Crosswinds in West Texas

M

mpdan89

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 26, 2015
Messages
20
Location
Iraan, TX
Display Name
Display name:
Squirrel
This is my first post on here and I have a question, I have put flight training on hold for about a year due to getting married and having a child. I bought a C150F, not a head turner but it flies and does what it is suppose to do. Here in Lubbock I am using a part 61 school and I am having trouble getting over the wind speed here. Where I am from we get a gentle breeze of about 5mph and here in Lubbock its 10-15mph year round. I cant get over the winds to continue my flight training. 15mph crosswind landing as a student in a cessna 150 is not the most favorable conditions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Not sure I can help. I didn't get lots of X wind exposure until later in the game but I can say Welcome to POA!!!
 
Understand you have a 150, but 10-15 mph is really not that much wind (even x-wind). Where I learned to fly (New England), that was pretty typical/ average wind.

My recommendation is to find a good CFI who is comfortable in your airplane and keep practicing in those winds until you get comfortable.
 
Thanks everyone, that was a fast reply. I guess I will sack up and just get out there and do it. Would it be a good idea to invest in a 4 or 5 point harness system in case things go awry?
 
mpdan89 said:
Thanks everyone, that was a fast reply. I guess I will sack up and just get out there and do it. Would it be a good idea to invest in a 4 or 5 point harness system in case things go awry?
Click to expand...

Never a bad idea......

You must be a racer too..:dunno::dunno::confused:
 
N801BH said:
Never a bad idea......

You must be a racer too..:dunno::dunno::confused:
Click to expand...


I am not but I do like to go fast, the c150 is just a stepping stone into aviation. Of course I am limited on what I can do now since I got married which I never thought I would do. On top of that she is from Thailand and thats even more expensive than airplane and training. Lesson learned from marrying a foreigner... A woman is a woman is a woman no matter what country she is from.
 
Welcome, fellow westTexanite.
There will be times in the evening and early am when the winds lay down, see if you can't work that into your schedule. And there are series of days in the panhandle when it just never stops, too. (I've been into lbb imc, but no moisture for hundreds of miles; it was dust pushed by your winds.)
 
Welcome to the forum. 10 -15 is a standard wind in FLA. Just something you have to learn to deal with. Your training should make you comfortable in the long run.
 
From what I have heard from those that have gotten their ticket here in Lubbock you will get plenty of training in cross wind landings. I assume that the CFIs here are used to training and flying in these conditions, since 10-15MPH is considered a nice day with a gentle breeze around here :)

Out of curiosity where are training, Hub City Aviation?
 
A 150 is really a good x-wind airplane once ya get the hang of it and LBB has a good crosswind runway. If the current CFI isn't cutting it after discussing your concerns, shop for another one than can offer a different perspective.
 
mpdan89 said:
I am not but I do like to go fast, the c150 is just a stepping stone into aviation. Of course I am limited on what I can do now since I got married which I never thought I would do. On top of that she is from Thailand and thats even more expensive than airplane and training. Lesson learned from marrying a foreigner... A woman is a woman is a woman no matter what country she is from.
Click to expand...

Wise move to buy the plane BEFORE getting married! :rofl:

Welcome to POA!
 
I frequently fly to Hereford and encounter stiff X-winds. It helps that they re-opened 14 and 32 turf strip. It was just 2 and 20 for a while.

A tailwheel endorsement would help your X-wind confidence.

I use the 'drop wing line up and hold centerline' method. I do not crab on short final. This sets the airplane up for how it is configured and positioned when you touch down. It also tells you if you can hold centerline. If you cannot hold centerline no matter how hard you try, you're not going to hold it when you crab and kick. Time to go elsewhere. The crab method can get you into trouble. Also, I'll get flamed, but use less flaps (or no flaps) in a stiff X-wind and speed up. Fly it on. You must maintain flight control until the weight of the aircraft is on the gear and you have braking and wheel control. :redface:
 
voltin said:
From what I have heard from those that have gotten their ticket here in Lubbock you will get plenty of training in cross wind landings. I assume that the CFIs here are used to training and flying in these conditions, since 10-15MPH is considered a nice day with a gentle breeze around here :)

Out of curiosity where are training, Hub City Aviation?
Click to expand...


I am out at Flight School USA in between Levelland and Meadows TX. A middle aged man bought the old airforce training base out there and lets me stay in the officer barracks so I do not have to get a hotel room when I make the drive. If you know of a instructor in Hobbs NM please let me know, aviation in hobbs has kind of died so everyone has to commute to midland or lubbock area.
 
You'll get accustomed to the winds soon enough, and once you've mastered the gusty West TX winds, you'll be able to land almost anywhere* and have a hearty laugh at almost everyone else who whines about a little wind.

I learned to fly in Wichita Falls where the winds are just as bad, but not as dusty as Lubbock.

*Notable exception is Wyoming. Wyoming is from a different planet... Mars, I think. Anyone who learns to fly in a C150 in Wyoming and is still alive to tell about it is in a league of their own... the kind of league where most mortals should bow down before them and do the "We're not worthy" bit from Wayne's World. I've flown across Wyoming 4 times and was glad to have enough fuel on board that I didn't have to land and take off from an airport there... just staying in the air while crossing the state was punishment enough. This photo is Wyoming... I think I'm probably right about the Mars thing.
IMG_7283.JPG
 
Last edited:
mpdan89 said:
This is my first post on here and I have a question, I have put flight training on hold for about a year due to getting married and having a child. I bought a C150F, not a head turner but it flies and does what it is suppose to do. Here in Lubbock I am using a part 61 school and I am having trouble getting over the wind speed here. Where I am from we get a gentle breeze of about 5mph and here in Lubbock its 10-15mph year round. I cant get over the winds to continue my flight training. 15mph crosswind landing as a student in a cessna 150 is not the most favorable conditions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get used to it or sell the plane, because it's your new reality. 10-15 isn't bad you need to learn to handle that and more.
 
Neal Howard said:
You'll get accustomed to the winds soon enough, and once you've mastered the gusty West TX winds, you'll be able to land almost anywhere* and have a hearty laugh at almost everyone else who whines about a little wind.

I learned to fly in Wichita Falls where the winds are just as bad, but not as dusty as Lubbock.

*Notable exception is Wyoming. Wyoming is from a different planet... Mars, I think. Anyone who learns to fly in a C150 in Wyoming and is still alive to tell about it is in a league of their own... the kind of league where most mortals should bow down before them and do the "We're not worthy" bit from Wayne's World. I've flown across Wyoming 4 times and was glad to have enough fuel on board that I didn't have to land and take off from an airport there... just staying in the air while crossing the state was punishment enough. This is Wyoming... I think I'm probably right about the Mars thing.
Click to expand...

Awww, WY isn't so bad....well, maybe it is...Laramie, Rawlins, Rock Springs...and then out on the plains..Gillette and Torrington...of course Sante Fe New Mexico is equal and the San Louis Valley up into Colorado can be really bad.

Learn to fly in the wind, you'll be glad you did.
 
I went to High School in Lubbock, but that was fifty years ago. Just be glad the sand doesn't blow like it did in those days of deep tillage.

In a nosewheel plane, you shouldn't have any trouble getting up to speed. Set up your one hour lessons to begin about 50 minutes before Sunset. You will still have plenty of light ten minutes after Sunset. You will often have light or no wind at that time, even in Lubbock. Get past that part of your training and then start flying any time weather is acceptable with that wind level and fly, fly, fly.

You can get there.

Welcome to POA and to aviation.
 
Neal Howard said:
You'll get accustomed to the winds soon enough, and once you've mastered the gusty West TX winds, you'll be able to land almost anywhere* and have a hearty laugh at almost everyone else who whines about a little wind.

I learned to fly in Wichita Falls where the winds are just as bad, but not as dusty as Lubbock.

*Notable exception is Wyoming. Wyoming is from a different planet... Mars, I think. Anyone who learns to fly in a C150 in Wyoming and is still alive to tell about it is in a league of their own... the kind of league where most mortals should bow down before them and do the "We're not worthy" bit from Wayne's World. I've flown across Wyoming 4 times and was glad to have enough fuel on board that I didn't have to land and take off from an airport there... just staying in the air while crossing the state was punishment enough. This photo is Wyoming... I think I'm probably right about the Mars thing.
IMG_7283.JPG
Click to expand...

My primary instructor learned to fly in Wyoming in a Cub. He said he could tell when it was too windy to fly because the tumbleweeds were hopping over the barbed wire fence around the airport. If they were just sticking to the fence, no problem. He also told me he often had to taxi/fly around behind the hangar to shut down so the plane wouldn't blow away.

He really worked me on cross winds, which I am thankful for to this day. One day we came flying back into Orlando Executive (KORL) and he told me to ask for 7. Wind was from 340 at 18G23 ish if memory serves. The tower asked if I was sure? (KORL has a 13/31 runway.) Anyway, I handled it safely if not elegantly and it was a real confidence builder.

John
 
I'm in West Texas and had a difficult time learning to land in x-winds in the 172 I trained in. It was a mental thing - I'd nail my approach with no problem, but couldn't quite get my mind and feel around touching down on one main first before settling down on the other two wheels. I had to spend some extra time with my CFI to get it down. I've also spent extra time on my BFRs on x-winds.

The best exercise my CFI had me do was to fly the plane within a few feet of the runway in landing configuration while I tried to keep the nose pointed down the center line. That really taught me not to be shy about using the rudder.

When I know I'll be landing in a x-wind, I tell myself to have "happy feet;" that is, don't over-think it - just use my feet to keep the nose straight, and the landing will take care of itself. Another thing I tell myself is to keep flying the plane after I'm down, turn my ailerons into the wind, don't let the wind push me away from the centerline.
 
The problem most people have with cross winds, and landings in general, is the fear to put controls to work down low. Don't be afraid to put that rudder pedal on the floor (make sure you are working the bottom of the pedals, not the brakes :lol:) and put that wing down.
 
mpdan89 said:
If you know of a instructor in Hobbs NM please let me know, aviation in hobbs has kind of died so everyone has to commute to midland or lubbock area.
Click to expand...

Sorry I don't know any instructors in the area. I have not started training yet, just an interested lurker.

MBDiagMan said:
I went to High School in Lubbock, but that was fifty years ago. Just be glad the sand doesn't blow like it did in those days of deep tillage.
Click to expand...

Ohh the sand still blows around here, it isn't spring time in Lubbock until the sky turns red.
 
Find a good qualified instructor to work with you in improving your skill with crosswinds.
Go out with the instructor and work your way up from smaller crosswinds, direction and velocity, until you get better and more confident, to higher velocities and more direct crosswinds.
The only way to get better and more confident in your skills is to do it.
 
jsstevens said:
My primary instructor learned to fly in Wyoming in a Cub. He said he could tell when it was too windy to fly because the tumbleweeds were hopping over the barbed wire fence around the airport. If they were just sticking to the fence, no problem. He also told me he often had to taxi/fly around behind the hangar to shut down so the plane wouldn't blow away.

He really worked me on cross winds, which I am thankful for to this day. One day we came flying back into Orlando Executive (KORL) and he told me to ask for 7. Wind was from 340 at 18G23 ish if memory serves. The tower asked if I was sure? (KORL has a 13/31 runway.) Anyway, I handled it safely if not elegantly and it was a real confidence builder.

John
Click to expand...

Done that several times too....;)
 
I flew out of Lubbock for many years. You will get very comfortable with cross wind landings if you get out with an instructor from the area that is comfortable in the wind. The nice thing about a C150 and most airports in West Texas, the runways are wide enough that you can land sideways on them if the wind is string enough. Just kidding, but it has crossed my mind.
 
mpdan89 said:
This is my first post on here and I have a question, I have put flight training on hold for about a year due to getting married and having a child. I bought a C150F, not a head turner but it flies and does what it is suppose to do. Here in Lubbock I am using a part 61 school and I am having trouble getting over the wind speed here. Where I am from we get a gentle breeze of about 5mph and here in Lubbock its 10-15mph year round. I cant get over the winds to continue my flight training. 15mph crosswind landing as a student in a cessna 150 is not the most favorable conditions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...


Keep working on it with your CFI until you are comfortable in the winds. 10-15 is no where near to much for a cessna 150 and I think a rated pilot should be able to handle that much wind. It is nothing heroic. You only think it is because you started flying somewhere the wind didn't blow that often. Stop worrying about it and fly. The skill and comfort will come with time behind the controls. I would also recommend telling your instructor whats going on so he/she can help you.
 
I found them daunting at first also. All it takes is a few good ones on your own and you build the confidence and the anxiety goes away gradually. Same as it was for other flying tasks. I remember being most nervous on my first flight after my solo. Few more after that one, comfortable. Before you know it, you'll have more problems on a completely calm day because that's not the norm.
 
When I was a student, crosswinds while landing were a serious impediment to flying. I practiced, with my CFI very often. The two main techniques I was shown were, Crabbing and Slipping. I settled on Slipping , and can do it very well to the limits of my aircraft design. I have to say I have continued to practice and have improved on my technique, since I got my certificate. Learn the limits of your airplane, in mine flaps and speed at flair matter for directional stability. Practice, practice practice. Good luck !

Cheers :)
 
jsstevens said:
My primary instructor learned to fly in Wyoming in a Cub. He said he could tell when it was too windy to fly because the tumbleweeds were hopping over the barbed wire fence around the airport. If they were just sticking to the fence, no problem. He also told me he often had to taxi/fly around behind the hangar to shut down so the plane wouldn't blow away.

He really worked me on cross winds, which I am thankful for to this day. One day we came flying back into Orlando Executive (KORL) and he told me to ask for 7. Wind was from 340 at 18G23 ish if memory serves. The tower asked if I was sure? (KORL has a 13/31 runway.) Anyway, I handled it safely if not elegantly and it was a real confidence builder.

John
Click to expand...

I used to stop in Colorado City TX 2-3 times a week for fuel flying pipeline. Sometimes the winds were so bad there was no way to put down on a runway in the PA-12, but the manager was fine with me using the into the wind taxiway, or landing in the ramp and I'd taxi into the lee of the building to get fueled.
 
I learned in central Texas (Austin area) from late December thru September and we get some crazy winds down here as well. I fly from an airport with two runways (18/36 and 11/29) so have most days with a relatively small x-wind component but my CFI was a big fan of calling the tower on slow days and having me land on the opposite runway to test my x-wind abilities. It's one of those things that you just have to train for and you get used to it. There's always wind it seems at my airport...10kts with gusts in one direction or another is pretty common. You just need practice to get the technique...it's a bit overwhelming at first but after you get the hang of it you'll be glad you learned that way. The day I did my first solo I came out early at 7am...barely a wisp of wind that day. Truth be told, it was one of the hardest set of landings I'd done to that point because I wasn't used to not wrestling the thing to the ground. :)

I flew out of Lubbock Executive several months ago which only has a short'ish north/south runway. I get to the airport and see the windsock standing straight out at a 90 degree angle to the runway...winds were steady 15kts with stronger gusts. It was an interesting take off to say the least...have to respect those gusty winds up there!

Good luck man - trust in the fact that you are far from the first person who learned to fly in west TX in a small bird. You'll do fine and be grateful that you learned up there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top