CCM3

October 28, 2013

John Peralta

Question Location Santa Ana Winds Wind shear Recommendation

Question:

A pilot will be flying low parallel with the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountain range during the Santa Ana winds. Which side of the mountain should the pilot fly over?

Question Location Santa Ana Winds Wind shear Recommendation

The location of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains with respect to the globe

Question Location Santa Ana Winds Wind shear Recommendation

Santa Ana winds are caused by sinking air over the Mojave Desert. Winds flow out of this area.

Winds over the SGSB Mountains are northerly during the Santa Ana winds.

Image from Fovell (2002)

Question Location Santa Ana Winds Wind shear Recommendation

During the night the wind direction changes

During the night winds flow from the top of the mountains.

Fovell image over Google Maps Image

Question Location Santa Ana Winds Wind shear Recommendation

Windward versus Leeward side of mountain

There is wind shear on the Leeward side of the mountain.

Question Location Santa Ana Winds Wind shear Recommendation

I recommend the pilot fly on the North side of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains and to avoid doing so during the night hours.

FAA. "Weather Theory." Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. N.p.: n.p., 2008. 11-10. Web.

Fovell, Robert. "The Santa Ana Winds." The Santa Ana Winds. N.p., Nov. 2002. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. <http://tornado.sfsu.edu/Geosciences/classes/Metr590/Assignments/Rider_v_Trough/SantaAnaWinds.html>.

"San Bernardino Mountains." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_Mountains>.