Flying in the wet season

Thunderstorms, heavy rain and reduced visibility. These are just some of the hazards that visual flight rules pilots face during a typical wet season in the top end of Australia.

Officially beginning at the start of November and finishing at the end of April, the wet season sees the majority of Darwin's 1700mm average rainfall occur. Often in heavy, short bursts which cool and rejuvenate the land and its creatures.

Temperatures also increase, typically ranging from a minimum of 25C to a maximum of 33C with increased humidity levels.

Wet season seminar — Lessons learnt

Following on from our popular wet season seminar and our live wet season webinar both held in Darwin last year, we recently held a follow up event for pilots operating across the top end of Australia.

This year’s seminar titled 'Lessons learnt' focused on the examination of an accident involving a Cessna 210 and offered a unique opportunity to hear directly from a senior ATSB Investigator who analysed the causal factors behind this event.

A number of planning and decision-making models to the facts surrounding this accident were also applied.

This was an important opportunity to assist pilots make better and more rational decisions when managing many of the hazards associated with wet season flying.

Flying in the wet season — 2018 YouTube live seminar

Aviation safety advisor Tim Penney is joined by Harry Fabb-Burns from the Bureau of Meteorology and Cameron Marchant, head of operations at Flight Standards in Darwin to discuss what some of the typical hazards that GA pilots face during a wet season in the top end of Australia.

Watch the complete 2018 seminar on our YouTube channel.