ORIGINAL: azseattle
Okay, today was my first solo in a windy day. About 15 miles wind. I was on my tower trainer. I did about 5 take offs and landings. It was much harder than i expected. The plane was going all over the place. Although in all those take-offs and landings, i brought it back in one piece. I have a 46 size motor. It's gonna' be windy in seattle the entire winter and im looking for a plane which is easier to handle in strong winds. What would you guys suggest. Also, this is what my instructors taught me:
take of cross wind ( and maybe that's why i think take-offs are harder than landings)
land into cross wind.
Is that the right aproach?
Hi AZ, welcome aboard.
I read the whole thread, and am wondering about a number of things, but here is my reply to your original post.
Wind is your friend. Lift is created when your wing goes into wind, and lift is what keeps your plane in the air. Learning to deal with the wind, whatever direction it is blowing, will make your flying experience enjoyable no matter what the weather conditions.
Ideally, the wind would be blowing into your LT's propeller when you're taking off and landing. That is, if the wind is blowing from the east, you would take off and land toward the east. That way, your plane would always experience (1) the maximum lift available, and (2) a higher wind speed than ground speed.
Crosswind landings and takeoffs will require first some experience. A crosswind is, for instance, when your runway is North-South, and the wind is coming from the East or West. With a crosswind, your takeoff or landing is complicated by the wind, which moves your plane across the runway, while providing no lift.
When you are confident about takeoffs and landings into the wind, you will be better equipped to deal with crosswind takeoffs & landings. First, work on rudder use and control of your plane. Work with your instructor, if possible.
A plane with no dihedral will work great when you have more confidence with your LT-40. I think right now the best advice would be to stick with the LT. However, an Avistar might be better on crosswind days.
Good work!
Dave Olson