Flying when windy question
 

I've been training with an instructor, and wanted to know what is the maximum wind velocity a student should fly in. I hate to keep calling my instructor all the time, to see if its to windy to fly or not. I've asked him what was his limit on wind conditions, but he would always answer "just call me and we'll see". I know all of you instructors have different limits, but can you tell me what the average mph is acceptable? So I, at least can use this as a guide on when to set up a session or not. Here in KS it's always windy, but also there are days when there is little wind but heavy gusts, so I know this also needs to be taken into consideration. Just don't want to become a phone heckler.

Thanks
CC

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I did the same thing to my instructor. And most of my students do the same to me. It's just par for the course when you're learning. :D

Here in Oklahoma we live with pretty constant wind like you do too. I would say for a beginner 10-15 mph would probably be too much. But it really depends on a lot of things. 20 mph straight down the runway is a lot easier to deal with than a 10 mph crosswind at times. Things like this is why the instructor is having you call, because there are times that you can't judge just by the wind speed.

Ken

RE: Flying when windy question
 

It can depend on the actual intensity, the gust factors, the degree of crosswind, the instructors self-confidence and his confidence in you and/or the plane. All of these vary constantly so there is no set answer. Make the calls.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Saturday was a great day for flying, Sunday wasn't. Depending on the trainer you are flying usually 15 mph is tops for effective training, 10 - 12 will bounce it around a bit and make you work at times. I was out Saturday and it wasn't bad - for the most part a steady 12 - 15 mph wind and I had no issues with the maiden on an Alpha 60, nor did another club member have any issues with the maiden on his Topflight Cessna 310.

Hogflyer

RE: Flying when windy question
 

20 mph striaght down the runway is some of the most fun I`ve had. But, 10 to 15 crosswinds can be trying for the most seasoned flyer. That`s why your instructor is having you call , the right windy day may be what he is looking for, to round out your training.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Thanks all,

I just didn't want to become a nusiance with me calling alot. I guess he could change his phone number if he thought I was becoming a pain. :D

CC

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Nah, He just say, I`ll call you.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Some of the most challenging flying I've done is with an unsuspecting cross wind. At our field, we have a line of trees well behind the flight line, maybe 150 or so feet behind. But there is a cross runway that opens up the tree line that is right smack in the flight path when taking off from right to left, or when landing left to right. When the wind is at our backs, it comes across this cross runway. And, when it is blowing at a pretty good rate, we usually catch it in one form or another..either landing or taking off.

We often cannot feel it at our backs because the tree line protects the flight line, but at this opening where the cross runway is, and of course, at altitude when the plane is above the tree line, we catch it.

As I said, this presents a pretty good challenge for us. I learned in that stuff flying my old Nexstar and it made for some interesting take-off's and landings.

Call your instructor. I don't think he will mind it that much... ;)

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Gusts can take all the fun out of it. Steady 15 knot winds would make me reconsider a flight - but it depends greatly on the model and the relative angle to the runway.

It's hard to land a model with a negative speed over ground when nose into a strong headwind and downwind of the runway. :D

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I have a broud brimmed hat to protect from the sun; if it won't stay on I don't fly, especially if in a crosswind.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I allways say that flying in high wind is easy. Landing in high wind is another story! Like everyone said, a steady down the runway wind is much easier to deal with than a gusty one. Also your plane has allot to do with it. Trainers that fly slow and have slow reactions to inputs are harder to land in wind than a sport plane. Most will agree that 5/10 mph is about tops for a beginner. 15/20 is flyable but no fun for anyone beginner or pro. Good luck, mxerman

RE: Flying when windy question
 

As my instructor said, "if you can fly in the wind, you can fly when there is none. And, if you can't fly in the wind, you won't be flying very much. Lets just go fly."

Now there were times it was a bit too much wind to fly in, but even the days with what some would call too much wind, we still flew. The extra wind just teaches you to know how to correct the flight characteristics.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

CC,
check out this website and see if they have this coverage for your area. Then find out the bearing of your flying field. Which way the runway lies. This website gives you two very excellent bits of info that you can see clearly. The windspeeds expected for the time you'd like to fly, and their directions. And you can look a the arrows that shows the wind direction and imagine how that arrow relates to your flying field.

And if the arrow is pointing such that the winds are going to be right up the runway, or right down it, then expect your instructor to be ready to go. If they're high winds and the arrow is across the runway, you might just save a call or two. But when you do go out next, ask him what criteria he's using for not flying. And compare that to those forecasts.

BTW, there isn't an average acceptable wind speed. Depends on the direction of the wind and the runway heading. And gusting.

BTW, gusting often cycles predictably. But that's not easy for most students to accept or to get a feel for reading.

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

RE: Flying when windy question
 

This is the link I use for Wichita

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/laun...t=Get+Forecast

One thing about flying in Kansas or Oklahoma - if you can't fly in the wind you're not gonna fly much. :D

Hogflyer

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I've met several pilots at our fun flys that are from Wichita and they aren't scared of any wind. Their remarks were learn to fly in it or stay home.

I told my instructor that one day I would like to fly with no wind and he replyed "where you going to move to".

Be safe, make sure the wind is right, and have fun.

David

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Thanks all,

During my previous flights, they were quite windy with no gusts. That is what has kept me from flying. Just lately is when I started to pay attention to the wind. It's been really windy here and my instructor has called off the last 3-4 weeks of flying because of that. Our field runs north/south and most of our problems were crosswinds/gusts. I wonder if its due to the hurricanes down south. I'm no meteorologist, but this hobby does make you aware of other things connected to flying. A newbie whos learning other factors involved. Hogflyer, I've got 2 astro hog kits in the closet waiting to be built in the future. Looking forward to your tips on these kits.

CC

RE: Flying when windy question
 

yes... wind is a terrible thing for beginners. i would nothing more than 10mph and steady. this for three reasons

these two have been said
1. Controlled flight is more difficult - you will lose control at some times and beginners may panick

2. Crosswinds are hard to curb in landing - not easy to landing safely in crosswinds unless you have a big big landing area. i've had planes come at me in the pits because beginners misjudged the crosswind and with a lack of wind nearly flew into a crowd.

this one is from me
3. Tuning is critical in wind - two examples:
A. a deadstick (dead engine) on a still day is demanding, a deadstick in wind is a killer.
B. power is important in the wind. this is my favorite... i sold my first WM Cub 26 with an OS FS-30S. it wasn't the most powerful of engines but it was always fine with the cub and i've flown in windy conditions (flew in hong kong where the mountain was behind us and the harbor in front) and never had any problems. when i sold it to a beginner (well he was a daring flyer but his fundamentals were terrible) we exchanged in the air, meaning i took off, he flew it in the air and i landed. a week later, i came back to the field and he said he had just lost it. he claimed that he had tuned the engine perfectly but it was just not powerful enough to combat the wind and no matter how hard he tried, the plane was just blown away. right. in reality, he must have tuned the engine poorly and running on a poorly tuned fourstoke on a windy day is just asking for trouble. anyway, beginners should know that with a change in temperature, a change in environment, a change in fuel and particularly a change in prop could all alter the tuning of an engine. i was extremly sad to see that plane end up like that...

good luck!

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Thanks for the link. I have several "Aviation" or Flight Service station weather/wind speed links and I like this one the best!:)

RE: Flying when windy question
 

You're welcome.

I was tickled to find it myself. One click and I've got 3 days covered. And the biggest value is that wind azmuth. That arrow is magic. One look and I know exactly how the winds going to be working at the field.

BTW, the wind is your friend. (well, most times)
It makes the runway longer. For landings, longer is always better. For takeoffs, you can roll the throttle stick even slower and that makes takeoffs even safer, forget the extra runway "length".

And wind usually cycles. So if you're smart and actually pay attention when landing, if during the approach you've actually battling the wind on that one, THEN GO AROUND and darned if the next circuit won't usually see calmer conditions. It's amazing how much safer it is to fly when you actually pay attention to the important things and then do what fits.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I've got a couple of models that take a bit more attention on takeoffs. The airframes don't come online until they've got some airspeed. The Decathlon's rudder is worthless until the sucker is moving decently. Actually, on calm days, it's worthless. The airflow is screwed or something and there isn't any airspeed to clean it up. Whatever.... it's a witch in the calm. It needs airspeed to work and it won't get that until it's ground speed has given it that airspeed. But the blasted prop is working great at zero ground/airspeed. And will pull that sucker off the ground way before the airframe has even thought about working.

But on a windy day......... Darned if that rudder doesn't start off with whatever airspeed Mother Nature is throwing around. With luck, the wind is my friend the days I take the Decathlon, and it's blowing and blowing down the runway. I'd always rather fly that sucker in some wind rather than a calm. But most days, the wind is your friend.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I will say that this year the wind in the Wichita area has been higher than normal. Last year it was almost dead calm from June to the end of September, but this year it has either been raining or blowing 20 - 30 mph. Lots of guys at the field have been complaining about the winds being higher than normal all summer. Last year the field was in use just about every day, this year many times I drive past it on the way home from work and it's locked up.

ouflyer,

If you need any help on those hogs, just yell. You've got the perfect intermediate trainer.

Hogflyer

RE: Flying when windy question
 

I'll definitely do that hogflyer. Thanks for the offer. Hopefully our paths will cross and I get to finally meet you.

CC

RE: Flying when windy question
 

da Rock, I've got a Nosen Citabria that exhibits the same rudder characteristics as your Decathalon[X(] Maybe that's why I use to see my share of "balled up" Citabrias and Decathalons in the scrap piles at various airports around the country!:) ". The Decathlon's rudder is worthless until the sucker is moving decently. Actually, on calm days, it's worthless. The airflow is screwed or something and there isn't any airspeed to clean it up. Whatever.... it's a witch in the calm. It needs airspeed to work and it won't get that until it's ground speed has given it that airspeed. But the blasted prop is working great at zero ground/airspeed. And will pull that sucker off the ground way before the airframe has even thought about working."

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Ain't dat de truth !!!

There was an outbreak of Decathlons at one of my flying fields back in the fall last year. Mine is the only one that still exists. And the only reason it does is because everyone else tried to get the takeoff part over quick because it was so ugly and scared them so bad. They did get it over with quick. Every one of those died on takeoff.

I've found the sucker isn't bad at all if I advance the throttle one click a second on the takeoff roll. Darned it the sucker doesn't doesn't do the prettiest tail lift you ever saw. Sorta graceful. And as soon at the tail is up she'll go wherever I move the rudder. But before??? got no idea and don't intend to find out. I steer on the ground by holding full up to put some downforce on the tailwheel but get off that for the takeoff roll.

RE: Flying when windy question
 

Sorry to bring up an old thread, I just got back from the flying field and I am glad that I flew today, it made me feel better about my flying ability. The winds were 18+ with some strong gust of an additional 10 mph. it made flying a bit tricky but I feel better about my flying abilities after.

I was flying Hobbico 60 trainer and I have about 20 flights under my belt.

Jon

my message, fly in the wind :)