tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21681604155212134962024-02-07T21:18:15.292-08:00ENASiabout Science, Flying, Life, and Anything InterestingNasir Perezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391185033176147904noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168160415521213496.post-53640250539070758382012-12-11T06:53:00.001-08:002013-10-17T18:50:12.340-07:00The Invisible Killer<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There
is a weather phenomenon known to pilots which has caused the loss of many lives.
This weather phenomenon is called a microburst and it has been compared to
tornadoes and hurricanes. Microbursts can significantly affect people or
property on the ground, but it is considered to be more dangerous to pilots. The
reason microbursts are said to be “invisible,” is because they are difficult to
detect.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Microbursts
are a form of wind shear. Wind shear is a sudden and drastic change in wind
direction, speed, or both within a small area. Wind shear can be divided into
two components: vertical wind shear, wind shear measured in the vertical
direction and horizontal wind shear, wind shear measured in the horizontal
direction. The effects of a microburst are more dangerous when encountered near
the surface. When wind shear occurs at lower levels in the atmosphere near the
surface it is known as Low-Level Wind Shear (LLWS). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">LLWS
can form in several ways, but most of the time thunderstorms are the cause of
the most severe type of wind shear, if under the right conditions. Certainly
changes in vertical motions constantly happen through the life cycle of a
thunderstorm. During the dissipating stage, the final stage of the thunderstorm
cycle, the thunderstorm dissipates due to the overcoming downdrafts (downward
moving–negatively buoyant air) that can reach approximately 6000 feet per
minute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCGzAatIHyQD99n_Ksa4QriBlu16gLcOGb2EKy3jQPD4wYMQYSCDwtoU9KX1gSch9FlrEU1cPjAnFRM7YjnxfGRUX5uv9yRwAd19I2zkErYBPpj4XtIJXTDfQH3gJrWuCpaNcqWZuP0kz/s1600/Wea02281_-_Flickr_-_NOAA_Photo_Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCGzAatIHyQD99n_Ksa4QriBlu16gLcOGb2EKy3jQPD4wYMQYSCDwtoU9KX1gSch9FlrEU1cPjAnFRM7YjnxfGRUX5uv9yRwAd19I2zkErYBPpj4XtIJXTDfQH3gJrWuCpaNcqWZuP0kz/s400/Wea02281_-_Flickr_-_NOAA_Photo_Library.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thunderstorms
create the anvil–like shapes during the dissipating stage. The anvil–like shape
is due to the weakening of vertical motions near the top of the storm and
downdrafts overcoming the updrafts and dissipating the cloud from the bottom
up. Downdrafts are formed by hydrometeor drag and evaporative cooling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Precipitation
(water and hail) drags air downward contributing to the generating of the
downdraft is known as hydrometeor drag.
However, the biggest contributor to the downdraft formation within a
thunderstorm is evaporative cooling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Evaporative
cooling is evaporation of rain and cloud drops or sublimation of ice crystals,
making the air parcels colder than their environment and thus negatively
buoyant. As cloud droplets becomes heavy enough to overcome the updraft and
fall, they travels into a warmer environment, evaporating (changing state from
liquid to gas) or sublimating (changing state from solid to gas) by taking heat
away from its surrounding and cooling the air around. Entrainment, mixing in of
drier air occurring along cloud edges, is also known to enhance the downdraft
strength because it leads to evaporative cooling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A lot
of the mixing of drier air that occurs aloft is due in part by the jet stream
at higher altitudes carrying dry air and mixing it with the thunderstorm. This
increases the evaporative cooling and strengthens the downdraft and acting as a
rear inflow jet by carrying the cold, dense and negatively–buoyant air to the
ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">When
the downdraft occurs at the bottom of the thunderstorms, reaches the ground and
spreads out, it is called a downburst. Downbursts can be subdivided into two:
macrobursts and microbursts. A macroburst is a downburst in which a region of
more than 4 kilometers (km) is affected; consequently, a microburst is a
downburst affecting a region of 4 km or less.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6fWwsdd8UuTFBKIVvDnudRdRTeqaDSr60cpTF4YN_MObFfEJeuGtEo0EjuqRMB7hgyYIUl7tSDnWGZkgKyeRJ4kA5tj49WT_8rZ3yZAoSAe_yYq610R4HzpZLH2IT0_pCALPBrihB5SM/s1600/Microburstcrosssection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6fWwsdd8UuTFBKIVvDnudRdRTeqaDSr60cpTF4YN_MObFfEJeuGtEo0EjuqRMB7hgyYIUl7tSDnWGZkgKyeRJ4kA5tj49WT_8rZ3yZAoSAe_yYq610R4HzpZLH2IT0_pCALPBrihB5SM/s400/Microburstcrosssection.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Macrobursts
can last up to 30 minutes with wind speeds of up to 116 knots. Microbursts
however, are difficult to detect because they occur over a very small area.
Some microbursts have been known to occur in a space of less than one mile
horizontally and within 1000 feet vertically. The lifespan of a typical
microburst is of approximately 15 minutes and although they are smaller than
macrobusts, their wind speeds can be much higher, as high as 145 knots, the
same as category 5 hurricane winds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dry
microbursts also exist. They are harder to identify and are more commonly found
in western U.S. in areas where there are dry conditions at lower altitudes and
an increase in moisture with altitude. Dry microbursts often occur with less
than 0.01 inch of precipitation as opposed to wet microbursts of 0.01 inch or
more of precipitation. Virga, rain that evaporates before reaching the ground,
is associated with dry microbursts and is present most of the time.</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dry microbursts are as dangerous as wet microbursts.</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">But is
this “killer” so “invisible”?—to an extent. Even though there are common
systems already being used such as the LLWS Alert System and the Doppler Radar,
there are other much simpler ways for pilots to detect and warn themselves of possible
LLWS and/or microbursts as a last resort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjTLleHRLqjHq0vpWJ6BlK00eYZKyqRcUGzmevvRUBvhiBOKtDy0URXaW_8wdAYFPKBP3DJfB7phBGrun4hB-gpa_X30jso_lMGATJC-lHmqGV4odZcGKVmjqDpTmWIkShHZFQ6DfUKdn/s1600/800px-Thunderstorm_with_lead_gust_front_-_NOAA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjTLleHRLqjHq0vpWJ6BlK00eYZKyqRcUGzmevvRUBvhiBOKtDy0URXaW_8wdAYFPKBP3DJfB7phBGrun4hB-gpa_X30jso_lMGATJC-lHmqGV4odZcGKVmjqDpTmWIkShHZFQ6DfUKdn/s320/800px-Thunderstorm_with_lead_gust_front_-_NOAA.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Taking
a closer look at microbursts, there are some features that can be used to
identify them. These features include some of the types of clouds generated by
a thunderstorm as well as the use of a sounding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A
shelf cloud or arcus cloud is a cloud that forms as a result of the warm air
lifted by the gust front of a thunderstorm and can be an indication of a
microburst in the region.</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The downdrafts within a thunderstorm
that reaches the surface as downbursts (microburst) transports the cold, dense,
negatively–buoyant air and high wind speeds from higher altitudes to the
surface from the rear inflow jet. Areas, sometimes called “pools” of cold air
at the surface are known as the thunderstorm’s outflow. The storm’s outflow can
be identified as small scale cold front, known as a gust front, decreasing
temperatures at the surface and lifting warmer air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Behaving
as small scale cold fr</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">onts, under the right conditions, gust fronts can start
the formation of other thunderstorms. Pilots inadvertently flying in
thunderstorms can avoid entering a downburst situation if they spot a shelf
cloud indicating the existence of a downburst.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHU92ERSK0wZU-d00Y5Ekl34Pc0mfO2TMoFhp5Dvpt_WBqvToZ7wqWoYkq9ArmTtxl_BkRJLO5yjUpgrfHiWBh_RAjeBFSRN61_BmrQsj9QmiJxi05PjGdTbtqueoNwUPauM3hknF-H_sf/s1600/Mammatus_Clouds.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHU92ERSK0wZU-d00Y5Ekl34Pc0mfO2TMoFhp5Dvpt_WBqvToZ7wqWoYkq9ArmTtxl_BkRJLO5yjUpgrfHiWBh_RAjeBFSRN61_BmrQsj9QmiJxi05PjGdTbtqueoNwUPauM3hknF-H_sf/s400/Mammatus_Clouds.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Another
indication of possible downbursts is the peculiarly–shaped Mammatus clouds.
Mammatus are basically "blobs" of cooled air that sink under the anvil as a
result of strong evaporational cooling by the interaction with dry air below
the anvil. If flying into a thunderstorm inadvertently, pilots can predict the
possibility of microburst situation through observing Mammatus clouds as an
indication of strong evaporational cooling. However, this is still highly improbable since they form in a very turbulent environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Soundings
can also be used not only to predict the presence and strength of thunderstorms
and thus the possibility microbursts, but also the type of microburst. “Inverted–V”
soundings indicate dry microbursts are possible. This type of sounding
indicates dry air at lower levels and moist air at higher levels, the opposite
of the conditions expected with wet microbursts.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the
opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained
the struggle against overwhelming odds.” Orison Swett Marden</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Nasir Perezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391185033176147904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168160415521213496.post-64424709374235844512012-12-10T13:45:00.001-08:002013-10-17T18:54:27.567-07:003 2 1 Descent<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve recently been taught that using the VNAV (Vertical
Navigation) function to meet crossing altitude can get pilots into trouble.
This for example, in terms of meeting a crossing restriction while descending
on an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) or a Standard Terminal Arrival Route
(STAR). This isn’t new. Pilots should know never to fully trust technology.
There have been many incidents and accidents that are as a result of
complacency.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whether using VNAV or not, stabilized descent planning is
important. A 3:1 descent is a good stabilized descent to use. Here’s how to
plan one: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In order to establish a 3:1 descent and meet a crossing
restriction, proper planning should begin various miles before, depending on
the altitude to lose. The altitude to lose should be first determined by
finding the difference between the crossing restriction altitude and the
aircraft’s cruising altitude. Since 3:1 descent is going to be used, the
difference in thousands of feet is multiplied by 3 to determine the distance to
start the descent before the crossing restriction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speed reduction is an additional factor that needs to
be taken into account when calculating the distance to begin the descent. Since
transport category aircraft can’t reduce their speed and descend at the same
time, pilots must level off to reduce speed. A rule of thumb to use to
determine speed reduction distance is 1nm/10kts of speed reduction. This is
then added to the distance determined to be used for a 3:1 descent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In addition to finding the distance to start the
descent before the crossing restriction, the Rate of Descent (ROD) that will
maintain a 3:1 descent must also be calculated. For this we use True Airspeed (TAS),
but since wind is always present, Ground Speed (GS) is used instead. The
formula (GS/2) * 10 is the rule of thumb used to calculate the ROD. As the
aircraft moves through different altitudes and descends to thicker air, GS will
be changing through the descent and so the ROD must be periodically
recalculated in order to continue to maintain a 3:1 descent. Below are some
examples.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Example 1:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">An airplane is being flown at
FL200 on an arrival procedure and is 40 nautical miles (nm) from its next fix, FIRST.
FIRST is at FL120 and the instructions are to cross it at 280 knots. The
airplane is currently flying at 300 knots. There is a 40 knots headwind at
FL200. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Distance to descend:
20000ft – 12000ft = 8000ft/1000 = 8 * 3 = 24 nm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Speed reduction distance:
300 knots – 280 knots = 20 knots/10 = 2 nm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Begin speed reduction: 26
nm from FIRST<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Start descent: 24 nm from
FIRST<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">3:1 ROD: 280 knots – 40 knots
= GS = 240 knots/2 = 120 * 10 = 1200 ft. /min (initially)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Example 2:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pilots flying an airplane
at FL380 are instructed to descend to FL310 before passing its next fix, SECON.
The pilots are also instructed to cross SECON at 330 knots. The airplane is
currently flying at 360 knots. There is a 75 knots headwind at FL380.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Distance to descend: 38000ft
– 31000ft = 7000ft/1000 = 7 * 3 = 21 nm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Speed reduction distance:
360 knots – 330 knots = 30 knots/10 = 3 nm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Begin speed reduction: 24
nm from SECON<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Start descent: 21 nm from SECON<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">3:1 ROD: 360 knots – 75
knots = GS = 285 knots/2 = 142.5 * 10 = 1425 ft. /min (initially)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote:</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for
what you do not say.” Martin Luther</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Nasir Perezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391185033176147904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168160415521213496.post-80813736898315274352012-09-22T11:10:00.003-07:002014-08-01T13:19:17.304-07:00The Beauty and Sadness of Cuba<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The world is a beautiful place and I
love to travel. Unlike some who can afford it, I haven’t been to many places,
but I can’t complain. Within the United States, I’ve driven along most of the
east coast of Florida, from Jacksonville to the keys, and once been to Grand
Rapids, Michigan. Outside the U.S, I’ve visited my homeland, Cuba, and
traveled to Italy twice passing through Positano to the south, Florence to the north,
and everything in between. Like me, many
people aspire to travel and see the world. Just last month, I visited my
homeland once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Cuba is an island that has been governed
by communism since 1959. There are about 10 million Cubans in Cuba, and the
number hasn’t changed due to number of people who escape the country in search
of freedom each year. The island isn't just a place of poverty, hunger, and no human rights, it is mostly known for the
famous Cohiba Cuban cigar, the Havana Club rum, amazing beaches, and really good baseball teams. It is a place where time has stood still since the 50’s
with the same classic cars still roaming the streets and buildings that are now
falling apart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg637b5aUNG0akC3PpIrjJY5WZsG39w3GIvKi5zrB_1IImTInAIZqC8VF26dHSWoC6fib2TpfP0DuYQZaHfbPcGT4KPAH8K8H5NudaBdW3llyurYDq-e-_b2mlcpY3AUiylyn6xZn7h_myu/s1600/457879_3850980800713_338081977_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg637b5aUNG0akC3PpIrjJY5WZsG39w3GIvKi5zrB_1IImTInAIZqC8VF26dHSWoC6fib2TpfP0DuYQZaHfbPcGT4KPAH8K8H5NudaBdW3llyurYDq-e-_b2mlcpY3AUiylyn6xZn7h_myu/s400/457879_3850980800713_338081977_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I was born in Havana, Cuba, the capital
of the country. When I was 9 years old, I left the country with my mother and
brother while leaving family members behind. Ever since we left, most of my
family from Cuba has also left in search of a better life and are now spread
around the world. The first time I visited Cuba was in 2003 when I was 13 years
old and last month was my second visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">My mother, my brother, and I were going
to meet with my two cousins and aunt who were arriving a day earlier, coming
from Rome, Italy. All six of us were going to spend the next 2 weeks in Cuba after
a year kept apart by an ocean. We were also going to see other family members,
old friends, and swim in Varadero’s beach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Like us, every other Cuban passenger was
taking as much clothes as they could to aid their families and friends in Cuba.
Limited by the amount of weight their baggage could carry, almost everyone was
wearing excessive amounts of clothes. A man was wearing 3 hats of different
colors, others wore two or three jeans, my mother wore a sweater in the middle
of summer and my brother and I both wore hats along with our heaviest clothes,
cameras, and anything else we could take.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Our flight from Miami lasted only 30
minutes while our cousin’s flight lasted 14 hours including connection time in
Madrid, Spain. We spent more time in Jose Marti International Airport in
Havana, Cuba than the time we spent in Miami International Airport and flying
to Cuba altogether. At first people couldn’t find their bags and later the long
lines to be charged for the medicine and food bag each person is allowed to
bring for their families. Each of us had money at hand in case we needed to bribe
airport personnel because they could become difficult. In the end we finally
escaped the worst without problems and met our aunt outside who was waiting for
us with an old friend, who had a car, and she had hired him to drive us during
the time we were going to be in Cuba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Upon arriving at our old home, everything
seemed small. I could not recognize the street where I grew up. As a child I
remembered the houses and the building where I lived much bigger, and roads much
wider. Now with three long steps I can cross to the other side of the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt0spumXixVxcG91jm7goRney5ZugXc1E9vUJmC21Vk_2H2Aqskd4EwAkK6pX09V4UnD-PF0ycUKjV7LRu2gSadMOgUA3zPNKrHss9X_uqh-kME6ZFPvuiFp6YPYbz7Rzs_1k2sJT-CYc/s1600/534130_3878178160630_932015124_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt0spumXixVxcG91jm7goRney5ZugXc1E9vUJmC21Vk_2H2Aqskd4EwAkK6pX09V4UnD-PF0ycUKjV7LRu2gSadMOgUA3zPNKrHss9X_uqh-kME6ZFPvuiFp6YPYbz7Rzs_1k2sJT-CYc/s400/534130_3878178160630_932015124_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Over the next few days, we slept, along with
my mother’s cousin and my uncle, who was staying over to spend time with my
cousins, in a small apartment on the top floor of a 3 story building; what used
to be our home in Cuba. It was no surprise to me how eight people could live in
such a small home, but the fact is, before I even migrated to the United
States, the six of us did live there along with my grandparents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many old friends and family members came
to visit us in the apartment and received the things we had brought them. We </span>didn't<span style="font-size: small;"> bring items for entertainment, or jewelry, or for decorating; we brought
shoes, clothing, medicine, money, etc; things that help people in need. More
than 80 percent of our baggage was used to aid our family and friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Although Cuba is a place of poverty and
necessity, more money is spent vacationing in Cuba than other places around the
world. The Cuban government invented a currency for the country, apart from the
real Cuban currency, that really has no value, it’s just paper, but they claim
it’s worth more than a dollar or Euro and the government really uses it to
steal real currency. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans spread around the world
send money to their loved ones each year, the Cuban government exchanges it for
their worthless <i>CUC</i>, and keeps the
real currency. One so called <i>CUC</i> is
worth 1.25 dollars, 0.61 Euros, or 20 Cuban <i>pesos</i>.
Cuban citizens get poorer while the government gets richer and soon real
currency won’t exist in the streets of Cuba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">During our stay we spent the first few
days in Havana, visiting the city and spending time with family members and old
friends. On the fifth day, we were dropped off at the bus terminal by <i>Ardiel</i>, our old friend, and <i>Carlos</i>, my second cousin’s friend who
also owned a car. At the station we saw tourists as well as Cubans who were there
to travel to cities all over Cuba, including where we were going; Varadero,
Cuba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The trip to Varadero reminded me that
there is also true beauty in Cuba. Before exiting Havana, Cuba, I got a glimpse
at various plazas and its monuments of Cuba’s long lost heroes from before
1959, <i>El Morro</i> (Havana’s lighthouse),
and <i>El Malecon</i> (Havana’s breakwater).
In the country side was able to see the country’s beautiful mountains, trees,
and rivers. We also saw beautiful towns and cities, one being the city of
Matanzas. Each town or city we passed by had its own special identity and one
could remember each by the way they looked, the people, or lifestyle. Even
Varadero was unique.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvAZog77GYoD-0us2-7ZxUosiyn37ED3G-WMY06ubFzZS19k57AHfSci-lZvFf2FtrQ7In1TVtuypj14dy76J1ofEKEbMeKA12WwHdAjesgHNHqHOKgJSAae4-JQNt4ixV04mfarp_bcg/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvAZog77GYoD-0us2-7ZxUosiyn37ED3G-WMY06ubFzZS19k57AHfSci-lZvFf2FtrQ7In1TVtuypj14dy76J1ofEKEbMeKA12WwHdAjesgHNHqHOKgJSAae4-JQNt4ixV04mfarp_bcg/s400/IMG_1724.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">From the bus terminal in Varadero, we
decided to walk 2 miles with our baggage to the house my aunt had rented for
the week and stop to eat on our way there. That same afternoon after setting up
our belongings, we went to the beach which was just 4 blocks away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We went to the beach every day, swimming
in the morning, returning to eat at the house, and returning to the beach at
around 3pm, when the intensity of the sun had diminished, to bathe and see the
sunset. On our first day at Varadero, I experienced the most incredible sunset
I had ever seen in my entire life. We spent the nights listening to music and
playing the traditional Cuban dominoes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97FS8XGnb3Dxf2F0DsiUp6NgMwpkO-2vL-8B2eVF4KmcE5zzoXGPr4JWRgh7TbRAwyKlIE2EjxTqxY_EXhRuR33uVFYdgr_E1iHzuEDGEwXQLghTpYmcDeZC8piDo5mq0pRyMceVKU8Xt/s1600/465598_3849035192074_1476075182_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97FS8XGnb3Dxf2F0DsiUp6NgMwpkO-2vL-8B2eVF4KmcE5zzoXGPr4JWRgh7TbRAwyKlIE2EjxTqxY_EXhRuR33uVFYdgr_E1iHzuEDGEwXQLghTpYmcDeZC8piDo5mq0pRyMceVKU8Xt/s400/465598_3849035192074_1476075182_o+%25281%2529.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The beach was amazing. The sand was
naturally thin and the water crystal clear. It was shallow for a considerable
distance, the bottom was clean from rocks or seaweed far out to sea, there were
little to no waves, sandbars lined up parallel to the shoreline, and no worries
of sharks. We saw little fishes many times and a lot of sea stars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM7JUKbKZYokliT5saWq_PItvDu5RISFjECOL8Cq5RqWGiFo3II4OxJuA9YdWeKvoQn4YvtwC5Np4rdRyO1aztP2lwnpoS86AV89NBGzVfocWWnP0sPkVQ3SNO57Yj1j0wIhAOW185kGJ/s1600/581233_3878173400511_1341266707_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM7JUKbKZYokliT5saWq_PItvDu5RISFjECOL8Cq5RqWGiFo3II4OxJuA9YdWeKvoQn4YvtwC5Np4rdRyO1aztP2lwnpoS86AV89NBGzVfocWWnP0sPkVQ3SNO57Yj1j0wIhAOW185kGJ/s400/581233_3878173400511_1341266707_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Unlike Miami, which is all coasts, the
beaches in Cuba are actual beaches. People don’t have to worry about sharks in
Cuba’s beaches because since there are coral barriers, bigger fish don’t bother
swimming inland when they know there is little or no food after the barrier.
They also know they can be trapped and die off when the tide is low. Some
people have stood on some of the island’s coral barriers during a low tide
condition with the water up to their knees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In the morning of our second day at the
beach, my cousins, my brother, and I did as our mother used to do, and swam out
as far as we could with the help of a pool float when the tide was calm. We
went as far as we could to see if we could find anything interesting along the
way at the bottom of the sea and bring it back to shore. The water was always
crystal clear and Varadero is such an amazing beach that we didn’t see anything
but plain sand, no matter how deep it got. When we became tired, we swam back
to shore. I remember seeing around 12 feet deep at one point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhky-LLHUtpZFZQZaOcmTzhsSiApylIeLgguqvvzk68Y2KKO7oRf13qSfelRwHdZZwZ9fiTcwpGDnbWw_G3MvsxmhlYUsSFRLSfbd96HovCFg-CmB-QBTHwMIQNQ1MY8Zm6-kvNi3vIurOI/s1600/554755_3908075910788_1275633128_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhky-LLHUtpZFZQZaOcmTzhsSiApylIeLgguqvvzk68Y2KKO7oRf13qSfelRwHdZZwZ9fiTcwpGDnbWw_G3MvsxmhlYUsSFRLSfbd96HovCFg-CmB-QBTHwMIQNQ1MY8Zm6-kvNi3vIurOI/s400/554755_3908075910788_1275633128_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">That same day we tried swimming as far
out as possible, in the afternoon when we returned to the beach we began to
find sea stars. My cousins, my brother, and I, started walking around in the
water looking down to the bottom through the clear water, searching for sea
stars. Every star we found we would bring back to the pool float, which was
half filled with water, and took pictures with them. I had never seen so much
sea stars in one place; we counted almost 50 sea stars that day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKxE53CFqEjkt4c3Jl2cKXWz_vdcre8biuT2-aRWzDfVn4B8IHQRMYk_S2IqDib6saNG1RRiDM11K18bfLpOvVltGibriBozvc4IT20ywA2jAM3VGyfSegg314zzF5ZcU68YGdxSwX-4J/s1600/253394_3878169280408_1354051832_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKxE53CFqEjkt4c3Jl2cKXWz_vdcre8biuT2-aRWzDfVn4B8IHQRMYk_S2IqDib6saNG1RRiDM11K18bfLpOvVltGibriBozvc4IT20ywA2jAM3VGyfSegg314zzF5ZcU68YGdxSwX-4J/s400/253394_3878169280408_1354051832_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The rest of our time in Varadero was
much the same. We enjoyed the beautiful beach, the domino nights, and ate fish.
The day before we left, we went to the coral barrier northern Cuba. My aunt and
my mother talked to the person who takes tourists to the coral barrier in a
small sailboat. They acted as if we were from Havana and not tourists, so that
the guy would charge us less. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">At coral barrier, my cousins, my
brother, and I, swam in 20 feet deep water. There were corals at the bottom, a
variety of fishes of different colors and sizes swimming around us, and even a
2 feet diameter orange cushion sea star. Among the fish we saw, there were blue
tangs, baby billfish, and yellowtail snappers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr2ArwFbY0RLRfNUijRmmNyA7KM4AC9wJhyphenhypheniXrmnCKttryBZXxQG1HV8k_LybrgimaLRXRMtHDCRH77Oq8_LMN1p6AojMrLOlAZhm91bbx1-7VyscCaULy53PgN1EaPB8pzT48wEnbyH_/s1600/252643_3908070750659_382889720_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr2ArwFbY0RLRfNUijRmmNyA7KM4AC9wJhyphenhypheniXrmnCKttryBZXxQG1HV8k_LybrgimaLRXRMtHDCRH77Oq8_LMN1p6AojMrLOlAZhm91bbx1-7VyscCaULy53PgN1EaPB8pzT48wEnbyH_/s400/252643_3908070750659_382889720_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We travelled back to Havana in a van. On
our way back, again I saw the beautiful country side, the different cities and
towns, and stopped on Cuba’s highest bridge. <i>El Puente de Bacunayagua</i> or the bridge of Bacunayagua, crosses from
the top of a mountain to the other. Looking to one side, the south, the
landscape is filled with beautiful mountains, a plain filled with Cuban palms,
and a river. Looking to the other side, the north, I could see in between both
mountain ridges, the sea. There was rain coming from a single cloud over a
small portion of the sea. The sight was amazing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiKhCjBII8prPENewNSEcJlZQMoUkr8XNbUkhDXgBE6kutqCuxgNDPHkOxEPaoS9BlJaBZS6GKWL3ZEZSobZESvPSnsWRGSc0WNk2v5yC4mb6cGO2mExRIcJ7OVe71qsgMApvKLbRHQEU/s1600/477830_3850974800563_280053106_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiKhCjBII8prPENewNSEcJlZQMoUkr8XNbUkhDXgBE6kutqCuxgNDPHkOxEPaoS9BlJaBZS6GKWL3ZEZSobZESvPSnsWRGSc0WNk2v5yC4mb6cGO2mExRIcJ7OVe71qsgMApvKLbRHQEU/s400/477830_3850974800563_280053106_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I remember, a few days before we left
Cuba, we went to a famous place in Havana called <i>El Coopelia</i>, where people go to eat ice cream. They served us water
before we ordered, but instead we drank from our bottles. Everyone looked at us
weirdly and I wondered if they knew why we were drinking from the bottles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Because the tap water in Cuba is
contaminated, during the 2 weeks we spent in Cuba, we boiled water every day
careful not to get sick, and then carried it in a bottle or two. Cubans are
accustomed to drinking the contaminated water, but we who have been living
outside the country are accustomed to cleaner water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Leaving <i>El Coopelia</i>, we walked through Havana and took taxies back to our
neighborhood, as we had done before since we had arrived in Cuba. We had found
out that while stretching out our hands to signal for a taxi, depending on how
we positioned our fingers, could tell a passing taxi driver to what part of the
city we wanted to go. The taxi driver would then stop if he was willing to take
us there. Almost everyone who is fortunate enough to have a car in Cuba uses it
as a taxi to make a living.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6u07j2fBgap6fjZ7ACupx8ojHyUuYLYU7aUbK2YQUSppnsHrX1sqpmJz8SjQWgS_wLxEvrhrckBDVlLqiBzkJ-Ulx661fKf-F95hLGwiZelcFCD7NpR3mgNkfvHGE4tWbiwUYLTAPc8a/s1600/IMG_1757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6u07j2fBgap6fjZ7ACupx8ojHyUuYLYU7aUbK2YQUSppnsHrX1sqpmJz8SjQWgS_wLxEvrhrckBDVlLqiBzkJ-Ulx661fKf-F95hLGwiZelcFCD7NpR3mgNkfvHGE4tWbiwUYLTAPc8a/s400/IMG_1757.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Driving through the city one can imagine
the hardship and see there is no future. Many qualified young people can’t
study what they want; no one is allowed to have internet; keeping everyone
apart from the outside world; there are less than 5 television channels with
made up news, to make the country seem like the safest place in the world; and
streets are filled with highly educated persons with low moral standards.
Despite all the hardships, unlike the United States, everyone knows everyone in
the neighborhood. Neighbors are friendly and always lend a hand, giving each other hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNz9HzaXv6T9LeMF7-3pkrly0I9zX69kZ_p9bOphWlrD2Jn-T1MadxCn7whNxrI9_586TJyKhioyma8fcTSQRsxCpObRnYy45C0diTPBxLTrlXKd8xpk9a0fD_Y44DBL3NC-D-2mDcR_6Q/s1600/477874_3849014311552_1331206839_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNz9HzaXv6T9LeMF7-3pkrly0I9zX69kZ_p9bOphWlrD2Jn-T1MadxCn7whNxrI9_586TJyKhioyma8fcTSQRsxCpObRnYy45C0diTPBxLTrlXKd8xpk9a0fD_Y44DBL3NC-D-2mDcR_6Q/s400/477874_3849014311552_1331206839_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We left Cuba the following day. Like
many other family members visiting, we felt helpless knowing that we can’t do
much for our friends and relatives in the island. We left Cuba feeling sad,
thinking that what we did wasn’t enough and that we could have done more to
help our loved ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Quote:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Talent is a gift that brings with it an obligation to serve
the world, and not ourselves, for it is not of our making.” Jose Marti</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Nasir Perezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391185033176147904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168160415521213496.post-31373743851810530792012-02-07T15:49:00.000-08:002013-10-17T18:57:02.844-07:00The Ingredients<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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For endless reasons, weather has always been a major issue in the aviation industry. It's hard to predict,
it's hard to understand, it's continuously underestimated, and it constantly
poses a threat to anybody. Whether you are on the ground or in the air, weather
will be there and it will affect you. According to the National Weather Service
(NWS), weather has been responsible for an average 543 deaths in the United
States each year for the past 10 years; about half are aviation related.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Normally, teachings in flight schools about weather, go
only as far as the basics. Pilots learn how to interpret charts, read the undecoded,
and understand the theory to some extent. What many pilots don’t learn is the
details of how the weather phenomenon forms and comes to be as it is. Knowing
what specific factors or “ingredients” are needed for the formation of an
affecting weather phenomenon, will not only help pilots have a greater
understanding of the theory, but also to have a better overall picture and know
what to expect.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thunderstorms often present some of the most
hazardous conditions. They are responsible for damaging hail, heavy rain,
icing, tornadoes, lightning, and turbulence in many forms, including
downbursts. Normally, there a 2 categories of thunderstorms: <i>Air-Mass
Thunderstorms</i> and <i>Severe Thunderstorms</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Air-mass thunderstorms are isolated thunderstorm
cells showing little organization that form in a maritime tropical air mass (warm and
moist air mass). They are the most common type of thunderstorm and usually form
as a result of daytime surface heating in areas of very little to no vertical
wind shear. Vertical wind shear is the change in speed and direction of wind
with increasing altitude.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Severe thunderstorms are the strongest type of
thunderstorm and form in areas of strong vertical wind shear. These are most
commonly found along or ahead of cold fronts and often show more organization.
Unlike air-mass thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms are longer lasting,
sometimes forming as a result of contrasting air masses, can spawn tornadoes
under the right conditions, and present more hazardous conditions to both
aircrafts and people on the ground.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Thunderstorm_formation.jpg/800px-Thunderstorm_formation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Thunderstorm_formation.jpg/800px-Thunderstorm_formation.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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Seven various ingredients are needed in creating
a severe thunderstorm; these are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b>1.</b> <b>Wind
shear</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
The foundation of a severe thunderstorm is dependent upon wind
shear. With vertical wind shear, wind speed increases abruptly and changes
direction with height; this gives a severe thunderstorm a tilt that helps to
fuel the storm thus increasing its life span. The tilt creates updraft (rising
air) on a section of the thunderstorm and downdrafts (sinking air) on sections
where precipitation occurs. The updrafts and downdrafts side-by-side work
together to increase the life span, generate hail and sometimes create
tornadoes. Tornadoes occur when horizontal and vertical wind shears
near the surface work together to spin and tilt columns of air.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Air-mass thunderstorms, on the other hand, form with little to no wind
shear and therefore have a tower-like shape with no tilt and no chances of
tornadoes. Without wind shear, a thunderstorms would be classified as
air-mass thunderstorms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2.</b> <b>Contrasting
air masses</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Tornado Alley is an area of the United States known for its amount
of tornadoes each year. Severe thunderstorms in that area are very common. One
of the reasons why severe thunderstorms occur at this location is due to 2 contrasting
air masses that interact in that very region causing strong fronts. Strong
fronts are ideal lifting mechanisms for the formation of powerful long-lasting
thunderstorms. Due to the differences in moisture levels, dry lines form
causing the most hostile conditions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>3.</b> <b>Low
level moisture</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
In Tornado Alley, warm, moist air coming from the Gulf of Mexico
to the south, lower in the atmosphere, brings the high levels of moisture.
Moisture is needed for the formation of storm clouds since it is one of the
things that fuels thunderstorms. The higher the moisture levels, the more
powerful a thunderstorm will become.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b>4.</b> <b>Cold,
dry air above</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Cold, dry air from the northwest also comes to Tornado Alley. Cold
air is essential for strengthening a thunderstorm. The colder the air above
than the air below, the more unstable the conditions become due to a higher
decrease in temperature with altitude and strength of the cold front’s lifting
mechanism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>5.</b> <b>Low
level jet</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Low level jets are also needed for the formation of wind shear. A
low level jet is a rapidly moving stream of air at lower levels in the
atmosphere. In Tornado Alley the low level jet brings the warm, humid air from
the gulf that helps fuel the storm.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
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<b>6.</b> <b>Upper
level jet</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
An upper level jet bringing the cold, dry air from the west at
high speeds is also necessary. The jet stream is a continuous rapidly moving
stream of air. Pressure differentials at the surface sometimes accelerate a
section of the jet stream, called jet streaks; as a result, jet streaks curve
and speed up. This is a sign of strong upper level divergence and low level
convergence in the area of low pressure at the surface. This means more
unstable conditions and increase updraft strength to form severe thunderstorms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>7.</b> <b>Upper
level trough</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
A trough is an elongated area of low pressure. When there is an
upper level trough, strong upper level divergence exists upstream (east side in
the northern hemisphere) of the trough, a factor that contributes to
strengthening the lifting mechanisms of the surface low pressure center and the
updraft strength in a severe thunderstorms. Usually, one can expect stormy
weather upstream of an upper level trough. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Chaparral_Supercell_2.JPG/320px-Chaparral_Supercell_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Chaparral_Supercell_2.JPG/320px-Chaparral_Supercell_2.JPG" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="320" /></a>Now that you know the basics of the ingredients,
I encourage you to do a little more research. There are actually 3 ways in
which severe thunderstorms organize themselves: Squall Lines, Multicell
Thunderstorm Complexes, and Supercell Thunderstorms. The most common severe thunderstorm is the
Squall Line and the rarest is the Supercell Thunderstorm (most powerful).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better
will be his world and the world at large." Confucious</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br />Nasir Perezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391185033176147904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168160415521213496.post-78653851710946631112012-01-15T16:16:00.000-08:002013-10-17T18:59:11.484-07:00A Line Separating Life from Death<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">Armstrong’s
line is</span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">named after Harry George Armstrong</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">a man who made significant contributions
in the field of aviation medicine. At
around 63,000 feet or 12 miles high, Armstrong’s line is a point in our
atmosphere where water changes from the liquid state to the gaseous state at human body
temperature (98.6</span>˚F)<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">. Upon reaching such an altitude, things like tears, sweat, saliva, and
any other water content in the body will boil causing a slow and painful death</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">including blood?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-oYlXXdEVdLaGTIdcwjap8FUQytvkZMgYC1hjGZhq8FjYs8yOVQiPG3-eIOBj__4fUVUDPeygpviun13DXyNe4BXRaXdxWFlacAApKD9Zn43mbzfIWvnQ4W3PdQvo9OzZ15T42_UEgFP/s1600/1280px-Top_of_Atmosphere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-oYlXXdEVdLaGTIdcwjap8FUQytvkZMgYC1hjGZhq8FjYs8yOVQiPG3-eIOBj__4fUVUDPeygpviun13DXyNe4BXRaXdxWFlacAApKD9Zn43mbzfIWvnQ4W3PdQvo9OzZ15T42_UEgFP/s320/1280px-Top_of_Atmosphere.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The reason
water boils at this altitude is mainly due to atmospheric pressure. At higher
altitudes there is lower pressure than at lower altitudes. Being in a lower
pressure environment (higher in the atmosphere), less vapor pressure is needed
to boil water; therefore a lower temperature is needed to boil water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In case you
are wondering, according to americasblood.org, plasma accounts for 55% of the
blood in a human body and 90% of plasma is made up of water. So concluding that
water makes up about 50% of a person's blood, it is true that the
water content in the blood will boil. In addition to boiling, gas bubbles
inside the bloodstream can at some point block blood flow in an artery causing
the person to die of a heart attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Not
to worry, because thanks to Mr. Armstrong, fighter pilots today have
pressurized suits keeping them alive at such high altitudes. In addition,
pilots continuously breathe on oxygen masks to compensate for the decrease in
oxygen partial pressure. Without oxygen masks at 60,000 feet, exposed pilots
would become incapacitated due to hypoxia in a matter of seconds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">There
are some humans who have been close to 12 miles high without pressurized suits; one example is</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">passengers
in a Concorde.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“As a day well spent brings happy sleep, so life well used
brings happy death.” Leonardo DaVinci</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Nasir Perezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391185033176147904noreply@blogger.com11