why i suck

GeorgeC

GeorgeC

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GeorgeC
No go today:

[FONT=Monospace,Courier][SIZE=+1]KIAD 251725Z 2518/2624 31016G25KT P6SM FEW050 [/SIZE][/FONT]

Straight down the runway, even :(

Apparently other people had the same idea. I hung out at the airport for half an hour and didn't see a single airplane land or depart; the only activity was a Piaggio getting gas. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow afternoon.

I should get a plastic Henning for the dashboard.
 
I'm surprised if no one was flying in those conditions, but everyone has their own comfort level, and I don't believe in trying to talk people into flying in conditions that they aren't sure they can handle. For me, a forecast of 30 gusting to 40 on Wednesday was too much for a proposed flight in an Archer, so I waited until Thursday, when the forecast was about the same as the one you quoted.
 
What plane are you flying?

If the wind is down the runway what was wrong with that?

Don't rely too much on what other pilots do. :no:
 
And I made a different choice last evening with virtually the same conditions.

KHEF 242050Z 32016G23KT 10SM OVC050 14/04 A3004

Went up with a fellow PoA member, shot 6 approaches, 5 holds, and the associated intercept and tracking, all under the hood. While not the most comfortable time I ever had, it was fine in my plane. 30-ish degree "crab" on the approach course for LOC 4 at CJR, but it worked out once I got used to it.

Bad thing: a bit bouncy. Good things: not many others up (no students, skydivers, or aerobatic stuff near the CSN VOR), conditions like one would expect in the clouds, good cross-wind practice, and relatively little ATC traffic for the start of a holiday weekend.

But no one will ever criticize a "no go" decision if you're not comfortable with conditions.
 
Pipersport LSA.

40 knot headwinds at 3000' when I normally fly at 100kias = flying can wait until tomorrow.

Geico266 said:
What plane are you flying?

If the wind is down the runway what was wrong with that?

Don't rely too much on what other pilots do. :no:
Click to expand...
 
GeorgeC said:
No go today:

[FONT=Monospace,Courier][SIZE=+1]KIAD 251725Z 2518/2624 31016G25KT P6SM FEW050 [/SIZE][/FONT]

Straight down the runway, even :(

Apparently other people had the same idea. I hung out at the airport for half an hour and didn't see a single airplane land or depart; the only activity was a Piaggio getting gas. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow afternoon.

I should get a plastic Henning for the dashboard.
Click to expand...

If we waited for better conditions, we would never fly.
 
BillTIZ said:
If we waited for better conditions, we would never fly.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it matters what you fly. GeorgeC said he's flying a PiperSport. I've never flown one, but I've got about 50 hours in a SkyCatcher and I'd not fly in those conditions with the SkyCatcher either. I'd probably do it in a 172, though.
 
Remember Jay's point that this kind of wind in Ohio meant sharp turbulence. I would not cancel for these winds in KABQ, but that's because the mountain is on the other side. I'm not going to rush to suck/no suck discussion without knowing weather patterns around KIAD. BTW, what did the forecast say?
 
madtrader said:
Yeah, but it matters what you fly. GeorgeC said he's flying a PiperSport. I've never flown one, but I've got about 50 hours in a SkyCatcher and I'd not fly in those conditions with the SkyCatcher either. I'd probably do it in a 172, though.
Click to expand...

Concur. The Katana that was on final as I was getting ready to launch was pretty clearly struggling with the conditions. My plane is about 1000 pounds heavier....

Given that it's a PiperSport, it's pretty clear that it wouldn't be a lot of fun. DAI was basically empty when I was there - no student flights...
 
I would fly in that with my 700 lb Flybaby.
 
It's all about personal minimums... then sometimes you stretch them when the need arises. In a CT LSA, I've ended up landing 28G38 (down the runway), taking off in 25kt direct xwind, and landing a couple of times in 22 kt direct xwind. Not something I'll plan to do in the future.... but if the need arises....
In the above landing cases, I knew it was beyond what I'd practiced, so I came down and figured I give it a try... things felt good and in control, so I landed. A go-around was always an option, as was lingering until better (?) conditions, or another airport. In one case, it was the only international airport of entry within fuel range. Like I said, sometimes you stretch your minimums.
 
CT4ME said:
It's all about personal minimums... then sometimes you stretch them when the need arises. In a CT LSA, I've ended up landing 28G38 (down the runway), taking off in 25kt direct xwind, and landing a couple of times in 22 kt direct xwind. Not something I'll plan to do in the future.... but if the need arises....
In the above landing cases, I knew it was beyond what I'd practiced, so I came down and figured I give it a try... things felt good and in control, so I landed. A go-around was always an option, as was lingering until better (?) conditions, or another airport. In one case, it was the only international airport of entry within fuel range. Like I said, sometimes you stretch your minimums.
Click to expand...

That's why I don't believe in setting hard personal minimums and never have...
 
GeorgeC said:
[FONT=Monospace,Courier][SIZE=+1]KIAD 251725Z 2518/2624 31016G25KT P6SM FEW050 [/SIZE][/FONT]
Click to expand...

Next time, get an instructor, get out and learn to fly in it. It really isn't that bad.
 
The reason you didn't fly may have more to do with why you wanted to fly.

Nothing beats having a mission. If you needed to get somewhere to do something, you're decision may have been different. And that would have been a good thing because that's how you become a more proficient pilot... even if it was just a more challenging go - nogo decision where you decided not to go.

It's difficult choosing to fly when there's no compelling reason to do it other than perhaps an unpleasant proficiency exercise. It doesn't suck, it's just the way it is.
 
I spoke with a CFI this morning, he said yesterday kicked his butt; glad I sat it out.

I flew today, and while the winds were less gusty, it was still pretty turbulent with the nearby airmet tango. I bashed my head into the canopy pretty well, as did everything that had formerly been in the right seat.

Otherwise, three good landings, and now I've joined the vaunted >100 hour club. woo
 
GeorgeC said:
No go today:

[FONT=Monospace,Courier][SIZE=+1]KIAD 251725Z 2518/2624 31016G25KT P6SM FEW050 [/SIZE][/FONT]

Straight down the runway, even :(

Apparently other people had the same idea. I hung out at the airport for half an hour and didn't see a single airplane land or depart; the only activity was a Piaggio getting gas. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow afternoon.

I should get a plastic Henning for the dashboard.
Click to expand...

I don't get it, whats wrong with the winds? It is awesome out..
 
I was based in IAD for 3 years and I don't think I ever saw anyone land on 30. I've landed on 12, but never 30. So, if he was staying in the area and would have to then land on one of the 1's then I can see the wind being an issue.

Otherwise I don't see the problem either.
 
He's flying a PiperSport. Highly unlikely that he's at IAD - IAD is just the nearest TAF for HEF, JYO, CJR, and several others.
 
Henning flew in those conditions with only one mag functioning after having sailed non-stop from Trinidad. Yeah, that's the ticket!
 
GeorgeC said:
No go today:

[FONT=Monospace,Courier][SIZE=+1]KIAD 251725Z 2518/2624 31016G25KT P6SM FEW050 [/SIZE][/FONT]

Straight down the runway, even :(

Apparently other people had the same idea. I hung out at the airport for half an hour and didn't see a single airplane land or depart; the only activity was a Piaggio getting gas. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow afternoon.

I should get a plastic Henning for the dashboard.
Click to expand...

I started out one day with the wind calm, and as I was shooting a few T&Gs I noticed that the wind seemed to be picking up. Same basic scenerio as your METAR but from the opposit direction, and rwy 9-27.
Was interesting to say the least, but still manageable. My only trouble was ATC telling me of each increase in wind speed. Thing is, that hangers and trees blocked most of the wind right at the TDZ. :D
 
bluerooster said:
I started out one day with the wind calm, and as I was shooting a few T&Gs I noticed that the wind seemed to be picking up. Same basic scenerio as your METAR but from the opposit direction, and rwy 9-27.
Was interesting to say the least, but still manageable. My only trouble was ATC telling me of each increase in wind speed. Thing is, that hangers and trees blocked most of the wind right at the TDZ. :D
Click to expand...

Trees and buildings can sometimes be very nice to buffer heavy crosswinds if they're close enough to the RWY borders.

The same wind obstructions can be very bad though. For instance at BFI's 13L where Boeing's big west-side hangars are far enough from 13L that they effectively cause a great deal of unpredictable turbulence, even from what may have started out as a fairly steady, westerly crosswind.
 
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