Weather Hazards
Thunderstorms prove to be one of the deadliest weather hazards that can affect any pilot and any aircraft. Thunderstorms can drastically endanger the performance of an aircraft due to hazards such as wind shears, hail, low clouds, heavy precipitation, icing and lightning. A wind shear, as defined in the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) is a drastic and sudden change in speed and/or direction. What makes a wind shear dangerous is the rapid change it can cause to the performance of an aircraft. A tailwind can quickly change to a headwind to create an increase in airspeed and performance. The pilot must be ready to react and maintain control of the aircraft when experiencing a wind shear. Hail is the result of supercooled droplets beginning to freeze. Once a drop freezes, other drops attach and freeze to it to allow the hailstone to grow and potentially become a huge ice ball. Hail is dangerous because of the damage it can to the aircraft exterior, windows, and engine. Vi...