If you don't fly in the wind--you ain't gonna get much flying done in Colorado.

It's been exceptionally windy this year. Worse year I can remember. The last time it was almost as windy, I had only been flying for 1 season. But, even then, it wasn't this windy. If I want to fly, I have to get up really early and be at the field by 7:30 or 8am, because it usually starts blowin' around 10am, and by noon--it's a friggin' hurricane. It doesn't stop either. Once it starts blowing--forget it, because it ain't gonna quit 'till the sun goes down.

I remember flying in Denver in 15MPH winds pretty regular. No big deal. 20MPH was when we'd get the trainer or the 4*60 out and "hover" around 15' off the deck. I was doing aileron rolls about 25' off the deck in 30MPH winds once. About 1/4 throttle and it was holding steady in one spot. Bang the ailerons and watch it roll around without moving an inch forward or backward.

Flying in the wing can teach you a lot. Practice with a headwind first. Practice landing with power to hold the plane in one spot. Use down elevator to literally fly it right down onto the runway. Don't back off on the throttle after it lands--or you'll most likely see your plane tumbling end over end down the runway. Toothpick city. [X(] Go grab it before you chop the throttle, once it's on the runway.

Then work in 10MPH crosswinds untill you get pretty good at crabbing it in for a landing. I'd say about 100 landings in a 10PMH crosswind will get you tuned up pretty well. Then you can start playing in the 15MPH and 25MPH storms with confidence.