Weird Wind.

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

OK, that was redundant. Wind is nearly always weird...

But

I set the alarm for 4:30 so I can roll down to ONZ for a ride before work. I wake up for some reason, check the clock and it's 5:15 and the alarm is still set for 4:30 Whatever. I still have time - if I don't drag it into work until 9:00, it's not the end of the world.

Pop into DUATS. Check the local metars, nothing exciting. No TFRs. I ignore the winds aloft since I'm not going anywhere.

Add 5 gallons of gas, preflight, get in, 1059Z (6:59 local) Winds 190@9, visibility 10, sky clear, temperature 22, dew point 17, altimeter 2987.

OK. Good to go.

Depart runway 17, I'm off well before the displaced threshold - nothing unusual about that. Climb at 50 - 55 mph. With just me and almost full gas, it's not unusual to make it up to pattern altitude before I would turn crosswind if I were staying in the pattern, but I blow through 1600 (1000 AGL) just off the end of the runway. The plan is to fly runway heading for some distance, depart to the south west and climb to 2500 MSL (1900 AGL). I notice that I am getting blown to the east, so I keep correcting, but I'm not really making progress to the south. Hmmm.

I reach 2500 feet about 1.3 miles from where I started the takeoff roll. Still kinda in the pattern area. I put the nose down, turn East to get across the river and I am just crawling. Turn to the southwest once I get across and realize I'm moving south - about 45 degrees off my heading. This isn't good. Glad I'm not trying to get somewhere today.

Just how hard is this wind blowing?

I turn to the east and pull back on the throttle (as I get passed by a couple golf carts) - at about 48 mph indicated I am at a stand still.

Now what?

I'm thinking that if this wind decides to push it's way down to the ground, I'm kinda screwed in my little LSA taildragger. Time to put it away.

Bring it back. By the time I get down to TPA the wind doesn't seem to be that bad. Landing was no big deal, no real crosswind correction. Check the AWOS - still saying 9 knots.

I checked the winds aloft when I got to work 240 at 41 knots at 3000 feet but 250 at only 27 knots at 6000 feet (at ECK 72 miles north)

0.5 and one landing logged.

 

[spinfire]

I'm not a weather professional just an interested pilot. My understanding is early in the morning and at night you can end up in a situation where the cool ground makes for little atmospheric mixing. The winds at 3000 might be howling along but on the ground they are light. Once the sun hits that ground and starts the atmospheric mixing those high winds aloft will be coming down to the surface in the form of gusts so your decision to head in early seems sound.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Interesting.

It was smooth - one or two bumps somewhere around pattern altitude was about it - and those could have been related to the transitions between land and water and back.

(And, as I was waiting for something to happen, I flared too high, dropped it a couple feet and got some nice bounces - which was somewhat strange since no one was watching ;-) )

 

[dell30rb]

I used to fly early before work in my student pilot solo days...

had this experience a few times! kinda wild the wind changes so abruptly with little shear turbulence.

I recall seeing smoke going straight up about 1000 feet.. then stopping abruptly and blowing off some direction..

 

[spinfire]

A few years ago I was outside at night. It was mainly clear above with just few clouds perhaps 3-5000 bases. The air on the ground was completely still (which was good because we were there for a performance) but those clouds were really scooting across the sky. The winds aloft must have been over 40 knots that day. It was a remarkable contrast between the still air on the ground and the strength of the winds aloft.

 

[skidoo]

I experienced that effect a few months ago. Calm on the ground but strong smooth winds aloft. It was fun experimenting with slow flight, reduced power and catching lift from the mountains, and observing the large angle differences between heading and course. It was also interesting how different areas around the mountains has significantly different wind speeds. I also thought it was amazing how smooth it really was.

 

[Pilawt]

Last New Years Day the paper mills of Longview, Washington, illustrated the change from the steady northerly surface wind and the frustratingly-strong (but smooth) southerly headwind just a few hundred feet above.