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4 Answers

Bumpy flight: slow below the green arc or maneuvering speed?

Asked by: 2126 views ,
General Aviation, Light Sport Aircraft, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Weather

When encountering bumpy air we're told you should slow below maneuvering speed to reduce the chance of aircraft damage.   But the POH also says you can fly in the yellow airspeed arc if in "smooth air", implying that the green arc is for less-than-smooth air.

Obviously it must be a matter of degree, but I've never heard this discussed... how bumpy does it need to be: green arc vs. maneuvering speed?

 

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4 Answers



  1. Clark Hall on Sep 25, 2019

    Maneuvering speed is the speed at which you can make abrupt full control movements without exceeding the structural limits of the aircraft at gross weight. If I am having to make medium control movement to keep the plane in the attitide I want then I slow down to something slower than Va. Remember Va is lower at less than gross weight. I don’t like to get too far below Va to avoid a gust induced stall.

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  2. KDS on Sep 25, 2019

    But always bear in mind that the limitations are “as the airplane was designed”. Put 10,000 hours on an airframe and maybe it can take that and maybe it can’t. Besides a personal experience along that line, I also remember Chalk Ocean Airways Flight 101 back in 2005 and the 2018 Embry Riddle accident.

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  3. Kellan on Oct 05, 2019

    I agree with Clark and KDS and also submit that if or when you are flying with passengers, remember that as pilots, we become more accustomed to some bumps in the air, while pax may become ill or just uncomfortable and potentially scared. If you reduce airspeed, even just a few knots for a better ride in rough air, then your airplane will also probably be happier.

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  4. CarsonAviation on Oct 12, 2019

    The answer is it depends on where you are and what’s causing the bumps. In mountainous terrain where we are, maneuvering speed is NOT slow enough if you’re passing through violent mountain rotor and mechanical turbulence. We just had a fatal accident in our district last Spring with a pilot who descended through some strong mountain rotor too quickly and it broke his tail off and he fell nose first into the ground and died.

    The recommendation from experienced glider and fixed-wing instructors here in the mountains is that if the air is really violent, or expected to be really violent, you need to slow down to at least halfway between maneuvering speed and stall speed before penetrating the rough air if you want to live.

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