Takeoff is the most difficult stage in flight. Of course, automatic take-off mode after releasing the brakes does not seem difficult, but the crew of the aircraft, headed by the commander, must be tuned to critical moments. Can a flight be canceled due to rain ? You will learn this in the process of reading the article.
Objective assessment
Do planes fly in the rain? Yes. But in order for the flight to be successful, there are strict standards for pilots and controllers who allow the aircraft to fly on and land. For each side and airfield, the rules are individual, but with similar indicators:
- minimum visibility. Both vertical and horizontal visibility with a level of illumination are determined;
- covering the runway. Ice at the airport is unacceptable;
- the ability of pilots to receive instrument signals about adverse weather conditions.
Typically, the weather forecast should be consistent with the meteorological minimum so that the pilot can take emergency action in the event of a critical situation.
Paramount importance
What is meant by a meteorological minimum? These are conditions that apply to visibility, cloud cover, wind speed and direction. These criteria can be dangerous during flights, especially when it comes to thunderstorms, heavy rains and strong turbulence. Of course, most thunderclouds can be passed, but frontal thunderstorms stretching for hundreds of kilometers are almost impossible to get around.
In the case of minimums, criteria for visibility at the aerodrome and decision altitude (VLR) are determined. What is this indicator? This is the height level at which the aircraft crew is required to make a turn to an additional circle when the runway is not determined.
There are three types of minima:
- air transport - acceptable criteria for safe flight of an aircraft under adverse weather conditions established by the manufacturer;
- aerodrome - depends on the type of installed navigation and technical systems on the runway and on the surrounded territory;
- crew - pilot's admission in accordance with their training program in specific weather conditions and practical flight skills.
Do planes fly in the rain? Whether or not the aircraft is allowed to take off is determined only by the aircraft commander. To make a decision, you should first familiarize yourself with the provided meteorological data for the destination aerodromes, as well as the reserve ones and evaluate them.
Thunderstorm is not a hindrance to flight
Thunderstorm is a rather dangerous phenomenon, but for a modern liner it is not the cause of the disaster. Technics and humans have learned to travel vast distances safely in all weather conditions.
In their practice, each experienced pilot more than once faced with thunderclouds, which significantly impede the landing and take-off of the aircraft in the rain. During the "entry" into the clouds, the crew loses visual perception of the machine in space. Therefore, a flight in "non-flying" weather can only be carried out using technical instruments. In some cases, an unpleasant situation may arise - the electrification of the aircraft. Here, radio communications deteriorate sharply, which causes great inconvenience even to professional pilots.
But most of all, “non-flying” weather complicates the landing of liners. In such meteorological conditions, the crew is as busy as possible. The captain, even in a modern aircraft, when landing the aircraft in the rain casts glances at aviation equipment up to 200 times per minute, focusing on each instrument for up to 1 second. Low cloudiness in combination with a thunderstorm is a serious obstacle for the proper movement of the aircraft. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the clouds well, their state and the nearest changes. Weather deterioration begins if observed:
- accelerated drop in atmospheric pressure;
- a sharp change in the direction and speed of the wind;
- an increase in various clouds and its rapid movement;
- "Growth" in the evening cumulus clouds;
- the formation of colored circles around the satellites of the Earth.
You can’t play with a thunderstorm, you need to go around it in accordance with the standards. In addition, when climbing or lowering, the pilot must correlate information on the development of the elements with the capabilities of the aircraft.
When there are clouds in the sky
Is it dangerous to fly in the rain on an airplane? Passenger airliner goes along the set airways. In case of bad weather, the coordinates can be changed in coordination with the dispatcher in the flight control center. The flight altitude is about 11,000 meters. For this reason, it becomes comfortable due to the greater dilution of air. It is this altitude that allows the aircraft to rise above the clouds - sources of rain or snow. Therefore, moving the aircraft at high altitude is completely independent of weather conditions. Often you can observe how the rays of the sun enter the liner window, and when landing it is dark and it rains.
Do planes fly in the rain? Yes. Theoretically, raindrops can affect aircraft engine performance. But rain is not the amount of water that can cause a circuit. In tests, engine compressors undergo a good “gulf”, not compared with natural phenomena.
Take into account
Do planes fly in a thunderstorm? Precipitation itself does not pose any danger to the flight. Another thing is visibility. But with heavy rains, wipers come to the rescue. Modern "wipers" in airplanes are different from automobile ones. Firstly, they have a completely different design. Secondly, the wipers operate at a very high pace, which provides an ideal overview.
How do planes land in the rain? The most critical in bad weather are "atmospheric disturbances." The landing plane has a low speed and can easily be influenced by the movement of air masses. For the passage of adverse effects during this phenomenon, pilots spend a lot of time "on simulators", honing their skills. If in such weather the danger of an accident is great, then the landing is delayed or the ship is sent to another aerodrome.
Another important factor during rain is traction. Wet coating reduces its coefficient, but this situation is not recognized as critical. It is much more dangerous if the water on the asphalt freezes, and the coefficient value decreases. In most such cases, the airport does not allow takeoffs and landings of aircraft.
Other natural barriers
In addition to the main meteorological phenomena, there are other important criteria that limit the capabilities of aviation:
- wind - requires special care and dexterity from the pilot, especially on the runway;
- bumps - the vertical movement of air tossing an aircraft, forming “air holes”;
- fog is a real enemy during flights, limiting visibility and forcing pilots to navigate by compasses;
- glaciation - on the ice-covered runway, the movement of aircraft is strictly prohibited.
Thanks to the developed electronic devices and systems, modern aviation is ready to overcome any weather conditions. Traffic on the runway is safe, because in critical situations the liner simply does not leave for the flight or remains in certain waiting areas.
Heavy Flight Criteria
Cumulus clouds in the cold and summer at high altitudes can be dangerous to the aircraft. It is here that the likelihood of icing the aircraft is quite high. In powerful cumulus clouds, the flight of heavy aircraft is complicated by turbulence. If the likelihood of adverse events remains, the flight is postponed for several hours.
Indicators of bad steady weather are:
- atmospheric pressure with low rates, which practically do not change or even decrease;
- high wind speed;
- clouds in the sky are predominantly spooled or sporadically rain type;
- prolonged precipitation in the form of rain or snow;
- small temperature fluctuations during the day.
If the problem can be solved faster with rain, then rainfall deposits especially in the form of drizzle will create difficulties. They occupy very large areas, and it is almost impossible to pass them. In such an area, visibility is significantly reduced, and at low temperatures the aircraft hull freezes. Therefore, at low altitude in such situations, the flight is classified as difficult.
On duty
In order not to expose themselves and passengers on board to danger and fear, the aircraft crew must take a number of important actions before departure:
- listen to information from the meteorologist on duty about the upcoming weather conditions on the established route: data of cloud cover, wind speed and direction, the presence of dangerous zones and ways to bypass them;
- receive a special bulletin, which indicates information about the state of the atmosphere, weather forecast along the route and at the landing site;
- in case of a delayed flight of more than an hour and a half, the pilot must receive new information about the weather.
However, crew responsibilities do not end there.
Additional commitment
During the flight, the pilot must carefully monitor the weather, especially if the route passes near hazardous areas or weather is expected to deteriorate soon. The attentiveness and professionalism of the navigator will allow you to correctly assess the state of the atmosphere and, in which case, make the right decision.
In addition, a few hundred kilometers to the landing point, you should submit a request for meteorological conditions at the airport and assess the safety of landing.
The natural "opponent" of the flight
It’s great when the flight takes place in clear sunny weather. But if it is snowing or raining, and the temperature is low overboard? Here begins the icing of the aircraft body.
Ice, like armor, increases the weight of an aircraft, several times reducing its lift and reducing engine power. If suddenly the crew captain, studying the meteorological situation, determined that the hull of the liner was covered with a crust, then a command was sent to clean the ship. The aircraft is treated with anti-icing fluid. Moreover, attention is paid to the entire hull of the vessel, and not just to the wings and nose.
Reliability Above All
Thunderstorm or rain is a romantic phenomenon only in literature. Aviation considers a natural phenomenon as an emergency. The disaster can bring great casualties, so it is extremely important to approach flights with high accuracy and literacy. A flight in adverse conditions is a great responsibility and great worries not only for one’s life, but also for the lives of hundreds of passengers.