I think FL250 should get you above extensive and solid IMC, most of the time.
Yes but it also typically gets you above the deck so the CB are quite visible. You still have to avoid them but it can be done visually.
I think FL250 should get you above extensive and solid IMC, most of the time.
with 38 years experience in high flying I think its FL250 in winter and more like FL300 during summer.
And as far as CBs are concerned there was never a “flying above the weather” since I joined the club in 1970 … remembering a CB to FL450 over North America in 1974 when I first flew as a copilot on B707.
This is an interesting observation for a brand new IR pilot like myself. I’m hoping I can get above most of the bad weather in my plane. It’s certified to FL250, but it won’t always make sense to get that high for shorter trips. What would you say generally is the percentage you are above clouds on an IMC day at FL180?
It will depend firstly on whether you fly through frontal and/or convective non-frontal (troughs) weather. It is not possible to give a useful answer without knowing your attitude to weather. Some pilots “always fly”. Others fly only in nice wx. I avoid fronts except when enroute AND the IR image shows the tops are OK to overfly, OR it is in the departure area and it’s visually obvious there are ways to get up while remaining essentially VMC.
It’s certified to FL250
Our plane also goes up to FL250 and you will get clear of the weather most of the time. Sure there are exceptions like thunderstorms which you will have to avoid laterally and sometimes you will not clear the weather all the way but at least up there it is usually so cold that you are out of the ice. So have a plane which goes even higher can still give you further cruise comformt but so far I did never cancel a flight that I would have undertaken with a plane capable of FL300. I do not keep records but we fly in most weather and I guess over the year we are in VMC for 95% of the cruise flight time. Often the difficult part is to get up or down. It does not help to have a super capable plane if that airport is just right below those unfriendly clouds. Also I would rather like to have more climb performance than a higher service ceiling if I could choose…
