Talk about poor timing

[helitim]

The wife had some timeshare days we had to use or lose. About two months ago she arbitrarily booked us at the Worldmark resort in Indio, Ca just a few miles from Palm Springs. The forecast for SoCal had been getting warmer as we approached the trip. Today it was forecast for 113 degrees. Yes, that's 113. As far as I was concerned we could have stayed home in a much cooler NorCal and enjoyed the weekend comfortably. My 15 yr old daughter has never visited SoCal so, I said "yes dear" and we loaded the plane.

Prior to departure, I noticed the TFR's had befallen the Bay Area. Further research showed some dipstick from Washington also wants to visit Palm Springs this weekend as well. My initial plan was to fly into Bermuda Dunes. Because that would fall under the inner ring of the TFR, we would not be allowed to leave on Sunday until 1400 local. Anyone that has flown down here knows, that is way too late in the day to expect a smooth ride. Reluctantly I moved our destination airport to Cochran Regional at Thermal so we can depart using a discrete squawk code early Sunday AM.

The first half of the flight was calm and beautiful. Arriving at the Mojave desert, the temperature was rising fast and the thermals were firing up. (Gee, I wonder where the name for the town came from?) As we approached the San Bernadino mountains, SoCal asked if I was aware of the fire fighting TFR? I could see the massive smoke plume and had been notified of possible obscuration during my briefing but, that simply could not prepare me for the shear enormity of the smoke I was witnessing. I asked for and received a flight plan divert to the west of the area and crossed thru the Banning pass. Surprisingly, Banning was not as bad as it could have been. Some mild to moderate turbulence only. The next bit of information was a surprise to me. When checking the AWOS at TRM, I learned the density altitude was 3,300 feet and the temp was 44 degrees Centigrade. Now, being an American I didn't really know what that meant in Fahrenheit except it was a lot. Turns out, that's damn hot! Field elevation is -114 feet. How the heck could we be experiencing density altitude of 3,300 feet? Oh, like I said before, it was damn hot!

As we approached TRM there was one other idiot, er, I mean aircraft in the air. We landed no problem. Taxied up and saw a single aircraft on the ramp. I almost wondered if they were closed. Guess why there were no airplanes on the ramp? Cause it was too damn hot for them! After unloading and walking around a bit, it became clearly obvious the planes were in the hangars. I made arrangements for mine to join them in a large hangar to prevent melting.

Watching the news this evening the weather lady commented, with almost a bit of pride in her voice, that a new record high temperature had been set today breaking the old record from 1959. Today's high you ask, 119 degrees.

Is my timing bad or what?

[rbridges]

as they say around here, it's not the heat, it's the humidity.     just kidding, I've never seen 119F.  that's pretty frikkin hot.  we're complaining about a 104 heat index in GA today.

[Hank]

Rob, I saw the temp was 100º yesterday in Macon. It's supposed to be there in Auburn next week, too.

 

On the other hand, I neither scraped my windshield nor saw a single flake all last winter!! 

[chrisk]

In August, we regularly see high temperatures of 105.  It's brutal.  119 must be horrible.  The inside of the plane has to be around 150+?

[AndyFromCB]

I don't do summer vacations below 6000ft in elevation. 8000 preferably. Comfy 75-80 during the day, nice low 30s at night to sleep with windows open.My favorite vacation cabin is at 10,250 in the Snowy Range. Nice low 20s at night to sleep with the windows open.

 

I've been to Palm Springs once. Seems like a grave yard…Never seen so many terrible face lifts in one place…What's wrong with Lake Tahoe?

[helitim]

I'm with you guys. Higher/further north would have been my choice. Sometimes you just say yes dear and go with it. By the time we had completed the counter transaction at the FBO and got back to the plane, my iPad was so hot it would not operate. The interior of the hangar was actually not too bad. There were a couple of mechanics in there working on a Cirrus. Maybe they are just acclimated. Either way, I was willing to pay the difference for inside storage. The low here this morning was 84. Looking forward to departing on Sunday that's for sure.

[N201MKTurbo]

Ah, it is finally warming up so I can take off the jacket!

[wishboneash]

It's a good reason why that place is called Thermal! Went there in Spring last year. Wasn't too bad, but still hot (near 100).

[cliffy]

Lucky you AND ME! I went to Tucson AZ on Wed. and left yesterday. Upon geting the ATIS it said 41 C.

I did a quick 9/5 C +32 and got a 104-105 number. Again damn hot. Getting back to Page AZ it was 100+

and a DA of 7300 ft. (3000 above field elevation). It had even been bumpy at 12,500 cruise(14,5 DA).

But, out here in the west that's not unusual.

But wait- It's a dry heat and you don't feel it!

[bonal]

100 to 105 is pretty common at my home field during the summer out on the ramp that translates to 130 plus glad I found a hangar to rent some space in. we always bring our cover even if its only for a few hours parked makes a huge difference when its time to fly home. its funny it can be at 105 plus at home and in under 15 min flight time be on the coast and under 70.  One thing for sure is the weather really matters in so many forms to the safe operation of aircraft when we fly we are so tied to conditions. extreme heat, cold convective build ups, ice and all the other conditions you all know only too well.  Its interesting how non flying public has such little understanding of the power of our atmosphere.

[aviatoreb]

You guys were laughing at me in the winter.

it was 46f last night - right now it's 69f. sparkling sunshine and low humidity almost no wind. just flew the airplane around the patch and now I'm going bike riding.

[wiguy]

Nice up here in WI right now, beautiful day today.

[aviatoreb]

Nice up here in WI right now, beautiful day today.

I think I'll come visit / in mid July!

[Rhumbline]

When checking the AWOS at TRM, I learned the density altitude was 3,300 feet and the temp was 44 degrees Centigrade. Now, being an American I didn't really know what that meant in Fahrenheit except it was a lot. Turns out, that's damn hot!

 

 

Without any mental gymnastics or any mathematical prowess, I'm proof that you can convert C to F by simply doubling the value, subtracting 10% from the sum and adding 32.  Example: 44C x 2 = 88 -9 = 79 + 32 = 111 deg F or, as you put it, damn hot!  That's EFFING HOT in my opinion.  Got out of KPGA with a belly full of Southwestern Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs today before the forecast 101 deg (f) was reached!

[cliffy]

Sounds like you had breakfast at the Ranch House right near the airport!

[Rhumbline]

You Bet!  It's among my favorites for fly-to food!

[cliffy]

106 today and above 102 all week is forecast. Damn, never seen it like this since I moved here.

[Rhumbline]

I blame my wife.  She drives a Suburban with an 8.1 liter motor.  Had it not been for that big car, the world would be spinning coolly in mastodon greased grooves. 

[Hank]

Our forecast is for the high to be "only in the low 90s," for which we are thankful. Of course, unlike the oven heat in the Desert Southwest, we have the Gulf of Mexico pumping moisture over us, creating measurable humidity. Measurable by looking at my hair. 70-90% is common when the temps are 90+.

 

On the other hand, I did not have to scrape my windshield all winter, parked outside here at the condo.