Cities known for wind, where you've landed

NoHeat

NoHeat

Final Approach
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Where have you landed that's dark orange color, >7 m/s annual average, on the map below?

For me, these are dark orange or close enough it's hard to say:
  • KWWR West Woodward Oklahoma, near the top-right of the Texas panhandle.
  • KBGD Borger Texas, north of Amarillo, upper Texas panhandle.
  • KGCK Garden City Kansas, 40 miles north of the Oklahoma panhandle.
  • KRWL Rawlings WY, on I80, north of the CO state line
30m_wind_map.jpg
 
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PAKT Ketchickan AK. I've done 5 go arounds for windshear in my professional flying. 3 at PAKT, 2 in the same flight! Ugh! 65 kt headwind and moderate turb until about 300 feet then WHABAMMPT!! The plane starts whippin around all 5 axis. Yes, 5, space-time was warped for a bit while we got the go-around dance figured out. Only after we recovered and in climb out did the "windshear, windshear" warning finally catch up. "We should try it again" demands the captain, like it would be any better... So we did, but we GTFO'd waaaay sooner and just went back to Seattle.

@Katamarino, looks like you flew for a "regional" airline.:)
 
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Point Hope, Alaska. wind was greater than 65 knots perpendicular to the runway.

Hovered in to a stationary landing on the ramp, into the wind, in <-- that airplane.
 
I live next to the purple area in Wyoming. It gets tiresome living in it, especially during winter but flying really isn't a problem. The winds are mostly predictable and all the runways point straight in. Only issue is taxing sometimes.
 
Landed in all 48 contiguous so, all of them.
 
Katamarino said:
Race you to 50... :p
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Alaska was supposed to happen 3 years ago, but wasn't going to navigate the thunderstorms and fog along the Rockies in Alberta/BC and turned back after an overnight in Choteau, MT. Haven't had a break in my schedule long enough to attempt it again.

Hawaii has to wait until my mom dies, because if I attempt it with ferry tanks in the Comanche, when I land she says she'll be waiting for me to arrive and kill me for making her worry. I do have the ferry tank already designed, however.
 
RDU...during hurricane Irene.;)
 
Yesterday I drove past the airport here in Gallup and was surprised to see that the wind sock was straight out. I had not felt any wind when I was outside, but it sure there and better than 30.

Several places in Alaska I have landed in better than 50 winds. One time in Kivalina, the wind was 40 and 90 degrees to the runway. The runway was described as packed snow and ice, but the wind had polished it smooth. As soon as I touched down, the plane weather vaned into the wind, about 45 degrees to the center line. I used rudder and power to stay straight. On takeoff as soon as I added power the plane again weather vaned into the wind, and I just used rudder to stay near what I thought was center of the landing strip until the plane wanted to fly, then off we go. Just another day in the bush.

Several times in Pt. Hope I was not able to taxi due to wind on the ice covered runway, so I just landed, offloaded and loaded on the runway, then took off. Usually, but not always, with wind at Pt. Hope you get low visibilities below 20 AGL. Fun times.

Once at Ft. Greely, near Delta Junction, I landed a 206 in 50 knot winds. I stayed on the runway to off load/load US mail, FedEx and UPS. I got into a little trouble landing there in the wind. Seems the military flights into Ft Greely were at that time limited to a 25 knot wind, so as per contract to land there, I was not supposed to land in such wind.

The hardest part of flying for me is to land with calm winds....:lol:
 
NoHeat said:
Where have you landed that's dark orange color, >7 m/s annual average, on the map below?
  • KBGD Borger Texas, north of Amarillo, upper Texas panhandle.
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I grew up in the TX Panhandle. I was born in Pampa (which is near Borger). I learned how to fly in that wind! I remember one day I landed in a Piper Cub in Pampa, where my Uncle managed the airport. Luckily we had a CB radio in the Cub and he had one in the terminal. The winds had really picked up after I took off. I called him and a bunch of guys ran outside. I landed on the ramp, like a helicopter, and they grabbed the struts and chained the plane down.
 
My first flight instructor learned to fly in Wyoming in a Piper cub. He told me of landing and having to get behind the hangar before he could shut down and get out to secure the plane. Also he said he knew it was too windy to fly when the tumble weeds were hopping the airport fence. If they were just stuck against the fence it was OK.
 
I've had some pretty challenging crosswind landings at Hays & Garden City, KS en route to OSH.
 
I had a 3 knot crosswind last weekend:eek:

My biggest was 31G34 direct 90* in the Tiger ... I've been in 40-43 before and a 53 straight on headwind that was fun, but those last ones were pretty much straight down the runway
 
I've landed a EMB145 in a 35 knot crosswind but the most trouble I've had was taxiing a turboprop on an icy taxiway with a strong crosswind. Damn glad I was in a turboprop then.
 
jsstevens said:
My first flight instructor learned to fly in Wyoming in a Piper cub. He told me of landing and having to get behind the hangar before he could shut down and get out to secure the plane. Also he said he knew it was too windy to fly when the tumble weeds were hopping the airport fence. If they were just stuck against the fence it was OK.
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I’m not entirely joking when I say I can land the Cub in stronger crosswinds than I can taxi in.
 
I live in the orange. I usually don't go joyriding if its 15knots or higher more than 30-40 off the runway but I have landed in much worse in my 172.

We didn't practice "crosswind landings", we just called them "landings" back in training ;)
 
Casper Wy, winds 27045 G 65
 
Once in Kotzebue I was due a single engine check ride and the wind was sustained 50 with gust up to 65. No one was flying that day. We had 55 gallon drums filed with concrete that we used to tie down the planes. The blowing snow would sting any exposed flesh like being sand blasted. Even the 727 was tied down due to it was sliding on the ice while parked.

The chief pilot was there to give me my check ride, and I jokingly kept insisting we go fly, but was acting serious. The conversation went something like this:

''Come on, Charles, we need to get this checkride done, quit wasting my time.''

''Well Billy, the wind is a little strong right now, you want to get lunch first.??''

''No time to eat, there is a charter tomorrow to the Porcupine Creek strip, and I want to do that trip.''

''Billy, you know, part of the check ride is showing good judgment.''

''Charles I don't care about good judgment. If we don't get this checkride done today I'll miss that charter.''

Well, Billy, you know the 727 is tied down because of the wind...''

''Charles those pilots are wimps. They have forgotten how to fly when there is a light breeze blowing.''

''Billy I really think we should put this off until tomorrow because of the wind.''

''No time, Charles, we gotta get this done now while we still have a little daylight left. I'll go out and fuel the plane.''

I mean a person could not stand on the ramp because the wind had polished the ice, so there was no way possible anyone was going to drag the fuel hose to the plane.

''Billy, I really think you need to check the wind...''

''Charles, are you telling me you don't want to do my checkride today.??

''I really think we need to wait until tomorrow.''

''Would you rather go visit Tom and have a few cocktails before supper instead.??''

''Billy, that is the best decision you have made today.!!''
 
Interesting map. Windiest places for me has been Bishop, CA, Bullhead City, AZ (regularly), Dumas, TX, Hutchison, KS,.

One of the best lessons I ever had was flying with Rich Stowell in Santa Paula, CA. I was awoken in the hotel at 5am, by the wind. Went to the flight school that morning and everyone was cancelling their lessons for that day. Rich walked in and asked if I was ready to fly. I said, "we're not flying today, it's too windy.." He said if he can walk to the flight school from his hangar and his hat doesn't blow off his head, then it is not too windy. I asked him to at least take his chin strap off. Just kidding, no chin strap. We got in a Citabria (a tail dragger, no less) and flew the pattern for an hour. I got out drenched in sweat and about to collapse from nerves, but it was the best hour of flying I could have done because it showed me how to really be the pilot and fly the plane. It also vastly increased my wind and turbulence tolerances.
 
20G33 was good student solo weather when I learned at BJC. Of course, the visibilities were usually unlimited (once you got out of the Denver smog).
 
Hmm, apparently the Oregon Coast isn't known for wind... I guess because it's mostly storm related so the average isn't high, but when it picks up, it really picks up.
 
ActiveAir said:
... it was the best hour of flying I could have done because it showed me how to really be the pilot and fly the plane. It also vastly increased my wind and turbulence tolerances.
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My third tg lesson was with a gusty x-wind 90 degrees to runway. I enjoyed it, but man was it an ugly lesson.
 
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