cowman
Final Approach
Was out doing touch and gos in some pretty heavy crosswind with an instructor this morning(for the express purpose of improving on crosswind landings).
It was very bumpy, but at this point I've learned to filter out all the bumps and pitching around in conditions like this and just fly the airplane. Well on one of the passes shortly after taking off I had a bump to end all bumps. If the normal "bumps" you feel are like a slightly rough road this was like hitting a huge deep pothole at interstate speed. A hard teeth jarring nerve shattering slam of a bump.
I cannot now, trying to recall the event say if or how it upset the airplane any... I can tell you I was back on the same attitude I was before and continuing climb-out just as my CFI was reaching for the yoke. I would like to think I had lightning reflexes and without any thought perfectly righted myself but the airplane may just as well have done it on it's own. I can't claim any thought process in the matter though. I can say the guy in the right seat let go of the yoke about as quickly as he reached for it though so at least I didn't mess up.
As soon as I was sure we weren't about to be doomed and were in fact still on the upwind leg climbing out I asked "what the hell was that?"
"Wind shear".
"Oh..... well that was exciting."
So yeah there's my account of my first encounter with wind shear. Let's hope it's the last but if it happens again at least I know.
It was very bumpy, but at this point I've learned to filter out all the bumps and pitching around in conditions like this and just fly the airplane. Well on one of the passes shortly after taking off I had a bump to end all bumps. If the normal "bumps" you feel are like a slightly rough road this was like hitting a huge deep pothole at interstate speed. A hard teeth jarring nerve shattering slam of a bump.
I cannot now, trying to recall the event say if or how it upset the airplane any... I can tell you I was back on the same attitude I was before and continuing climb-out just as my CFI was reaching for the yoke. I would like to think I had lightning reflexes and without any thought perfectly righted myself but the airplane may just as well have done it on it's own. I can't claim any thought process in the matter though. I can say the guy in the right seat let go of the yoke about as quickly as he reached for it though so at least I didn't mess up.
As soon as I was sure we weren't about to be doomed and were in fact still on the upwind leg climbing out I asked "what the hell was that?"
"Wind shear".
"Oh..... well that was exciting."
So yeah there's my account of my first encounter with wind shear. Let's hope it's the last but if it happens again at least I know.
