Pentrating Towering Cumulus Clouds

"Blanche" wrote in message
...
Been following this thread and I'm unclear about something. Are
there *really* people out there who 1) have never seen a TCU/CB or
2) have never seen a tornado or 3) have never seen the films on
television about these things? I learned about clouds and how
they formed and about Tstorms in grade school science class.
In particular, hail from Tstorms and how damaging it can be.
And how fast the wind can whip a pencil thru 4inch lumber. Had
great demonstrations!

Theres a lot of weather short of big dark threatenly clouds with lighting
inside and funnels below, that light planes can benefit from avoiding.

Big puffy white Cu don't necessarily look threatening until you have
penetrated a few or otherwise experienced them - no matter what you've been
told. (I was fortunate enough to spend many hours in gliders among them -
with a full understanding of the processes involved, I've never had to poke
a big one to know what's in there)

Remember the word 'embedded'. There are conditions that are pretty benign
IMC that can transition to embedded cells. Without a strikefinder or nexrad
or onboard radar or attentive controllers (or Cheap*******) you're flying
among convective cells in the blind. Did that once, nothing was violently
over the top but 'embedded' became firmly embedded in this skull.

Study, research, hangar talk and whatever provide a lot of knowledge but it
has to be mixed with some experience in order for one to apply weather
knowledge effectively. The trick is dipping your toe without falling in -
or least being able to swim out and fly another day.

I've been on a number of commercial flights where the aircraft
deviates to avoid those big, white, fluffy, gorgeous clouds (do
love Ch9 on United. Just hate United).

Which leads me to wonder *WHY* would anyone even consider flying
thru CB or TCU? At least without a will and/or a deathwish.

To get to the other side