Want to go flying today?

The first thing to do is to check the weather.

For people who are not pilots, the weather is usually summed up when they know whether it is sunny, cloudy, or rainy; what the temperature is; how windy it is.  

And the toughest question is:  is the forecast for more of the same or will the weather change?

Getting your weather from the Weather Channel or your local news station is normally all that is needed.

But if you are a pilot, understanding the weather – and the forecast – gets somewhat more important – and more complicated.

Suddenly it becomes crucial to take note of direction and speed of the winds at different altitudes, and to make a more detailed study of the clouds:  is the sky clear of clouds, are there scattered clouds, broken clouds, or is it overcast?  And just as crucial, at what altitudes are the clouds?  And even:  what are the altitudes of the cloud tops?  

Not surprisingly, you must learn the answers to the same question along the entire planned route of your flight.

Most General Aviation (“GA”) pilots fly below 8,000 feet.  If the clouds are above the altitude you plan on flying, and are forecasted to stay that way, then your flying will not be impacted.  Even if the sky is totally overcast, if the clouds are above your planned altitude, then the clouds are not a factor.

“VFR” or “IFR”?

GA pilots generally fall into one of two categories:  VFR pilots and IFR pilots.

When you first learn to fly, you begin as a VFR pilot.  “VFR” stands for “Visual Flight Rules”.  A VFR pilot is not allowed to fly in clouds.  The ground below must be in sight at all times, and the sky must be clear of clouds ahead of you.  

Sad experience has shown that a VFR pilot who flies into a cloud has 90 seconds to live.  A VFR pilot becomes disoriented:  his sense of balance starts to tell him that he is turning when he is going straight; that he is changing altitude when he is in level flight; that the airplane is banking when it is not.  When he then tries to “correct” what the airplane is doing, he very quickly ends up in a death spiral.

Many GA pilots later go through the necessary training to become an IFR Pilot.  “IFR” stands for “Instrument Flight Rules”.  IFR pilots are taught to ignore the lies their inner-ear is telling them:  instead, IFR pilots learn to follow what the airplane’s instruments tell them is really going on.

IFR flight makes flying through clouds much safer.  To fly IFR requires (1) the pilot to be IFR rated (“IFR current”), (2) the airplane to be IFR-rated, and (3) that the pilot has filed an IFR flight-plan with the FAA.  

All IFR flights, from take-off to landing, require constant communication with the FAA’s Air Traffic Controllers, to prevent any possibility of a collision and to assure everyone’s safety.  That is true even on any part of an IFR flight when the airplane is not in clouds.

At any other time, even an IFR pilot must fly by Visual Flight Rules; i.e., staying away from clouds, seeing and avoiding other airplanes, and being able to see where he is going.

As you do more flying, the flights start to be to ever more distant destinations.  At some point, you realize that the longest flights go too far to depend on VFR weather for the whole flight.  At that point, the only solution is to take the flight training necessary to become an IFR pilot.

As an IFR pilot, your weather-wise training and knowledge expands substantially.  The clouds that are just benign puffs early in the morning become problematic turbulence about 11:00am, and by noon can become killers that kick your airplane around like a toy.  The clouds over the Smokey Mountains are well-known for becoming particularly virulent as the day’s sunlight heats them up.  

Clouds are not the only weather factor a pilot must consider.  Pilots must frequently deal with the complexities of winds.  

Winds may be blowing in one direction on the ground, but shift to a different direction a few thousand feet above.  The boundary between any two layers of air with different winds can be very turbulent, and so become uncomfortable for passengers.

Sometimes, the boundary between wind layers is at the altitude you wish to fly.  In that case, it is best to pick a different altitude.  Going lower may be flying too close to the ground for your liking, but flying at a higher altitude may not make sense if the distance from your starting point to your destination is too short.

On cloudy days, IFR pilots try to finish their flying by noon.  That can mean getting started before sun-up, on flights of several hours.

Becoming a pilot and being proficient in your skills is an exciting and very satisfying facet of your life.  Flying also reduces the time needed to get to distant locations.  Flying is an endeavor that requires developing a special set of skills, including your understanding of the weather.  Understanding how weather works and the potential impact on your life when you go flying is crucial to safe flying – a challenge, but one that you can overcome.  

Happy flying!

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