Nathan and I left with Kevin and his wife at 9:40 am, and headed down south. We went down at FL270 because Kevin doesn't like to go much higher than that. Fortunately the line of storms was just starting to build, and we were on top of most of it. We did run through an area of build-ups and got tossed around a little bit, enough that at one point I powered back a little to slow us down to closer to maneuvering speed, but there wasn't anything hard core where we were.
On the way home it got more interesting. Nathan and I took a courtesy car and ran to a Cuban restaurant nearby and had some good food, and by the time we got back and paid for the fuel, that line of storms had built up pretty big and high. I would have had trouble in the 340 getting the job done. The line of storms covered the entrance to Florida and several other states. On the way home, we were at like 28,000', and I could tell that wouldn't be enough. I asked ATC what the tops were and said that we'd like to get up there. He said "How high can you get in that?" I said "FL350, FL380, will that cover it?" Someone came on the radio and said "380 is good". So he granted us that, and while we were at almost gross weight, the last few thousand feet were a bit of a struggle. Good thing I didn't say FL400 because I don't know that we'd have made it up there.
We did poof into it for a bit. When we broke out the other side, the airplane was almost spat out of the clouds. The updrafts were strong enough that the Cheyenne fought them and the trim wheel was spinning next to my leg and we still gained 150 ft.
Jacksonville Center was "down the crapper", as they said it on the radio. In ATC world, they say "down the shitter" meaning everything is falling apart. The weather was blocking the entrance and exit of the entire state of Florida and a few others, too. The traffic is horrendous right now, it's super busy. AND their restricted airspace was all active and shut down, so pilots couldn't even deviate where they needed to in order to avoid the weather. The radios were non-stop pilots in a bit of trouble trying to get around weather they couldn't get around. One guy was forced to descend for airspace INTO the weather and not allowed to deviate around because of airspace. Another was told he could either turn around and go back the way he came, then go a long way around, or he could be put in a hold, indefinitely. Another was told "You cannot turn there, you are in airspace." Another was told he could either fly the way he was going, into weather, or declare an emergency. And us? We just flew mostly over it, into it for a little while but not with anything right at our level. No hail, etc. Just some turbulence from the convection. It was wonderful that we could get up high enough to get over the worst of it. I'd have been in trouble in the 340. Actually I wouldn't have GONE in the 340, just like the other day when I didn't go for the same reason--no good way to get around.
I wore a t-shirt for several hours today, in 80 degree weather, walking around Florida with sunshine making my upper lip sweat and the car seats hot. It was really nice, by the way. I didn't put my sweatshirt back on until I landed back at Kokomo, before opening the Cheyenne door.
I did the flying today too, felt pretty good, I hand flew the departure out of Kissimmee, which is busy, so that was good practice.
The line on our way home
The view out the window
The line on the way down
A bad photo of me with a palm tree
FL380
You can see the 38,000' on the altitude, the weather on the GPS, and what we were seeing at that moment
Sunset at Kokomo
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