light."  

 

The northerly circuitousness at the beginning was caused by ATC vectoring me around Toronto Class C before getting on track with VOR to VOR "own navigation" - I do not have an IFR GPS in my Mooney.  At about the point where we turned left to a 060 track, we entered VMC with a "few" below us and a "broken" deck of cirro stratus above us at 20,000'.    All the way into a visual approach to my home 'drome.

 

Ahhh.  

 

PS:  On my way to Waterloo out of Windsor two days before, another Mooney off to my left (never did see them) was in a climb to the flight levels doing 160 kts plus while I was in cruise climb mode (120 mph to 130 mph).  Selfridge approach was our ATC and alluded to the difference in speeds.

 

Me:  "I guess some Mooneys are faster than others."

Other Mooney driver:  "By about 60 kts...."

 

And I remember the words of Grover C. Norwood (circa 1969).  

 

...

Because I Fly,

I envy no man on earth.

 

No matter what kind of Mooney they fly...

[Rich]

Ned, I crossed my first "weak" front a few years go. My daughter, a good passenger, thought we were going to die. I assure you that they are not all like what you experienced! 

[Dave Marten]

Nice work Ned! Frontal boundaries are not "brick walls" in the sky!

Proper knowledge, preflight planning, and inflight situational awareness will prevent the giant air mass from sneaking up on you. While many fronts can be negotiated some cannot. Making the right call requires understanding the current/developing weather conditions. The old "know before you go", but coupled with a condtined evaluation of the weather inflight.

[robert7467]

I am really embarrassed to say this, but I didn’t know that fronts were that dangerous. I guess I will be buried in my book "Weather Flying" for  the next few days. Downdrafts from mountains, thunderstorms, wind shear are the only real weather issues they emphasize danger on when getting a PPL. I still have a long way to go in my learning process.

[Gone]

Ned, I crossed my first "weak" front a few years go. My daughter, a good passenger, thought we were going to die. I assure you that they are not all like what you experienced! 

Rich:

 

For my own education, can you tell me if it was a warm front, or a cold front?

[robert7467]

I have that book that you are talking about, how pilots die or something like that . I am about half way through it. This post lets me know that I still have a long way to go. The way I understand fronts, is that it's going to be windy. That's it!

[robert7467]

Maybe the FAA can cut out some of the bs, and emphasize things that can kill you. Thank you for sharing your situation, you made another pilot hit the books, and it might save his life .

[bnicolette]

I am really embarrassed to say this, but I didn’t know that fronts were that dangerous. I guess I will be buried in my book "Weather Flying" for  the next few days. Downdrafts from mountains, thunderstorms, wind shear are the only real weather issues they emphasize danger on when getting a PPL. I still have a long way to go in my learning process.

 

Robert.........What and how did you study for your PPL?

 

I was just curious as back when I was instructing (late 90's) I had the Jeppesen PP course text books that all my students were required to buy (and read).  Those books were great and filled with information. 

[aviatoreb]

PM me your mailing address, Robert. I will mail you a book that I just read this past summer about ways that people manage to kill themselves flying. Weather being a prominent cause. I think that you will enjoy it.

Jim

 

What is the title of the book Jim?

[robert7467]

I studied out of Jeppeson as well. They talk about fronts, but don't really emphasize the danger.

[robert7467]

Thanks Erik for offering to send that to me

[robert7467]

My book is titled. "The Killing Zone " it has a bunch of NTSB reports as well, and it explains why pilots die. Lots of good information. I am sure I will learn a lot more when I work on commercial/instrument

[Z W]

Not all fronts are dangerous.  A front is where two different air masses meet.  The only thing that always defines a "front" is a change in temperature, usually of 10 dF or more.  Sometimes you cross the front and that's all you will notice.  Almost always there's a change in pressure as well, so you will need to reset your altimeter.

 

Often a front also represents a change in wind direction.  A wind out of the west can suddenly turn into a wind out of the south or north.  That can result in some turbidity in the air, as the different air streams collide, and cause turbulence.  The greater the wind speeds, and the greater the directional shift, the more turbulence you can expect.  Check your winds aloft on both sides of the front to get an idea.  If you are going from winds 270 at 40 kts to winds 180 at 50kts, you're likely to feel it.  This can be clear air turbulence - no clouds or precipitation required.  Outside the mountains, this does not stop me from trying to cross a front, but you can be prepared.

 

The front Ned crossed looks benign on radar.  Good call Ned.

 

The dangerous fronts are those accompanied by convective activity.  Those produce squall line thunderstorms, and I know that's on the current PPL exam.  Trying to pick your way through a front that is producing squall line is where pilots can really get into trouble.  Squall line storms are the kind that can cover the entire U.S. from Mexico to Canada.  If you ever see a front, accompanied by a convective thunderstorm, check the convective forecast very closely.

 

Severe icing is also most often found along a front in the winter months.  Gotta watch for that too.

[robert7467]

Thanks for the advice....

[chrisk]

All fronts are not the same.  See http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/~fbuon/PGEOG_130/Lecture_pdfs/chapter9gh.pdf

 

As I recall, a fast moving cold front can have quite a squall line associated  with it.      And a good source is the prog charts on http://aviationweather.gov/products/swl/  If you look at the current charts, you can see a cold front with thunder storms in south Texas and a warm front in the north east (looks like some showers).

[chrisk]

 

Squall line storms are the kind that can cover the entire U.S. from Mexico to Canada.  If you ever see a front, accompanied by a convective thunderstorm, check the convective forecast very closely.

 

 

 

I don't quite know if I would call it a squall line, but I'd prefer to avoid fronts like this.  It goes from Mexico to Canada and looks to have some thunder storms.  --So today I am grounded and at work in Austin TX

 

Here is a good example of a squall line.  http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/June_5_2008_squall_line.gif&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squall_line&h=1600&w=3400&sz=3306&tbnid=-W_R6AUSwIzsGM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=191&zoom=1&usg=__mavEnrn7UElXeuA_Lf94GfSvvXg=&docid=rB3RBKIEzLoSpM&sa=X&ei=LGZdUpCTBsqliQLx4YDYDA&ved=0CDAQ9QEwAA

[carusoam]

A squall line as long as the country, with wind speeds as strong as 50kts, and clouds climbing over 30k ft...

That's a pretty strong system.

Best regards,

-a-

[Z W]

Today is actually an interesting case.  The front you show, Chris, is not all convective.  It's convective over Texas where you are, so I would not fly there either.  It's also convective up to the north around Michigan, Indiana, and eastern Kentucky.  If I were trying to cross in the Midwest, through Missouri / Illinois / Western Kentucky / Tennessee, where it where it is not convective, I would probably go.

 

But watch out for the ice, which is also typical for a front this time of year...

 

 

I would file low, at 4-5k, and try to stay VMC in temps well above freezing.  The ceilings are 1k behind the front, and 3-6k in front of it.  At some places today, you could likely cross the front no problem with an hour or so of IMC time.  I would also be primed to turn around and land if that plan didn't work out.  And I wouldn't take a skittish passenger.

[Gone]

Not all fronts are dangerous.  A front is where two different air masses meet.  The only thing that always defines a "front" is a change in temperature, usually of 10 dF or more.  Sometimes you cross the front and that's all you will notice.  Almost always there's a change in pressure as well, so you will need to reset your altimeter.

 

Often a front also represents a change in wind direction.  A wind out of the west can suddenly turn into a wind out of the south or north.  That can result in some turbidity in the air, as the different air streams collide, and cause turbulence.  The greater the wind speeds, and the greater the directional shift, the more turbulence you can expect.  Check your winds aloft on both sides of the front to get an idea.  If you are going from winds 270 at 40 kts to winds 180 at 50kts, you're likely to feel it.  This can be clear air turbulence - no clouds or precipitation required.  Outside the mountains, this does not stop me from trying to cross a front, but you can be prepared.

 

The front Ned crossed looks benign on radar.  Good call Ned.

 

The dangerous fronts are those accompanied by convective activity.  Those produce squall line thunderstorms, and I know that's on the current PPL exam.  Trying to pick your way through a front that is producing squall line is where pilots can really get into trouble.  Squall line storms are the kind that can cover the entire U.S. from Mexico to Canada.  If you ever see a front, accompanied by a convective thunderstorm, check the convective forecast very closely.

 

Severe icing is also most often found along a front in the winter months.  Gotta watch for that too.

 

Thanks for the info Zane:

 

You have given me two more tools for the decision-making toolbox.  Temperature and wind (speed and direction) differentials across the front.  

 

If the conditions are good, I now feel confident to give it a go.  However, unless these and the forecast for convection are negligible, crossing a front remains outside my comfort zone.  I know folks that have picked their way through squall lines and lived to tell about it.   But I am not them.

[robert7467]

Awesome info, it will help me make better no go decisions.