Central Florida pilots - advice needed

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Feb 23, 2005
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3Green
My wife and I have a flying adventure coming up that will take us as far as the Bahamas, weather permitting. I've been watching radar, weather patterns, etc. for the past two weeks, and it seems that thunderstorms in Central Florida are the norm! Doesn't seem to matter whether it's early morning, mid day or evening--the path from New Smyrna Beach to West Palm Beach is a tough one weather-wise.

Any local knowledge/advice you have on navigating that area would be appreciated.
 
Yes, the line of thunderstorms across Florida exists nearly always. If you need to get south of it and it is big and hairy with no good way through underneath, head for the East Coast. At the East Coast the convection, and lifted moisture drops off a cliff and the cloud bases start heading up. Just offshore and under lighter gray clouds in clear smooth air is where I reliably get through. I will not penetrate that line IFR without onboard radar, even with it on a bad day. I have never failed to get through off the Atlantic beach line.
 
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Thanks Henning. We'll already be on the east coast, trying to get from NSB to St. Lucie, maybe WPB, depending on where we want to cut across from. St Lucie/Ft Pierce is where we'll get our raft/vests, it's about 30nm further overwater from there than heading south and then across.
 
Fly early in the day,have to say offshore is the way to go.It rains everyday in Fla during the summer,just watch the weather maps. Foreflight with the stratus 2 come in handy.
 
Oh, they will give you Flight Following at 25' as well, no worries.
 
frfly172 said:
Fly early in the day,have to say offshore is the way to go.It rains everyday in Fla during the summer,just watch the weather maps. Foreflight with the stratus 2 come in handy.
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I have both.

Was Henning serious about 25-250' ASL (above sea level) just off shore? Serious compression of traffic in limited space!
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I have both.

Was Henning serious about 25-250' ASL (above sea level) just off shore? Serious compression of traffic in limited space!
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Yes, overwater just off the beach you're in good shape at any altitude. It was nice having a twin that would climb on one though.;) Seriously though, yeah, I get down on the water and cruise if I can't get up to a 7500' cruise altitude. I'm not saving significant fuel or gaining significant TAS between 25' & 1250' and that's the bottom of the clouds under the front, or lower.

Last time I was coming back from OSH I had to go through the line and it was bad assed black around Orlando. As I was heading down to the beach at Cape Canaveral, looking on the G-500 how to best deal with the airspace, ATC calls me up "9SA, ignore all airspace restrictions, the airspace is all yours, find your best path through. You are the only person in the air in the State of Florida at this time." "Thank you much, settling in in the clear of weather with good vis at 25' off the water just off shore, sunshine in 20 miles."

On my way up, I went to the water just south of Daytona all the way to north of Charleston Inlet. I did shortcut over a golf course in Georga that could have had a complaint but got a wave instead.:D
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I have both.

Was Henning serious about 25-250' ASL (above sea level) just off shore? Serious compression of traffic in limited space!
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I seriously doubt it. You're just asking for trouble cruising at 25' ASL. No margin for error. The slightest misjudge or deviation and you're going to impact the ocean. Sounds like some more in character boasting/internet bravado to me. :rolleyes:
 
narchee said:
I seriously doubt it. You're just asking for trouble cruising at 25' ASL. No margin for error. The slightest misjudge or deviation and you're going to impact the ocean. Sounds like some more in character boasting/internet bravado to me. :rolleyes:
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:rofl::rofl::rofl: Nope, 25' is easy to maintain, 3' is easy to maintain, any Ag pilot does it all day long, just trim correctly and it's not a problem. There's no slight misjudgment or deviation risk, just fly the plane. If I'm gonna get killed, it won't be from flying at 25' 500' off the beach, it'll be from whatever is inside that black cloud that I am clear and upwind of.

Identify and rate the risks and choose the best options.
 
We have had a lot of rain lately in Central Florida. One of my instructors advised me to get my flying done by 11 am which often works. You can often get your flight done before the afternoon thunderstorms.
 
I used to make that trip a lot and yes, they are the norm. Early morning is your best bet.
 
In Florida this is always an issue in the Summer. And flying offshore, low etc.. really is a hit or miss. I've done it hundreds of times between here and the Bahamas and its a gamble. Usually what has worked for me is checking the forecast the night before and many times it will be clear in the early morning. Most times its clear.
 
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