Strong winds.

[lee-wave]

The highest recorded wind gust of 122mph was recorded at the Needles 2 days ago.  On the farm we recorded a gust of 68 mph.   I had tied down the Jabiru with extra strops and a strop around the tail pulled tight to a tree directly in line with the fuselage. The Jab is one of the very few aircraft that would survive such a battering out in the open.   The windsock on the strip has vanished.. probably someone in Denmark will find a windsock wrapped around a tree..

Around the rest of the country 3 people were taken out by falling trees, the O2 arena in London had part of its roof ripped off, many thousands of trees toppled over, many houses damaged. Even a huge wind power generator was blown over.  It's not completely over as today, Sunday, there are further warnings of 60 mph gusts.

Ah well at least the winds may blow all the bugs away ....

[Blueadventures]

8 minutes ago, lee-wave said:

The highest recorded wind gust of 122mph was recorded at the Needles 2 days ago.  On the farm we recorded a gust of 68 mph.   I had tied down the Jabiru with extra strops and a strop around the tail pulled tight to a tree directly in line with the fuselage. The Jab is one of the very few aircraft that would survive such a battering out in the open.   The windsock on the strip has vanished.. probably someone in Denmark will find a windsock wrapped around a tree..

Around the rest of the country 3 people were taken out by falling trees, the O2 arena in London had part of its roof ripped off, many thousands of trees toppled over, many houses damaged. Even a huge wind power generator was blown over.  It's not completely over as today, Sunday, there are further warnings of 60 mph gusts.

Ah well at least the winds may blow all the bugs away ....

That's Cat 5 cyclone strength. I saw some hangars material blown open by the strong winds.  Hope damage to aircraft is minimal.

[rgmwa]

2 hours ago, Blueadventures said:

That's Cat 5 cyclone strength. I saw some hangars material blown open by the strong winds.  Hope damage to aircraft is minimal.

Not quite. a Cat 5 gust speed starts at 174 mph and has no upper limit.

A 122 mph gust is about the middle of Cat 3, but still strong enough to ruin your day.

Also worth keeping in mind that wind pressure varies as the square of the wind speed, so double the speed and the wind pressure, which is what causes the damage, goes up by a factor of four.

 

[Jabiru7252]

The highest winds I have encountered on landing were 30 kts and that was 30° off the nose. Being in a Tobago TB10 it handled that quite well. I found as I grew old and feeble my abilities lessened. Sadly, I no longer fly. However, like Lego, Tonka Toys and romps in the back of the EH Holden these things are now in the past. I have now taken up chemical engineering - turning alcohol into urine. It's reasonably cheap and easy to do.