Braved the past couple evenings in 20mph wind conditions. Flying wasn't as hard as what I expected, as an intermediate beginner starting gaining confidence asking for tips on pulling off some neat tricks if anyone cares to share.
So far I've found going with the wind then pull a nose up attitude and shut down stall, the wind kinda blows the plane horizontally felt pretty good. Landings are fun, loops rolls ect are getting boring. Keep in mind this is just a modified lt-40, but it does have unlimited vertical and really a fun plane

Put the nose in the wind. Reduce power and stay stationary. Maintain heading using rudder.

Vertical landings are always fun.

Something I'll recommend for any developing pilot is learning the SPA novice sequence. It will teach you orientation in all attitudes, and if you take the practice seriously it will teach you to be precise in any wind conditions. That's the real trick with flying in the wind. It's one thing to have a good time letting the wind toss you around, but it's quite another to place your plane in exactly the spot it should be when the wind is constantly pushing you around.

Yes that's fun I tried it and was able to maintain a heading going backwards, was using ailerons not rudder.

Thanks, I'll have to go look up what the SPA sequence is then practice it, been flying every day with no special assignments.

So today I'm looking at 25mph winds gusting to 38, wind gust blew the plane right off its gear before I could even get it pointed in the right direction, had to pack it in for now just too windy.

Been there, most of us have. Just pointing your LT into the wind and holding full up elevator can be fun doing tight loops in one small spot. I have always had special planes built just for the wind. My Daddy Rabbit is an old {1966} pattern plane and it doesn't even know there is a wind. Gets blown back a bit in a big loop is about all. My Hots fun fly plane had the elevator slaved to the ailerons when in the flaperon mode and would come up as the ailerons were dropped. That plane would fly backwards under control. On a calm day and the mode was on it tended to want to stall on landing though so you had to watch it.

Been having fun in the wind with a profile Katana w/70 stroke. I like to take off into the wind, go straight into a big loop and land on the same runway.

If you're flying in wind like that very often, a more wind friendly plane would be an excellent investment. Ugly Sticks are outstanding in the wind and very forgiving flyers. They are almost too forgiving because they can teach developing pilots to ignore impending stalls and pull too hard in maneuvers without any worry of losing control. But they are great knockabout planes. And any of the SPA legal aerobats are very good in the wind also. Pattern aerobatics has always been judged the same whether the wind was blowing or not, so planes that stayed on track in gusty conditions usually had a competitive advantage. A Kaos, Skylark, Intruder, or many others will make it feel like the wind was suddenly switched off just for you.

Landing on a windy day is a trick within itself.

Wind was 20 ~ 25 today here in sunny South Florida. That was just too windy for my 10 lb. plane. That's why I also have heavier jets that can handle the higher winds. But still ... Landing on a windy day is a trick within itself.

I'm going to be a bit different here and suggest learning how to set up an airplane to handle the wind. Granted this does not work on all airplanes but it does on most. The object is to adjust CG, thrust angle, wing/tail incidences so that the airplane reacts less to the wind. Most airplanes out there are being flown in a nose heavy condition. For decades this has been taught as more stable. I suppose this is correct to a certain degree. For a beginner it makes the elevator somewhat softer and helps maintain airspeed during landing approach. On the flip side it makes the elevator trim fluctuate with airspeed changes. Gusting wind to the airplane is just that, airspeed fluctuations. Now if the airplane carries some positive wing incidence then some down thrust to compensate for it, you can easily see what kind of a battle one would have in the wind. Jester is correct in suggesting a SPA classic pattern airplane as those designs are usually sorted out pretty well. My sport flying airplane is an SPA legal MK Aurora. When you have an airplane the as everything working in unison it is much easier to fly in the wind and will make you look like a wind master provided you practice using rudder.

Use the rudder to maintain heading.... It teaches rudder

My all time fun plane in the wind is still a trainer but when it really gets ripping I always had a Kaos on hand. The Kaos in a cross wind was really a lot of fun. Letting it weather vane on landing with the nose looking at me then kicking in rudder just before set down. I'm still flying my little electric ARF Extra in the wind. 17 ounce plane in a 17mph wind is a kick. I do have to land it right in front of me so I can catch it or it will blow away. Other then a cross wind my 2M pattern plane can be flown in some very strong wind without a problem but the trainer is still the most fun.

Absolutely. Learning to use the rudder is one of the more difficult tasks for a new flyer, at least that's been my observation. Involve the rudder with every flight. You'll become more proficient with it and your flying will improve, in addition to maybe saving your bacon when you have the inevitable dumb thumb moment.

i learned to fly with a rudder only plane with the rudder on the right stick. I tried to fly today using only my left thumb but I felt while on the elevator my right thumb seemingly was still in control no matter how hard i concentrated on keeping ailerons neutral, I will continue to practice using the rudder.

That's the reason I really recommend against new pilots starting with that backward setup if they ever plan to move on to higher performing planes. You have to completely relearn the muscle memory and reflexes for flying, setting you back considerably.

Jester you are correct. I believe you should learn to fly...4 channels, no mixes, no expo.
basic flying.....in the end you'll be a better pilot.

I can't agree with that. I do think that a beginner should advance to a 4 channel airplane quickly if they start out on 3 channels. Why would you want to make the learning process more difficult? The airplane should be set up as any other airplane and that is to make,it as easy to fly as possible. Would either of you guys set up a pattern airplane to be more difficult to fly because in theory " it makes you a better pilot "? Regardless of beginner or pro, use every tool available to make the airplane fly better/easier.

I think my teacher set the rudder up on right stick to make it easier for me to progress to ailerons, at that time in the 70's there were no transmitters with mixing channels or expo at least that I could afford, I'm just fine with the rudder while on the ground and in the air, problem is training my elevator thumb to not command the ailerons in a turn if I don't want it to, it's a natural impulse now.