Growing weary of the wind

[gkainz]

Come on, it's not like this is Wyoming or Nebraska, fer pete's sake ...

KBJC
301129Z 3012/3112 VRB04KT P6SM SCT150 BKN250
TEMPO 3012/3016 28012G20KT
FM301800 31015G25KT P6SM FEW080 SCT150 SCT250
FM310400 29020G35KT P6SM SCT100 SCT200
FM310800 29025G40KT P6SM SCT100 BKN200

 

[COFlyBoy]

Come on, it's not like this is Wyoming or Nebraska, fer pete's sake ...

KBJC
301129Z 3012/3112 VRB04KT P6SM SCT150 BKN250
TEMPO 3012/3016 28012G20KT
FM301800 31015G25KT P6SM FEW080 SCT150 SCT250
FM310400 29020G35KT P6SM SCT100 SCT200
FM310800 29025G40KT P6SM SCT100 BKN200

BJC is regularly worse than other places in the state.

KDEN 301502Z 3015/3118 25007KT P6SM SCT150 BKN250
FM301900 32013G23KT P6SM FEW080 SCT150 SCT250
FM310400 30012KT P6SM SCT100 SCT200
FM310800 29010KT P6SM SCT100 BKN200
TEMPO 3108/3112 30014G23KT
FM311400 30012KT P6SM FEW150 SCT250

You need a new home-drome.

 

[gkainz]

yep - it is. Also just happens to be (sort of) right outside my window, so when it's blowing there, it's blowing here. Actually, a lot of times it's blowing worse here. ("Here" being BJC 185° @5nm)

 

[murphey]

No kidding. I was planning on taking the cherokee over to Montrose today and let Western Skyways do the engine overhaul. Can't get over LaVeta Pass (25014G25). Can't get over Wilkerson Pass (27012G20) to Monarch/Marshall/Poncha Pass (25042G48). Don't want to take the 6 hour trip around the south end (LVS-tafoy-SAF).

Maybe next week.

 

[denverpilot]

It's a great day for 79M to be in for Annual, me to be zonked from pulling an all-nighter DB maintenance at work last night, and to fart around getting the garage ready for summer and podcast audio editing tonight!

 

[BillTIZ]

What's wrong with that wind? I had 20G30 all day yesterday about 30 degrees off runway heading. Launched 5 gliders to soar the wave, they connected at about 2500ft AGL and flew on their own up to 17,500MSL.

It was bumpy down low, and flew/towed them through a couple of weak rotors until we could connect with the secondary.

On one of the tows, after release I pulled the power to idle, slowed to about 60kias and still was climbing at 500fpm in the Pawnee!!

And here I was, stuck as the designated tow pilot for the day.

 

[murphey]

Not only wind today, but snow. Horizontal snow. And yesterday, it was 80F.

Welcome to Colorado.

 

[gkainz]

What's wrong with that wind? I had 20G30 all day yesterday about 30 degrees off runway heading. Launched 5 gliders to soar the wave, they connected at about 2500ft AGL and flew on their own up to 17,500MSL.

It was bumpy down low, and flew/towed them through a couple of weak rotors until we could connect with the secondary.

On one of the tows, after release I pulled the power to idle, slowed to about 60kias and still was climbing at 500fpm in the Pawnee!!

And here I was, stuck as the designated tow pilot for the day.

20G30 from a fairly steady heading is doable ... but the TAF gusts was growing from 20 to 40 and the wind direction typically varies 30-50º. With the mountains and canyons just west of here creating wonderful little venturis and some fun shear... I'm staying on the ground. We had 90mph winds yesterday in spots.

 

[murphey]

20G30 from a fairly steady heading is doable ... but the TAF gusts was growing from 20 to 40 and the wind direction typically varies 30-50º. With the mountains and canyons just west of here creating wonderful little venturis and some fun shear... I'm staying on the ground. We had 90mph winds yesterday in spots.

True - few people understand that we can have hurricane-strength winds around here. That's when the weather heads on TV remind us to either tie-down or store stuff in the yard that might get blown away.

 

[wabower]

Each year the number of months I want to stay in Dallas decreases by at least two. late October-November-December are OK. Gotta leave for at least a month, more like six weeks, by mid-Janury and stay il almost March. Late Feb-Early march are good until the wind starts, then it turns to crap until mid-April and May. June 6 marked my last round of golf for the summer last year, didn't play again until mid-October. I'm going to Crested Butte for some of July and stay until October. So I'm basically hanging on to a half-million of "retirement house" that I'll only live in for less than half a year. It may be time to reconsider our plan.

 

[jesse]

Wind picked up strong today. Less than 10 knots or so this morning and by 5 pm we were gusting to 34 knots or so. 34 knots made a nice second lesson for my primary student.

 

[denverpilot]

True - few people understand that we can have hurricane-strength winds around here. That's when the weather heads on TV remind us to either tie-down or store stuff in the yard that might get blown away.

I heard from a friend that his home weather station (calibrated) got down to 20.09 last night briefly. He was shocked. BJC was 29.54 and APA was 29.60 when I looked today.

My porch seat covers, trash cans, and a few buckets were all blown around last night. And the chimney on the furnace has one of those "floating" lid like things held captive by tabs. It banged above our bedroom all night.

There is now a nice thin layer of snow on the grass and trees that's heavy/wet stuff. Should get some water on the grass, which is nice. The backyard grass is poking up through it so I guess I'd better get the mower ready to go... Sigh.

 

[Clark1961]

I stayed on the ground this weekend. Had new pax to introduce to "small" plane flying on Saturday and decided there was too much chance of low level wind shear after looking at the variability in wind velocity. The little puffy clouds that didn't move much were also a sign that not all was right with the world in terms of suitability for flying...

 

[denverpilot]

Would have been a good day for gliders, I guess.

 

[N801BH]

I heard from a friend that his home weather station (calibrated) got down to 20.09 last night briefly. He was shocked. BJC was 29.54 and APA was 29.60 when I looked today.

My porch seat covers, trash cans, and a few buckets were all blown around last night. And the chimney on the furnace has one of those "floating" lid like things held captive by tabs. It banged above our bedroom all night.

There is now a nice thin layer of snow on the grass and trees that's heavy/wet stuff. Should get some water on the grass, which is nice. The backyard grass is poking up through it so I guess I'd better get the mower ready to go... Sigh.

I assume you mean 29.09.... That is VERY low pressure, about what a medium strength hurricane can produce....

Ben.

 

[gil_mor]

X-country Saturday52-INW-PAN-P52.
170 Knot ground speed on the way to INW, and 70 on the why to PAN.
P52 is probably the most sheltered airport - wind was calm, TAFs promised 20-35G in the area.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Flew back to Dallas from Oshkosh yesterday. Very strong winds both low and high. Moderate turbulence along a good portion of my route below 10,000 feet. On the way home, we heard three or four airliners decline runways because the cross wind component was 30 knots or more. The active was changed.
Coming into Addison, we had occasional light cop with moderate a couple times in our descent. Addison ATIS was winds were pretty strong with higher gusts but almost down the runway. Landing was pretty easy, but taxi sure took a lot of rudder and higher outside engine speed <g>

Best,

Dave

 

[denverpilot]

I assume you mean 29.09.... That is VERY low pressure, about what a medium strength hurricane can produce....

Yeah. Typo. Crazy ain't it?

Breezy today with sunny skies. We sent the "fun" on eastward.

 

[BillTIZ]

20G30 from a fairly steady heading is doable ... but the TAF gusts was growing from 20 to 40 and the wind direction typically varies 30-50º. With the mountains and canyons just west of here creating wonderful little venturis and some fun shear... I'm staying on the ground. We had 90mph winds yesterday in spots.

True, it's do able. Easy enough with experience, but you still have to taxi broadside to the winds and tailwind taxi in a taildraggerwith a light tail!