How does cumulonimbus cloud in the vicinity of an airport affect flying?

Question

E.g. CB in approach path / departure path / missed approach path? How does it affect flying and what will pilots do or expect from air traffic control? What will air traffic control do when there is CB near an airport?

Answer 1

Cumulonimbus clouds suggest extensive vertical movement of air, and are associated with thunderstorms.  They are to be avoided by aircraft at all times and in all places.  Severe convective activity near an airport may make landings and takeoffs at that airport unsafe, and the airport may be temporarily closed until the convective disturbance has moved away.

Answer 2

CB are what make up thunderstorms.  At the least, there can be lots of moisture and turbulence and the worst, hail and severe or extreme turbulence.  As pilots, we try to avoid contact with CBs

If there are CBs near the field, but not too numerous, we can pick around them using our eyes or radar ( or both)

If they are right over top the field and producing thunderstorms, we either don't take-off for that airport or we hold until the storm moves out.  It's not all up to us as pilots (airline pilots anyway)  Our dispatcher and ATC play a role in our "go/no go" decision.

Answer 3

As has been mentioned, cumulonimbus near a flight path is a recipe for disaster. Obviously if you are on the ground and looking up at one near your airport, that's the best place to stay until it passes.

If you are enroute to an airport and are aware of CB's in the area, ATC may vector you around them. If you can't get around them or they are directly in your approach path, you may have to go to your alternate. Hopefully, ATC will have a good radar picture and can warn you about the weather but you can't always count on it. Scott Crossfield got caught in a line of thunderstorms that did him in. The controller working his sector was equipped with good storm tracking data but failed to warn Crossfield as he was supposed to do.

The bottom line is that you are primarily responsible for avoiding such weather phenomena when you fly. Onboard radar and/or Nexrad can be a great asset to have onboard when you are expecting to fly near convective weather.