PILOT’S
GUIDE
24
STRIKE FINDER
DIGITAL WEATHER AVOIDANCE
Light Winds
50 kt Cross Wind Component
No Drift
= 14˚ Drift
Figure 18. Effect of Cross Wind
With Strong Cross Wind
With a 50 kt cross wind, a 200 kt aircraft has a drift angle of
14-degrees. The CAUTION and DANGER areas have shifted. The cluster
of
strike dots
is now positioned within the CAUTION area. Monitor the
situation and start to plan a deviation.
ASSESSING STORM SEVERITY
Introduction
How does one identify a severe storm? Is a single orange dot a storm? What
does a real threat look like?
The Strike Finder system shows the relative amount of lightning activity
within the thunderstorm cells. Pay close attention to the strike
dot
accumulation rate
as a location and severity indicator of storm activity.
Severity Indicators
Your first clues to severity should come from your weather briefing. It will
give you the probabilities for severe conditions. Once airborne, you need
to augment forecast information with real data. Strike Finder provides six
basic indicators of storm severity.
Strike Finder Pilot's Guide fix 9/19/05 10:59 AM Page AC