Bug the wind

dell30rb

dell30rb

Final Approach
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Ren
Here's a tip I had not heard of before, set your heading bug to the direction the wind is blowing from, so you'll always have a quick reference. Useful for taxi control positioning, or possibly ground reference maneuvers once you have the wind direction figured out.

http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/tip-week/bug-wind

Anyone do this?
 
Well, that's fine if you have a bug to set, or even a DG. Does not work well when all you have is a whiskey compass. :)

When I do have a DG and Bug, I normally set the departure or arrival runway heading, or the first heading to expect/assigned as part of the departure clearance.

Interesting thought to use it for primary ground reference maneuvers.
 
I've done that when I started the training. It's VERY helpful! :)
 
I normally set the bug for the wind by habit after getting ATIS so that i can taxi into the wind for my run up. It stays there until after take off.
 
I had a CFI mention that trick to me during a flight review. I'd always been setting it to the rwy heading - a suggestion from another CFI.
 
I use 11% of my brain...that extra 1% is for bugging the wind and that kinda stuff.

But whatever works for ya. Situational awareness is limitless.
 
I typically set my secondary CDI to the wind direction as a reference before take-off. It's not doing anything else for me usually, so I might as well get some use out of it.
 
I try to set the hdg bug to the dep/arr runway and often wished I had a second bug for the wind. Mostly when I am taxiing out I am aware of where it is from what hits my face while boarding or the atis . Landing, you usually see the windsock, know it from control usage. Another aid is always good though.
 
In the C172SP, I use the Heading bug for the wind so I can estimate the value of crosswind for the intended runway.

Previously when I flew a C172H that didn't have a heading bug, I would always use the second VOR head to set the wind. I had to break that habit when I was doing some IR training, as that second CDI was being used and could really mess me up!
 
BillTIZ said:
Well, that's fine if you have a bug to set, or even a DG. Does not work well when all you have is a whiskey compass. :)

When I do have a DG and Bug, I normally set the departure or arrival runway heading, or the first heading to expect/assigned as part of the departure clearance.

Interesting thought to use it for primary ground reference maneuvers.
Click to expand...

Why do you call it a whiskey compass? Because it wanders around like its drunk?
 
Challenged said:
I typically set my secondary CDI to the wind direction as a reference before take-off. It's not doing anything else for me usually, so I might as well get some use out of it.
Click to expand...

+1, I always set the hdg bug to rwy heading as a double check and set Nav2 for the wind direction on departure.

If not on the ILS I'll sometimes bug the nav2 with the winds on landing. I tend to have the ATIS noted on my knee board so its there at a glance.
 
Renjamin, there are a couple of storys about that. One of the most common is that the kerosene used in the compass led to it being called a "wet" compass or a "w" compass. The phonetic for "W" is whiskey. If you don't like that explanation then make up your own, it wioll be as good as any.:wink2:
 
Challenged said:
I typically set my secondary CDI to the wind direction as a reference before take-off. It's not doing anything else for me usually, so I might as well get some use out of it.
Click to expand...

Thats a good idea I like to set my heading bug if I have one to Rwy heading. That can be helpful in situations where there are two runways such as at IPT or LEX where the departure ends of two different runways meet close to or at the end of the runway. Recall the fatal commuter crash at KLEX a few years ago.

Actually in looking at the sat view of KLEX it looks like they elimiated the intersecting ends perhaps due to the confusion. Here is IPTs diagram. What is not shown is that the areas between 27&30 is paved making it a bit more confusing if your not familiar with the field.

00457AD.jpg
 
ronnieh said:
If you don't like that explanation then make up your own, it wioll be as good as any.:wink2:
Click to expand...



I've had passengers ask why the compass wanders around like it does.. instead of attempting to explain the tendencies of the compass to do funny things when you turn i'm just going to tell them that the compass has been hitting the bottle. And when the DG precesses, i'll tell them that he was up late partying with the compass last night.
 
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ronnieh said:
Renjamin, there are a couple of storys about that. One of the most common is that the kerosene used in the compass led to it being called a "wet" compass or a "w" compass. The phonetic for "W" is whiskey. If you don't like that explanation then make up your own, it wioll be as good as any.:wink2:
Click to expand...
I thought it was filled with alcohol.
 
jasc15 said:
I thought it was filled with alcohol.
Click to expand...
I believe that at one time alcohol was used as the damping fluid in compasses but these days it's usually some sort of very low viscosity oil such as kerosene. I also suspect that the term "Whiskey Compass" came into common use due to the alcohol originally used.
 
I always set the heading bug to the departure runway heading and the nav needle (HSI) to the assigned or on course heading. I write the wind down but I mostly look at the wind sock which is usually more accurate for the exact moment I need it.
 
dell30rb said:
Here's a tip I had not heard of before, set your heading bug to the direction the wind is blowing from, so you'll always have a quick reference. Useful for taxi control positioning, or possibly ground reference maneuvers once you have the wind direction figured out.

http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/tip-week/bug-wind

Anyone do this?
Click to expand...

I do it, but I use a CDI that isn't being used for anything else.

As soon as I hear the wind info, I set it on the CDI. Then I often twist to runway heading to get a feel for the angle before twisting back to the wind.
 
gismo said:
I believe that at one time alcohol was used as the damping fluid in compasses but these days it's usually some sort of very low viscosity oil such as kerosene. I also suspect that the term "Whiskey Compass" came into common use due to the alcohol originally used.
Click to expand...
Yea, which is why I thought the term "whiskey compass" seemed pretty obvious, but I didnt know anything else was used.
 
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I do it on takeoff and landing.

It helped me last week when the windsock was wrapped around it's pole.
 
After seeing all the replys to the whiskey compass I thought I would do a little digging. The inventor of the liquid compass, Creagh-Osborne, did indeed use alcohol as the dampning fluid. I can not find what kind of alcohol. I can not find anything definate but I do not find anything concrete that says whiskey was ever used. The modern wet compass uses either mineral oil or white kerosene depending on mfg. The fluid sold at marine stores seem to lean toward mineral oil and the "compass oil" in aviation supply smells a lot like kerosene.
So as I said in my other post one story seems to be as good as the other. It appears the technical name is liquid compass whic I think that name is obvious.:rolleyes: Back to original intent of the thread.
 
I set the heading bug on the wind direction too. I keep a clipboard, and about 5 pens, so I write down my own little briefing so i have quick reference too. (I clip my pens to my shirt collar. I always drop one and can never get it from between the seat, so, i have backups!)
 
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