a fly on a windy day

[Guest terry]

Hi All, Had a great fly this day but man was it windy. The wind sock in the picture below only tells half the story. Its nice to have someone on the ground to take some snaps. Its a battle to get in the air with all this wind so I thought I'd bore you lot with some pics. Anyone else with some.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Perhaps a bit of an opportunity for some info on cross winds eh?

 

First up the maximum cross wind component on a Thruster is 15 kts (demonstrated). That does not mean that any individual pilot can handle that amount – believe me they are a real handful at that component and they are witches on the ground to start with until you are proficient with them.

 

The ones most susceptible to cross wind swings are the TST E, T500 or any of the other types retrofitted with fuselage rear enclosures. This is because of the greater area aft of the point of ground contact (in a wheel on landing) or aft of the Centre of Gravity (in a 3 point landing.

 

The landing of preference in a cross wind (or any time other than to keep your hand in with 3 pointers) is the wheel on landing. You have a far better order of control and you also extend time to deal with the situation.

 

If you are caught by a high cross wind that has developed when you are flying then there may be an option available to you if you have enough space. At Watts Bridge (when fully mown) the runway and taxiways are a combined 140 mts wide. There is ample space to land diagonally across the runway and take a considerable number of degrees out of the cross wind. Sometimes it pays to think outside the rigid square circuit!!!

 

Now a think piece for you. You are at a single runway airfield and the cross wind is brisk, dead on right angles to the runway, and is giving you pause for thought. Which way would you land – with the wind on your left or on your right?

 

This raises the point that it is not just the cross wind that will swing you on a Thruster – the combined engine effects will also swing you. These will be to the right on take off and to the left on landing.

 

If you land with the wind on your right then the natural tendency for the aircraft to go left will cancel some of the cross wind weathercocking! Give you a bit of an easier ride.

 

If you look carefully at Terry’s last photo you will see that he is apparently landing downhill but he has the wind in the correct position. He has brakes so that will help with not running off the end and he has put as much as possible in his favour.

 

Aye

 

Tony

 

 

[Guest terry]

Thanks for your comments. Your absolutely right with your comments Tony and that was my thinking at the time. The question you asked funny enough was one of the questions in one of my exams during my training with Wally Rudin. I'm also lucky to have two long time thruster pilots at the strip I use, Around 15 years each on thrusters so I'm surrounded by experience. The strip where I fly being tucked under Mt Wellington and deep gullies at both ends surrounded by tiger country offers up many challenges to be over come. I have seen the wind socks at both ends of the runway pointing inwards, now that puts your thinking cap on when you over fly the strip.

 

Regards Terry