Professional Pilot, October 2018
Autumn weather T he day started out sunny and humid with things looking to warm up quite a bit but the 2 pilots knew that the sky would not stay that way A check of the weather last night showed a cold front pressing ahead from the west with a solid squall line by mid day Knowing this the chief pilot had called up the company sales director to see if they could move up their departure by a few hours As the bizjet climbed above the haze the pilots could already see the turkey necks of the growing cumuli out 98 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2018 ahead of the front Aside from a few thermal bumps on climb out they were headed up and away from that weather mess giving the sales team a smooth ride that allowed them to make some last minute tweaks to their pitch Fall or autumn as it is known in many parts of the world is a transition season from the heat of summer to the cold of winter It can be an unknown concept in places like the low latitudes where the annual transit of the sun may only mark a shift from a rainy to a dry season or the high latitudes where perpetual daylight transitions to months of twilight For most of us living and flying in the middle latitudes however fall is a distinct thermally driven season that is characterized by a battle between the growing pool of cold high latitude air and the amelioration of the hot summer air of the subtropics Solar cycle Across the planet seasons are driven by the annual trace of the sun WEATHER BRIEF Changing seasons bring differences in flight conditions important to pilots By Karsten Shein Comm Inst Climate Scientist Mid latitude cyclone matures in the US These systems occur in all seasons but tend to be strongest in the autumn when the temperature difference between the cold and warm sectors is greatest
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