Gusting-- do you all have personal minimums?

I call for my Captain and buy him cokes;
I always laugh at his corny jokes;
And once in a while when his landings are rusty,
I always come through with, "By gosh it’s gusty".
 
We have a lot of wind out here. I often fly with students when it's 17 G24--- lately we even had it up to 30. One pre solo student said "isn't it windy today" with wide eyes.... I laughed and said yeah, it is, what a great day for you to practice!
One first solo student ended up alone with it at 10G15 and 50 degrees off the nose.... I couldn't do anything but stand and watch radio in hand and hope he managed.( when I got out the wind was only 4!) He did and then taxied back and I got in and he said , "how about if we go up together and you show me again how to do that". So we did.... He said he wasn't too worried about being on the centerline he just wanted to keep it straight and not side load it.... Next time we flew we picked that day that it was 24-30.... He's much better with the winds now.... We fly a 152.

Practice with a CFI that's comfortable in the wind and you'll get it. Like others have said the flying is not so hard but taxiing can be tricky. Small tailwheel planes out here have been known to need wing walkers to be able to get the plane to the ramp.
 
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On takeoff, if the winds approach my aircraft's maximum demonstrated, I scrub. I am somewhat embarrassed to say the same isn't true on landing, I have the bad habit of making it work. I would be a far better pilot if I went around more and found alternate airports more often.
 
Henning said:
It's actually the most dangerous long term because it brings about complacency; one day it will catch up....
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Henning has nailed it as usual. Some of my landings, in hindsight, qualify as stunts. There was likely a component of luck, and luck should never enter the game of aviation. Better judgement might have been to go find an alternate. Keep in mind that this is hindsight, and I am a hugely conservative pilot.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I can deal with reasonable gusts straight down the runway as long as there is a good bit of runway. I'm still a rookie and in a tailwheel plane, so crosswind gusts are another matter. I can deal with 10 knots crosswind very comfortably if it's not gusting. Gusty crosswinds get my attention and will probably keep me on the ground at this point in my flying.
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I the 120 I used to like wheel landings in this kind of situation - you can touch down hot and not get blown all over the place waiting to set down - and you can steer quite well with the brakes (it had nice Cleavlands).
 
steingar said:
luck should never enter the game of aviation.
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That is true! I did not want to do my solo and have "luck" factor into it in any way, shape or form.

And yes, I see what you are saying. So you'll find an alternate airport now when the winds pick up, yes? :rolleyes:
 
Tracey said:
And yes, I see what you are saying. So you'll find an alternate airport now when the winds pick up, yes? :rolleyes:
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I will try and keep my own words in mind. Unfortunately, I am an arrogant egotistical bastard and often see these things as a challenge. That leads me into doing things that, were my enormous ego left out of it, I might not. And it's easy to talk yourself into doing the wrong thing when doing the right thing involves delay and inconvenience.
 
steingar said:
I will try and keep my own words in mind. Unfortunately, I am an arrogant egotistical bastard and often see these things as a challenge. That leads me into doing things that, were my enormous ego left out of it, I might not. And it's easy to talk yourself into doing the wrong thing when doing the right thing involves delay and inconvenience.
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And yet many of us who know you love you anyway.
 
steingar said:
I will try and keep my own words in mind. Unfortunately, I am an arrogant egotistical bastard and often see these things as a challenge. That leads me into doing things that, were my enormous ego left out of it, I might not. And it's easy to talk yourself into doing the wrong thing when doing the right thing involves delay and inconvenience.
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I'm not an arrogant egotistical bastard (in case you were wondering), but I do find that your last sentence is true for me as well. Although I can't afford to make that kind of decision in aviation-- I'm just way too new. But I can see how it'd be tempting.
 
Tracey said:
Well thanks! :)

(Just kidding, I know that was to Steingar).
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Come out to OSH this summer and meet Mr and Mrs Steingar and Grant and Leslie and Jay and Mary and.... Or come to WINGS earlier and meet a bunch of us too!

I'll say that I've never met anyone in person from this board who I dislike, regardless of what I might have thought before I met them. It's easy to get a wrong and bad impression of someone based on a small sampling of their thoughts posted in an internet forum.

And if any of you who I've met still think I'm an asshat... KEEP LYING AND SMILING AT ME.:D
 
TMetzinger said:
Come out to OSH this summer and meet Mr and Mrs Steingar and Grant and Leslie and Jay and Mary and.... Or come to WINGS earlier and meet a bunch of us too!

I'll say that I've never met anyone in person from this board who I dislike, regardless of what I might have thought before I met them. It's easy to get a wrong and bad impression of someone based on a small sampling of their thoughts posted in an internet forum.

And if any of you who I've met still think I'm an asshat... KEEP LYING AND SMILING AT ME.:D
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What is WINGS? I'd love to meet the people here in real life!
 
steingar said:
No accounting for taste. Won't make Oshkosh (gotta teach) but I do hope to make Wings again.
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I have to meet the person that keeps that quote on all of your posts. I don't know what you said to "deserve" that, but the fact that you keep it on your posts is making me laugh. (this is probably the worst constructed sentence ever, but you know what I mean. I think).
 
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TMetzinger said:
Come out to OSH this summer and meet Mr and Mrs Steingar and Grant and Leslie and Jay and Mary and.... Or come to WINGS earlier and meet a bunch of us too!

I'll say that I've never met anyone in person from this board who I dislike, regardless of what I might have thought before I met them. It's easy to get a wrong and bad impression of someone based on a small sampling of their thoughts posted in an internet forum.

And if any of you who I've met still think I'm an asshat... KEEP LYING AND SMILING AT ME.:D
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I noticed Tim did not mention me specifically, so I clearly am in the "not nice" category.

Alas and alack, forsooth I am smitten.

:(
 
Tracey said:
I have to meet the person that keeps that quote on all of your posts. I don't know what you said to "deserve" that, but the fact that you keep it on your posts is making me laugh. (this is probably the worst constructed sentence ever, but you know what I mean. I think).
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Tracey it was about Viagra and that's all I'm gonna say!
 
ARFlyer said:
We use to have a Citabria but early last year they found metal in the oil and grounded it. The rumor is that they going to get rid of it cause it serves no purpose in training. Since the goal is airline pilots.
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Hah! What BS.

After Cactus 1549 went into the Hudson, I looked at several airline accidents that had amazingly positive outcomes given the circumstances - 1549, United 232, United 811, Aloha 243, etc. and looked up the pilots in the registry.

In EVERY CASE, there was someone on the flight deck with ratings and experience not necessary to become an airline pilot. (IE, they had more than ATP, ASEL/AMEL, and their CFI ratings). Glider pilots, seaplane pilots, etc.

I do not believe this to be a coincidence. IMO, the best pilots are those who pursue additional training and ratings out of a love for flying, and they're the ones who think about flying enough that they've likely thought through a gazillion scenarios before they occur. Plus, that extra learning leads to excellent airmanship.

So, I think any flight school who truly desires to turn out GOOD airline pilots will be one that embraces tailwheel, aerobatic, glider, whatever extra training and turns out aviators, not airplane drivers.
 
dmccormack said:
Get her to fly in the Chief to Windwood???? -- well, I need a better drug dealer for that feat...

:redface:

She's not, shall we say, a fan of slipping the surly bonds....
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I will somewhat tremulously point out that Mrs. Steingar and myself have driven to most of those do's. We don't even mind, the drive is really pretty.
 
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