Landing in the rain

R

Rneuwirth

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Jun 4, 2011
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Rneuwirth
I'm set for my Private Pilot check-ride on Sept 30th. Today, had to work. At work, looking out the window at grey overcast skies and rain. Light bulb goes on!
Got a co-worker to cover for a couple of hours, and after getting my CFI's blessing, headed to the airport.
Skies overcast at 1500ft agl, variable winds and light to moderate rain. Did 10 touch and goes, all with some crosswind.
I'm happy that I finally got to fly and land in the rain.
Not a bad day at work!!
 
Awesome! As a student pilot, I flew in light snow flurries once, and as a private, flew in light rain.

But never landed in either.
 
If you get the chance..... land on a snow dusted runway. Every landing is a greaser!
Preferably a LONG, snow dusted runway though.........
 
TripleZ said:
If you get the chance..... land on a snow dusted runway. Every landing is a greaser!
Preferably a LONG, snow dusted runway though.........
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In January I went up to Waskaganish, QC (CYKQ) in the 310 (yeah, I know, why would anyone go that far north in January?). They'd had freezing rain recently and a dusting of snow - so the 3500 ft runway was covered in ice with a dusting of snow on top of it.

Made for a nice greaser landing, but I came in pretty slow for obvious reasons. Had no problems stopping in time.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Made for a nice greaser landing, but I came in pretty slow for obvious reasons. Had no problems stopping in time.
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Ted, the Ice Runway at Alton Bay NH is about 2,300 feet long. That is plenty long for those who land there.

Early airplanes had no brakes. They stopped on short strips without issues. Well, most of the time! :wink2:

-Skip
 
I like flying in the rain. Lots less airplane scrubbing to do later on the ground.
 
Skip Miller said:
Ted, the Ice Runway at Alton Bay NH is about 2,300 feet long. That is plenty long for those who land there.
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True, but I wouldn't try to land the 310 on a 2300 ft strip if everything was perfect. My personal minimum on that plane is 2700 ft.
 
TripleZ said:
If you get the chance..... land on a snow dusted runway. Every landing is a greaser!
Preferably a LONG, snow dusted runway though.........
Click to expand...

Just be sure it's not closed runway (on the NOTAM's) D'oh. :(
 
denverpilot said:
I like flying in the rain. Lots less airplane scrubbing to do later on the ground.
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Yup..... Me too. It gets the bugs off REAL quick and... it is soft water so.. NO water spots.:yesnod::yesnod::wink2:...

Ps. I love flying in the rain.:)
 
N801BH said:
Yup..... Me too. It gets the bugs off REAL quick and... it is soft water so.. NO water spots.:yesnod::yesnod::wink2:...

Ps. I love flying in the rain.:)
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I don't mind it, but I notice it tends to take the paint off the prop.
 
Steve said:
I don't mind it, but I notice it tends to take the paint off the prop.
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Does it really? I noticed my prop seems to be worn on the edges and I was wondering if it was used on gravel runways a lot. But, it was based in the East where it was more likely flown in rain. Maybe that was it...
 
skidoo said:
Does it really? I noticed my prop seems to be worn on the edges and I was wondering if it was used on gravel runways a lot. But, it was based in the East where it was more likely flown in rain. Maybe that was it...
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Rain will erode the surface of an aluminum prop slightly, and the paint will wear off a little too. I run a Carbon Fiber prop and the blades show no sign of damage ,altho the stainless steel foil leading edge tape by the tips do need to be replaced more frequently.... :rolleyes:
 
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I called the MT prop folks about flying thru rain, he told me to just throttle back if I was hard rain.... Havent had to yet
 
Steve said:
I don't mind it, but I notice it tends to take the paint off the prop.
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That's true. Kinda a trade-off.

Our pretty black dressed prop from during the last shop visit now has shiny spots again after this summer's airplane baths. :(

Also cleans crud from the engine compartment that finds it's way down to any open holes and streaks the cowl a bit. That goop is stubborn once it dries. CarbonX gets it off nicely though.

But I still like the effect on the windshield, wings, belly, tail, and just about everywhere else. :D
 
I remember the first time I flew into heavy rain showers and couldn't believe how much noise it created in the plane and how that sound came through the headset. BTW a rainbow from altitude is something to behold...could never seem to catch up to it though!
 
I guess my contribution to this thread is that landing on dry grass is easy. Landing on damp grass is like landing on a greased sheet of glass. Be really careful if you're ever presented with that option.
 
write-stuff said:
I guess my contribution to this thread is that landing on dry grass is easy. Landing on damp grass is like landing on a greased sheet of glass. Be really careful if you're ever presented with that option.
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I was thinkin' that about that AstroTurf runway we've got out here. Slicker than snot when it's wet, I bet. Not going to fly over there and find out, though. ;)
 
write-stuff said:
I guess my contribution to this thread is that landing on dry grass is easy. Landing on damp grass is like landing on a greased sheet of glass. Be really careful if you're ever presented with that option.
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Sure is lots of fun though.
 
Geese? PFFFFT! Like they've ever caused a crash..
 
TMetzinger said:
Just be fully aware of the state of your tires and the effects of rain on the runway surface.
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Can you connect the dots for me on this? I've only flown in a few spits of drizzle.

Jeanie said:
I called the MT prop folks about flying thru rain, he told me to just throttle back if I was hard rain.... Havent had to yet
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How would you know when you need to throttle back? What would happen if you did not? Buy me a clue.
 
Jaybird180 said:
How would you know when you need to throttle back? What would happen if you did not? Buy me a clue.
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In hard rain. Not drizzle, not s few spits. If you've never flown in rain, you'll recognize hard rain when you get in it.

If you don't throttle back, you may delaminate the prop. Our Diamond had an MT.. Wasn't rated for use in rain.
 
BellyUpFish said:
In hard rain. Not drizzle, not s few spits. If you've never flown in rain, you'll recognize hard rain when you get in it.

If you don't throttle back, you may delaminate the prop. Our Diamond had an MT.. Wasn't rated for use in rain.
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Okay I got it now. Thanks.
 
I avoid rain. All rentals available to me (except N28GX) have leaky windshields. Water gets into radios and shorts them. Then it's extremely embarrassing and perhaps unsafe to communicate to KABQ Approach over the radio that comes on and off randomly or distorts the voice horribly.
 
zaitcev said:
I avoid rain. All rentals available to me (except N28GX) have leaky windshields. Water gets into radios and shorts them. Then it's extremely embarrassing and perhaps unsafe to communicate to KABQ Approach over the radio that comes on and off randomly or distorts the voice horribly.
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Ditto, except my windshield is fine but... well, it's a Cardinal. ;)

(Yes, the doors have had weatherstripping installed, but it's rather old, and falling apart in places. I can actually see daylight through the fore edge of the copilot's door.)
 
zaitcev said:
I avoid rain. All rentals available to me (except N28GX) have leaky windshields. Water gets into radios and shorts them. Then it's extremely embarrassing and perhaps unsafe to communicate to KABQ Approach over the radio that comes on and off randomly or distorts the voice horribly.
Click to expand...

How the heck do those rentals pass their 100 hour and annual inspections? :dunno:
 
BellyUpFish said:
In hard rain. Not drizzle, not s few spits. If you've never flown in rain, you'll recognize hard rain when you get in it.
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I have to avoid rain I can't see through, by law! ;)

Have heard the funny stories of those who've left Cessna air vents open in hard rain though... Apparently it takes about 20 seconds to figure out why it's suddenly raining *inside* the cockpit as well as outside. ;)

Haven't experienced that one myself yet.
 
denverpilot said:
I have to avoid rain I can't see through, by law! ;)

Have heard the funny stories of those who've left Cessna air vents open in hard rain though... Apparently it takes about 20 seconds to figure out why it's suddenly raining *inside* the cockpit as well as outside. ;)

Haven't experienced that one myself yet.
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Our 6 is horrible in rain. It leaks EVERYWHERE. I avoid it like the plague. Once I get this EFIS in, I'll really avoid it.

I got stuck in a downpour once and when I was running bare aluminum floor panels, the vibrations made the water JUMP all over the place.. It was.. cool? :)
 
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