But I had 45kts straight down the runway at Oxford earlier this year. Felt like I was landing a Piper Cub
I remember one winter day when I was a kid when the wind was like that, and a couple of guys made vertical circuits in their Cubs: forward, upward, backward, downward, forward again to land. There was a bet involved.
Shortly after getting licensed I was at 10,000 feet in a tail wheel aircraft with 65 HP, listening on the handheld to an airport ASOS as I overflew. There was an 35 kt knot wind directly across the runway. It was a lonely feeling knowing I couldn't land there, and needed to forge ahead at 83 kts TAS until I reached home :-)
There was an 35 kt knot wind directly across the runway. It was a lonely feeling knowing I couldn't land there
Surely land across the runway, into the wind - in other words a really short runway that's absurdly wide :-)
60 kts of tailwind at FL110 flying from LDLO to LQSA last summer.
Single or multi engine is I think irrelevant for en-route winds, it's always stronger if you go up high, so those with pressurised aircraft will have the impressive numbers to talk about.
More interesting is the proportion of the cruise speed you win or lose.
If one encounters a120kt headwind in a Citation it's less significant than a 40kt headwind in a Cub.
Near the ground it's crosswind components that count, but the same distinctions apply, a 5700kg aircraft in a 25kt crosswind requires significantly less skill than a 900kg taildragger
I've had a few 50kt head winds - pretty depressing in a TB10, but today's (or rather tonight's experience was a little more fun):
To get a bit of practice and become officially "current" to carry passengers at night, I went for a 1 hour bimble followed by a few circuits.
Long story short ... my max wind in the circuit at night in a single engine is now 40 knots. Turns out its a non-event, except for anticipating the turn onto final - it needs a lot more space when you're bowling along at 120kt on base.
Several times above 50 KTS as low as 4000 ft. Max around 60.
What I remember better is those times when standing still in the air. Using the GPS to align precisely with the wind and remain within 25 meters of the same spot for several minutes. I have done that in a C172 and in motorgliders several times and on two occasions I did it in 40-45 kt wind at around 1000 ft and saw more and more people on the ground starting to look up at this strangely parked airplane in the sky.
the wind value was not that great but when combined with descent we get to an ground speed not so common in a non-pressurized single engine piston aircraft ;-)
the wind value was not that great but when combined with descent we get to an ground speed not so common in a non-pressurized single engine piston aircraft ;-)
I agree, I find it hard to slow down that much in descent! ;)
Just kidding - what is the aircraft?
To jasonc: m20r
