How much rain is too much for a plane to take off?

Rain is just water, no matter the pressure. Modern aircraft can generate lift regardless of the heaviness of the rain. Planes can and will take off and land in the rain. The only real problem with heavy rainfall is the decrease in visibility for the pilots.



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Does Rain Affect Flight Take-Off? In most cases, rain doesn't affect flights. Most rainy weather conditions don't cause any harm to the aircraft except in the most challenging situations. If the weather is too severe, the pilot's sight may be impeded, making departure risky and stopping the aircraft from flying.

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There isn't a measurement for “how much rain is allowable.” Rather, the concern is extreme crosswinds, wind shear, downdrafts, or thunderstorms in the area. Those are things that can be dangerous and would cause a delay or diversion until conditions improve, if the situation is severe enough.

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A crosswind above about 40mph and tailwind above 10mph can start to cause problems and stop commercial jets taking off and landing. It can sometimes be too windy to take-off or land.

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Before departure, call 1-800-WX-BRIEF for latest weather and file flight plans. Miscellaneous Items: Text Notam Information.

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Turbulence might occur during your flight in rainy weather due to the presence of different air masses mixing together and causing disturbances aloft. Warm and cold air masses interacting with each other can result in turbulent conditions high in the sky, making your flight potentially more uncomfortable.

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Generally, it is the temperature of the rain that can affect take-off and landing. That is, if it is so cold that the rain turns into hail or snow, there could be a delayed or canceled flight. Airlines try not to cancel or delay flights as much as possible.

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What happens when en route flights encounter thunderstorms? Jet aircraft can safely fly over thunderstorms only if their flight altitude is well above the turbulent cloud tops. The most intense and turbulent storms are often the tallest storms, so en route flights always seek to go around them.

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Instrument qualified pilots should have no problem flying in rain. But pilots with a basic PPL might, depending on the intensity of the rain. Every pilot should beware of freezing rain, which is very dangerous as it can cause a quick build-up of ice on the wings. In conditions like this, stay on the ground.

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Rain doesn't usually affect a flight much. Combining with hefty winds causes extra challenges to flight planning. The combo can even cause a change of route or a delay if the conditions are extreme. But generally speaking, airplanes are well-equipped to deal with a bit of the wet stuff!

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With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing. As far as how this happens, it depends on where you are in flight.

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In fact, the National Weather Service says passenger planes are struck by lightning an average of once or twice every year. But the last confirmed commercial airplane crash in the United States attributed to lightning occurred in 1967.

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There is no single maximum wind speed that cancels flights, as it depends on the direction of wind and phase of flight. A crosswind above about 40mph and a tailwind above 10mph can start to cause problems and stop commercial jets from taking off and landing.

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When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. The sudden movements put passengers at risk.

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At times like this, pilots will slow to a designated “turbulence penetration speed” to ensure high-speed buffet protection (don't ask) and prevent damage to the airframe. We can also request higher or lower altitudes, or ask for a revised routing.

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The most important thing to know is that turbulence isn't dangerous. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but your plane is built to handle the worst. Even in the most severe turbulence, your plane isn't moving nearly as much as you think! Much of how we experience turbulence is subjective.

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Planes can and do land during thunderstorms, but it all depends on the situation. Pilots will often use their judgment and experience to decide if a landing is safe or not while a storm is going on. The main risk with landing during a storm, just like with taking off, is microbursts.

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