Could be? What were the winds at, when you were flying over the mountains
(I assume you were actually flying through the pass?) ?

One day, early in my primary training (way back when I was still at the
'evil' FBO grin, my instructor and I, were flying out along the coast,
headed to Half Moon Bay Airport to practice some t/o & landings at another
airport. Just as we were passing over the water (with the plan of flying
along the coastline with highway one on our right) without any warning the
plane just 'dropped' in the manner you described. The funny part about the
whole thing is that my instructor had, moments earlier in the flight, been
explaining how there is smooth laminar flow over the ocean. I really wasn't
scared (I was probably at my 9th or 10th hour by then) when it happened,
mainly because my instructor took it right in stride. I do remember he
called in a PIREP for CAT (clear air turbulence) as he told me that it
should be something that some other pilots be made aware of.

By the way, have you seen the Sparky I's video on mountain flying - some
great footage and visual instruction aids - since you mentioned the book.

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures complete with pictures and text at:
www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
"John Harper" wrote in message
news:1075704296.323452@sj-nntpcache-5...
Flying from Palo Alto to Santa Monica yesterday, we hit (I think) a rotor
coming over the mountains north of LA. We'd had some fairly strong
up and downdrafts, though nothing really unpleasant, when suddenly
we were going DOWN - about 2000' in 10 seconds or so, everything
stuck to the roof for maybe 5-10 seconds. It was an interesting ride...
most things landed shortly afterwards (and I even found a flashlight that
had disappeared) although my E6B remained lodged somewhere
and fell on my head on final.

Afterwards, my wife asked me how often this happens... once per
flying lifetime, much less, every few years. I couldn't answer... for sure
the first time in my 600 hours, but that's not much.

So here's my informal sample... how many people here have had a
similar experience? Anyone care to guess how unlikely this it?

(And to forestall, or try to, the people who tell me I should know
something
about mountain flying, yes I HAVE read Sparky Iverson's book, and
anyway living in the Bay Area it's hard to go anywhere much without
overflying mountains. I was over 2000' above terrain too, 9500'
over a ridgeline at about 6000').

John