  We present a new experimental set-up that creates a shear flow with zero mean
advection velocity achieved by counterbalancing the nonzero streamwise pressure
gradient by moving boundaries, which generates plane Couette-Poiseuille flow.
We carry out the first experimental results in the transitional regime for this
flow. Using flow visualization we characterize the subcritical transition to
turbulence in Couette-Poiseuille flow and show the existence of turbulent spots
generated by a permanent perturbation. Due to the zero mean advection velocity
of the base profile, these turbulent structures are nearly stationary. We
distinguish two regions of the turbulent spot: the active, turbulent core,
which is characterized by waviness of the streaks similar to traveling waves,
and the surrounding region, which includes in addition the weak undisturbed
streaks and oblique waves at the laminar-turbulent interface. We also study the
dependence of the size of these two regions on Reynolds number. Finally, we
show that the traveling waves move in the downstream (Poiseuille).
