Summer's Flight

KTBS.com - Shreveport, LA News, Weather and Sports 

By Brian Fowler 
 
You're on the runway............the airplane starts to roll......and roll....and roll.... .are we going to taxi to our destination today, you're thinking, or will we be taking off at some point?

It's like trying to spin something through molasses versus water. Its easier to do it through the water cause it's less dense.

On a typical day, a take off roll will seem like its taking longer than it should.

Aircraft have to work a little harder this time of year.  The air is thinner, or less dense, so it makes for a more difficult time.    The props and engines of an aircraft try to cut through the air and lift off the ground.  That's why you may notice that it takes just a little longer on the runway this time of year.

Flying can be a mental test - for passengers, pilots, and students alike.  Meet local flight instructor daniel lafon, of tubreaux aviation.  He'll help us clear the air, as it were.

I've been flying now for about seven years and light instructing for the past three years.

He knows all about how summer heat effects the aviation community and those of us that buzz around the country from time to time.

During the summertime, the sun is heating the ground up a lot more than what we're used to. We can feel that. As the earth gets heated, it heats the air around it and it causes that air to rise. It's just like boiling a pot. That water it starts to boil and flow up. The same thing is happening in the air. It starts to boil and the air is rising. The rising air is what we call turbulence.

Ahh yes....turbulence...Usually a factor in mountainous areas, but around here we, we can feel it too, mainly during the summertime.

That heat causes turbulence.  No matter how good a pilot you got. They're gonna get through some summertime bumps until hopefully you get up high enough where you get away from that turbulence.

The rising air causes those bumps you feel.  It's kinda like riding in a boat on a windy day.  Imagine each of those waves or swells being rising heat or turbulence. Each one you hit with the boat will give you a jolt.  That's what's happening in the air.

That air is hotter so its less dense. And the performance of the airplane is dependent on the density of the air. Whether its the amount of lift being produced by the winds, whether its the amount of horse power or thrust being produced by the engine itself.

Behind me here is a Cessna 172. This is what we're gong to be flying in today. We're going to experience that long take off roll. We're also going to experience that turbulence you feel this time of year at cruising altitude.

So here we go....Daniel checks the airplane first.  It's standard procedure so that you don't find out your plane has problems while you're in the air.

And off we go to an altitude of around twenty-five hundred feet.

We're taking off around 6:30 pm....so the air had a chance to cool down a little.  

We're experiencing a few bumps right now. As you head into the evening, the air tends to become a little more stable. But during the day, certainly a different story.

In fact....have you ever noticed that when you fly in the evening, or especially early morning....its not such a bumpy ride?

Its the coolness. You know the sun's been down all night so its about the coolest part of the day you can get. It creates the most stable-calm conditions. It makes for very smooth enjoyable flights.

Story, Video and Photo:  http://www.ktbs.com