I was reading someones post (Go-Kartowmner) and he said His father did't let him fly above 5 MPH winds!!!!!!!! Personally i think that it is crazy because when have you ever seen winds below 5 MPH in some places. What do you think? I fly in any thing that i feel is comfortable (0-7.5) and the wind gusts up to 10+ some time and I'm still flying. I have flown solo 4 times and it is extremely comfortable to fly in that wind. Also he has not flow in 9 WEEKS OMG and he just soloed I would go insane. I can't stay away from the hobby shop for more then 1.5 weeks because I would go INSANE and probable have to Lean to fly again.


Flyer 202

A lot that determines what a flyer is comfortable depends a lot on where they learn to fly. Case in point, the winds that you say you normally fly in are a calm day for us here in Oklahoma. Normal flying days have wind 10-20 mph. 25 mph will usually kill a day. But I've flown in wind 30 mph before too. In fact, on calm days I sometimes have a hard time landing. I'm used to having the wind slow my plane down on landing approach, so the days that the wind isn't blowing I usually end up overshooting the runway!!

Ken

Well, actually I fly on the sim about an huor a day so I keep my skills up. I am flying F-15's and 3-Der's on the sim but still fly my trainer in real life. He just wont let me flyin the wind And it's not that I dont fly in over 5 mph winds its just by the time my dad can getr me to the field It's about 4 and everybody' gone because the wind is gusting to 20. Then we just leave having wasted our whole afternoon and anout 30-40 dollers of gas ( in the car). Then my dad says the same thing will happen the next week so we dont go.
Karter

Sorry for the mix up Karter but to another point what Sim do you have? Because if it is G3 that is what I have. My flying name is (Cameron)

For me it depends a lot on the planes I have with me. I certainly love to fly in wind but that was not always the case. When I first started out much over 10mph was my limit, now that speed is just where the fun begins.

I'll think nothing of taking my 4*60 into a 20mph wind and hold it steady just a bit nose high into the wind. Sometimes I'll see how long I can hold (my best is 15 minutes, about 2/3rds of a tank) and others I'll land it that way, just get it stopped into the wind with the right amount of power and "fly" it down in one place.

At 20mph I'll consider not flying my Ultimate since that big rudder acts as a huge weathervane along with the wide interplane struts, but I will still fly every other plane I own.

As Ken said, when you are first starting out, only you can determine what speed is your limit. Skills have everything to do with this and some of the needed skills to handle wind can be practiced without wind like a slip. A crab does need some wind and is the planes natural stance in wind. For those that do not know what a crab is, watch a plane flying in the wind, both an RC and real one, (for the real one a small plane like a piper or cessna shows it well because they fly lower and are more susceptable to wind than any jet) preferably when the wind is a quartering wind, you will actaully see the plane flying sideways but going in a straight line in relation to the ground (ground track), that's a crab, the stroner the wind, the stronger the angle of crab. You can adjust the crab by turning more into the wind or less into the wind.

A slip is a lot harder and takes a bit of skill but can be practiced without wind. Be very careful at first since this will require the use of all the control surfaces and power plus the plane is now "cross-controlled" and could easily stall if allowed to slow too much. Do it up high and out in front of you, preferably flying away since it will let you see the effects better.

To do this drop a wing using ailerons just a bit, the plane is going to want to turn in that direction, counteract that turn with the opposite rudder but only enough to stop the turn, no more. Be careful, you will now lose some lift so the plane is going to want to decend so both power and elevator will now be needed to adjust the decent. With enough power and the right amount of elevator (IN THAT ORDER) you could level out. The goal is to keep the plane flying in a straight line in relation to the ground. It's not as easy as it sounds[X(]

Keep doing this until you get to the point where the plane just cannot slip anymore because you have run out of control authority which will let you know the limits of the plane and it becomes second nature. To land, hold the slip until a couple of inches above the ground and then release all the controls so the plane will straighten out and touch down just about a second later. This is a timing maneuver so knowing how your plane reacts to when you release the controls and get it straight again is why you must practice this up high

When you do this in the wind, the wind direction will dictate which way to drop a wing.

I'll repeat myself, the slip is an advanced maneuver but one that will reward you with loads of confindence once mastered, be very careful and practice it up high.

Oh yea, a slip is a great way to lose altitude quickly if you need to. Just do not add a lot of power or elevator

I prefer 0mph winds

Most of my training flights have been in 10+ mph winds so I have gotten used to it.
I would prefer under 10 mph but will go with what nature provides as long as it is a dry wind

Well I have Aerofly Pro Deluxe, not G3. G3 is still a great sim though. I just got AFPD for the better aerobatic simulatoin. When I cant fly I read here and fly my sim. Just keep up on it and you'll keep your skills.
Karter

i prefer 10 to 11 mph.....

The bigger aspect than the speed is the direction. If it's a 20 mph headwind, no problem but a 20 mph crosswind is a LOT different!

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.

Sounds like you have 2 problems. First get your ace in gear and get to the field quicker. Second, find a new field to fly at if you have to spend 40 bucks to get to it.

I learned to fly in Oklahoma also. If you are afraid of wind you dont fly. I tend to fly here in MD when noone else dares to go up.

Anything less than 25 is flyable.

Micheal

Karter is a young guy who has to depend on his dad to drive him back and forth. So, it may not be possible for him to get to the field earlier. He's at the mercy of someone else's schedule.

I'm still very much a beginner. I can fly around pretty well but still have a hard time with takeoffs and landings. The runway where we fly runs North/South. A 5-10 mph wind from the South is really nice. weather.com is predicting 14 to 17 mph from the South all weekend. That's more wind than I prefer but I'm hoping to fly both days.

If the wind is coming right down the runway--then go for it. Just use more throttle to bring it in for landing, and maintain your throttle enough to keep it from rolling backwards on the runway after you land. I've had planes lift off the runway after I landed in a strong wind. There is enough wind to make it fly and lift off all by itself. Be ready on the transmitter. Keep you hands on the transmitter and keep your eyes on the plane. If it lifts off--just add power and start flying.

Best thing to do is keep down elevator on it after you get it down and keep the throttle high enough to keep it from rolling back.

Cross wind isn't that hard either. The plane will wnat to weathervane around and point the nose into the wind. Just let it. Use your rudder to line up left and right on the runway for your approach. When you get about 6" off the runway, use rudder to yaw the nose around and put in opposite ailerons from your rudder. That will straighten it out and get you lined up straight on the runway. Keep the ailerons in, so that the wind doesn't lift and flip you over. Steer it as usual.

Awww man..... don't do that!!!

There is an excellent website that shows forecasts for the winds. It's the US flying weather forecast and displays an excellent "graph" that's real easy to use and shows time slices during each day so you can see how the wind is going to behave for that day, and the next, and the next. It's BIG TIME USEFUL!!!

Before you plan on flying and ESPECIALLY before you drive all the way out to the flying field, use this forecast to see what the winds are going to be doing. Hey, we got the technology to save ourselves time and money, we'd be smart to use it for sure.

All you have to do is go into the website and put in your state and then put in the closest city to your flying field. It'll show you the wind direction, strength, what the clouds will probably look like, how warm/cold it'll be, how probable it is that it's going to rain..... just a TON of information.

You planning on going flying tomorrow? it'll show you what tomorrow is probably going to be like. The example I've included is for around here. I'm planning to fly early this morning and not this afternoon. I don't mind the wind this afternoon, but am flying a brand new airplane and prefer to do the trim flights in the calmest wind for that day.

Look in the upper left. That's where you input your state. Right below that you input the nearest town. The result will be like my included attachment only it'll be for where you fly.

[8D]See the orange graph? That's what the temps are expected to be. Notice that you get a forecast for every couple of hours.
[8D]See the greenish graph? The green/blue bumpy line? That's the wind speeds. Good info. The forecast is usually slightly lower than we see at our field because it's a wide open field that is rather flat for miles around it. Yours will vary too, but not by much.
[8D]In between those two graphs is the wind direction. I've taken a compass to my field and know it's heading. So I can look at those arrows for wind direction and know what to expect when I get to the field. Looking at the arrows for 8am today, I know the wind will be over the south pit shelter so it'll be across the runway. And it's only going to be around 8mph. Decent enough winds.
[8D]That blue line with clouds all along it shows where your cloud cover/ceiling is going to be.
[8D]Below that is all the other forecast stuff. A valuable bit of info there is the probability of rain.

Hey, it's up-to-date for when you do it. Right then. And useful for 3 days of info.

forgot to put in the link

http://usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/c...t=Get+Forecast

Yeah, not so great here. [link=http://usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?sta=KCAE&model=avn&state=SC&Submit=Get+Fo recast]Columbia forecast[/link]
This is about how it is every week.
Karter

Remember, the planes don't know it is windy! If you can't fly in the wind in OH, you're not going to fly much.

Not to hijack your thread but a little different perspective. I fly mostly control line stunt at the moment. The one thing I envy about you RC fliers is that you seem to fly comfortably in wind that gives me problems. My ideal is a 5 mph wind coming from the sun. Most maneuvers are flown down wind, and it is nice if the sun is somewhere else (usually it is not.) If there is no wind you have to take a step or two back between consecutive maneuvers to get out of your own turbulent wake. If you don't do so, the airplane at least gets bounced around and looks ugly. At worst you get bounced into the ground. This has happened twice to me. If the wind is about 20 MPH you can wind fly, launch the airplane, without starting the motor, into the wind, whip it over and there you go. Lazy 8's and loops are easy. I've seen George Aldrich do vertical 8's and overhead 8's wind flying his Nobler.