It doesn't hurt to ask...

[cgrab]

On my return to HSV from the north today, (2-2 mile parallel runways), approach gave me "make left downwind for 36R," I read it back but was wondering if I would overfly the western runway or split the two on my downwind. A few minutes later I got "Nxxxx make right downwind for 36R." At that point, with ATIS saying winds 080/5 I asked for 18L. Approach said negative and short time later had me contact tower. As I puttered in looking at the 2 mile long runway and thinking I'll make my turn to base about halfway down, Tower comes on and says "Nxxxx cleared to land 18L." A quick side step and power reduction and I was on final. I asked for the winds and got 160/8. I thanked them for getting me down quickly. While I was putting the plane away they continued to use 36L and R because it gets the planes to the terminal faster and the winds weren't that bad.

 

[mscard88]

On my return to HSV from the north today, (2-2 mile parallel runways), approach gave me "make left downwind for 36R," I read it back but was wondering if I would overfly the western runway or split the two on my downwind. A few minutes later I got "Nxxxx make right downwind for 36R." At that point, with ATIS saying winds 080/5 I asked for 18L. Approach said negative and short time later had me contact tower. As I puttered in looking at the 2 mile long runway and thinking I'll make my turn to base about halfway down, Tower comes on and says "Nxxxx cleared to land 18L." A quick side step and power reduction and I was on final. I asked for the winds and got 160/8. I thanked them for getting me down quickly. While I was putting the plane away they continued to use 36L and R because it gets the planes to the terminal faster and the winds weren't that bad.

If the winds were 8 KTS and favoring 18L/R (regardless of airliners) they should have switched runways. ATC could end up as a contributing factor if an accident occurred. I forget since I left ATC in '88 but I think there's a requirement to switch runways at a certain wind velocity, I might be mistaken.

 

[Velocity173]

If the winds were 8 KTS and favoring 18L/R (regardless of airliners) they should have switched runways. ATC could end up as a contributing factor if an accident occurred. I forget since I left ATC in '88 but I think there's a requirement to switch runways at a certain wind velocity, I might be mistaken.

5 kts or more but exceptions (pilot request, noise abatement, operational advantage) exist.

Downwind takeoffs or landing clearances for helos should not be done over 5 kts either unless pilot concurs. Maybe a little R22 might have issues but for others, 5 kts ain't nothing.

 

[danhagan]

Our Class C (KELP) will ask if you can accept that runway assignment. We have new controllers and there's a shorter GA runway that never gets assigned, I usually ask for that and indicate I can execute a tight pattern (all of their stuff is on straight in approaches 95% of the time) in order to avoid tail winds over 10 knots.

 

[RyanB]

If you get an instruction that's unclear in any way, don't be afraid to ask ATC to clarify. Sounds the initial instruction to 'make left downwind for 36R' was a goof on ATC's part.

-It never hurts to ask!

 

[coloradobluesky]

We are supposed to ask for the runway that is into the wind if they don't offer it. I have landed with a 22 knot tailwind and in my plane (Husky) its doable, but....when I had amphibs and I always wanted to land as slow as possible. The amphibs landing gear was not the robust. If you land downwind, dont use the outside as an indicator of when you are going to land, get it as close to the runway as possible in the flare. What can happen is you will stall and drop on because you stall at a higher ground speed than normal. Of course if you dont have enough runway, dont even attempt a downwind landing. IFR pilots get into landing downwind because that is the runway with the lower minimums. So watch out on that one. Need a low approach because you dont come down as fast with the wind.

 

[Fearless Tower]

This is how I respond when Approach tells me to land with a tailwind...