Weather or speed?

[flyboy0681]

  On 5/9/2017 at 1:33 AM, Jerry 5TJ said:

You can take (cold) comfort in the fact that if you lose control of your Mooney in IMC it will impact the ground in one piece.  

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What a sobering thought.

[Danb]

Each flight needs to be evaluated on their own merits including how I feel that day and more importantly how my wife feels. I use O2 above 8000 ft and she done the air 12-13000 ft. My first decision is based on o2, then winds generally combined with the O2 decision, ice in winter, storms later in year and so on. 

She generally wants the fastest route sans icing. 

I didn't answer the question directly but quite truthfully.

[Hank]

I've not had to decide between smooth ride or fast ride (yet). But I did deviate around reported icing in southern WV going home from central NC once. My route was approx KFAY - KGSP - KTYS - KLEX - KHTW. All the way across NC I was below 4000 msl with ground speed around 115. Then I had to climb (IFR) to 9000, which had me dodging cloud tops at 28° OAT and ~95 knots as the sun was setting, so I went another 1000' and slowed to 68 knots. As soon as I was clear of terrain, I descended to 6000, turned north and accelerated to above 100 again. It wasn't until I turned east for home that I again saw 120 knots . . . But it wasn't rough.

The trip to my inlaws had been 2.2 hours; the trip home was 4:40, and I landed with 1:15 in the tanks at I forget what time, a day late (Monday night), but there was just no getting home on Sunday. ATC was very accommodating with both routing and altitude, except when I was over the high terrain between GSP and TYS, and they advised me immediately when I could descend and how far; I'm pretty sure the reason for my requests were pretty obvious at their end, too. I don't recall the frequency being very busy that  night . . . .

[1964-M20E]

  On 5/9/2017 at 12:29 AM, Shadrach said:

My question to you is why so high?  Most of my training was 3,500 ft of less, it wasn't considered dangerous then, and I don't consider it so now. We're the winds at 50-60kts down low? Too bumpy? Too long in the soup? I hate headwinds and I hate  turbulence beyond light chop unless it's for short periods. I will fly pretty low to stay out of strong headwinds (as low as 2000'AGL in cruise ). I will also take 10-15 Ktas on the nose for smooth air over moderate chop. I flew did the 450nm nonstop to Rockland Maine last summer at about 130kts across the ground because it was so much smoother above 9,000.i could have stayed in the bumps but it was still windy down there. 10kts for comfortable air is an easy decision for me if I have folk on board. Flying solo, I'm willing to tolerate more in the way of discomfort.

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Yes I could have gained 10kts at 5000 but it was light to moderate chop continuous and solo or with passengers I will take smooth over speed any day also at 3000 I probably would not have had continuous radar coverage and I doubt it would have been any smoother than 5000.  It was all VMC weather.

.

[Skates97]

  On 5/9/2017 at 12:29 AM, Shadrach said:

Flying solo, I'm willing to tolerate more in the way of discomfort.

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Who I am flying with dictates the amount of bumps I'm willing to endure. By myself or with my youngest son the bumps are no big deal (he actually enjoys them). However with my wife I am looking for the smoothest route. Sometimes that means different altitudes, or if I am not flying very high it means a little deviation around that hill/mountain instead of over it. A good example would be when we were flying from Southern California to Mesquite (North of Vegas). The direct route would take me directly over the mountain (close one) to the far left in the picture. It's not high and easy to go over, but I know that there will be some bumps going over it. With my son I go direct over the top, with my wife I go around the right end and the turn up the valley where the ground is smoother and the air is too.

[flyboy0681]

Better scenery than mine on my last trip.

[peevee]

boy, not a lot of emergency options there.

[Hank]

  On 5/9/2017 at 4:00 PM, flyboy0681 said:

Better scenery than mine on my last trip.

 

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Your best scenery is all at 0 msl . . . . . 

[steingar]

I try for a medium of headwind and comfort.  Low enough to duck out of some of it, high enough not to broil.  I don't mind bumps much.  If the winds are that bad I'd just as soon stay put.  I always have lots of time before and after flight dates.  Time to spare, go by air.