Inside the storm

As a general rule, even experienced pilots try to avoid most convective storms because they by definition are dangerous and unpredictable. Even when you think you have the clouds beat, they will start to build in your path and create severe turbulence, rain, hail, lightning - you name it.

In the case of the air race, NOBODY wants to have to pick their way across the country with only bad and worse as the option choices for each leg. Unfortunately - that was this kind of race. Today's race legs were challenging and yes at times - scary. Storms have a way of making pilots humble and all the noise and bumping around tends to break concentration.

Today the legs were into demanding Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). Denise and Teresa worked together continuously with air traffic control to try and vector around building cells in their path. The truth is there is no easy way out so they simply have to push forward and put the plane and crew through the punishment. The plane would drop a hundred feet and then rise 200 feet back. The rain is so relentless and non-stop it is akin to standing under a waterfall or being in a car wash with water forcing its way into the cabin through the door seals.

Though the plane, as always, took care of the crew and did its job, it did suffer some leading edge paint loss. The constant hammering rain acts with sand-blasting force and slowly peels back any paint defects along rivets and exposed edges. Literally at the end of the day, none of that mattered though. The ladies made it safe and sound and had conquered demanding weather to get to the other side. The Michigan and Ohio stops were canceled by the race committee as well so Ms. Denise and Teresa will fly the purple beast into Fryeburg, ME tomorrow morning with genuine pride for a job well done.

Leading edges getting pounded and worn in storm

Cowling paint got sand-blasted off in relentless rain

After the storm safe in Penn Yan - not far to go to Fryeburg, ME tomorrow