Determining actual TAS

[EdFred]

Look again. Look at the WHOLE thing. Even the part you didn't highlight.

OK, you presumably have no experience with wildfires, so I'll just assume you don't know that a column of smoke can rise to the tropopause under some conditions.

I have no issue with the 91.205 comment which is why I didn't highlight the 91.205 portion.

When I've seen them, they have been in the middle of a TFR. Are you suggesting I fly into the TFR just to get a better view of the smoke?

I've seen quite a lot of smoke over 10,000 MSL. Just because you haven't doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

When I've seen it, it has been in the middle of a TFR.

And the 7000 AGL thing was YOUR addition. Some of us fly at lower altitudes sometimes, and no such general solution was requested by the OP.

Kent flies a Mooney. I'm pretty sure he's not blasting around Wisconsin at 180kts IAS low enough to make out the direction a windsock is blowing. And to make sure he's in that same streamline. Then again Kent may be blasting around at that speed. In which case, he's as crazy as I am, and I'm pretty sure he's not.

Though, even at 10000 MSL, it's not THAT hard to eyeball the WCA. You can't tell a headwind from a tailwind that way, but you sure can tell a significant crosswind.

Could still be off by 10-20 degrees easily, which may not get a close enough number for certain types. Knowing Kent, he probably wants it near exact. Unless he's mellowed out since marriage.

Oh wait, now I suppose you'll tell me that my solution doesn't work on Venus. I'll give you a preemptive pass. You would be right. It won't work on Venus.

If we could design aircraft to withstand the conditions on Venus, and put in 8-24 satellites in Venusian orbit, there's no reason it couldn't work.

Dude, I know you have an axe to grind. But don't make up situations just to create an opportunity to call me an idiot. ESPECIALLY if you aren't going to get it 100% right. Feel free to tell me when I'm actually wrong, but if you're going there, it has to be reciprocal.

I know you're never wrong. PhD's are never wrong when something is pointed out by a non-PhD.

 

[MAKG1]

When I've seen it, it has been in the middle of a TFR.

Then you haven't seen it.

TFRs are directly over the fires, for firefighting.

The smoke columns don't stay in the TFRs, unless there is no wind. Which by itself would be a measurement. Even when they stay inside TFRs, they are not hard to see from outside.

That's enough. You clearly aren't listening, and you're making up BS to go with it. There is no point in talking with someone whose only point is to try to show he's smarter than a Ph.D., and who makes ridiculous mistakes in trying to do so.

Hell, I know there are some smart people on this board. Maybe you're even one of them. But you'll have to really listen and have honest conversations before I'll believe that.

 

[EdFred]

You're right, I should stick to dropping things off a 20 story building so I can watch them break the sound barrier, because I am obviously in over my head.

 

[MAKG1]

You're right, I should stick to dropping things off a 20 story building so I can watch them break the sound barrier, because I am obviously in over my head.

No, you'll just forget that wind blows smoke away from its source.

 

[Everskyward]

Wait... someone is going to fly around looking for a forest fire to judge the winds aloft so they can run this test involving timing various legs when they could have taken it to an avionics shop and used calibrated equipment which would have been more accurate to begin with?

Or it's an excuse to go flying.

 

[MAKG1]

Wait... someone is going to fly around looking for a forest fire to judge the winds aloft so they can run this test involving timing various legs when they could have taken it to an avionics shop and used calibrated equipment which would have been more accurate to begin with?

Or it's an excuse to go flying.

Nope, you're right.

The shop is the right way to go.

And it's required for airworthiness if he thinks it's not functional anyway.

Flying around wildfires isn't much fun anyway. After the first day, they tend to make bad visibility, even at high altitude and for many miles downwind.

 

[Clark1961]

I know you're never wrong. PhD's are never wrong when something is pointed out by a non-PhD.

Why thank you for acknowledging that universal truth. We PhD types are very gratified to know that at least one of you others recognize and acknowledge our superiority.

 

[EdFred]

I shall get back to my web serfing now. (not a typo)

 

[35 AoA]

I have a TAS readout in the cockpit, but for flight planning purposes I have used the 1/2 your altitude in thousands of feet + your IAS rule of thumb and it has yet to be significantly wrong.

 

[gismo]

Perhaps, if there's one on the field and they don't charge more for the testing than an hour of flying.

An ASI can be perfectly accurate WRT pressure vs speed yet still indicate an error in an airplane because of inaccuracies in the static port location.