I Hate the Weather

SkyChaser

SkyChaser

Pattern Altitude
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SkyChaser
I was super excited, because I was supposed to get to fly this weekend for the first time in 11 weeks (76 days to be exact, but who is counting...)! Now, there's supposed to be direct crosswind to the runway in excess of 20kts and possible thunderstorms on Saturday, and just as windy on Sunday. UFFDA!

There, I feel better now. LOL Does anyone know if "weather whispering" works for lessons instead of just checkrides? ;)
 
You flying a nose wheel plane??? 20 knot crosswind is good practice. Go fly!
I wouldn't bring the Stearman or Cub out but the Cessna and Bonanza would damn sure be flying!
 
Yes, it's a nosewheel (an Archer), but it's a little complicated, to say the least. I've never flown anything but a Skyhawk, and I only have ten hours...so I am not sure if I am quite ready for that level of practice yet! :) This was supposed to be my first lesson in the Archer, and my CFI thought it would be pretty challenging to start back up with a day like that, and with a different plane than I am used to.
 
You think you hate the WX now, wait until after you get your ticket and have to cancel a flying trip you were really excited about due to WX. And, of course, it'll happen after many days of great flying WX, but turn ugly on the day you planned to depart.

It's the Law of VFR.
 
There was a day, I think in February, where the winds were nuts but it was the first VFR day I could fly since Christmas. Ten seconds after I lifted off I realized I shouldn't be up in those conditions. But I did it anyway, and even did some good crosswind landings.
 
The PNW is in the throes of a serious case of June Gloom.
 
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SkyChaser said:
This was supposed to be my first lesson in the Archer, and my CFI thought it would be pretty challenging to start back up with a day like that, and with a different plane than I am used to.
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That's where you and your CFI get creative, because if you just wait for the perfect day, this will take a LONG time. You could take off and fly to a near-by airport with a runway better aligned with the wind, and do some pattern work there. Or start with some air work (slow flight, etc.) and save the pattern work for another day. But based on what you shared it seems overly conservative to cancel the entire lesson if a 20 knot crosswind is the ONLY reason to do so.

- Martin
 
Right decision for ten hours. If you had 30 or 40 hours I would be calling you up to say "Come on down, it's time to kill the wicked witch of crosswinds!!" IMHO it could be a confidence killer at your stage of training...you must learn to establish and maintain a specific airspeed on final approach, and fighting a gusty crosswind is antithetical to building muscle memory.

Bob
 
One day, you will land and while walking towards the FBO you will ask, ''When did this wind pick up.?''

And everyone will look at you quizzically and say, ''It has been blowing like this all day.''

And you will think to yourself.... I never noticed the wind...
 
SkyChaser said:
I was super excited, because I was supposed to get to fly this weekend for the first time in 11 weeks (76 days to be exact, but who is counting...)! Now, there's supposed to be direct crosswind to the runway in excess of 20kts and possible thunderstorms on Saturday, and just as windy on Sunday. UFFDA!

There, I feel better now. LOL Does anyone know if "weather whispering" works for lessons instead of just checkrides? ;)
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Can't help with the weather. I'm just happy to see someone use UFFDA correctly!
 
I've even actually landed with about a 15kt crosswind with my previous CFI talking me through it. It was overwhelming, but also awesome when I was done.

I think my CFI cancelled not so much because of the crosswind/imperfect day, but it was the nail in the coffin, so to speak. A new student (both in hours and acquaintance - we haven't even met in person yet), who hasn't flown in almost three months, in a new plane, at a new airport, on a day with a forecast of possible convective activities, with gusty crosswinds. Maybe it is conservative, but it also does not sound like a fun environment to find out how much or how little I remember! Of course, today is beautiful day for flying. If I didn't have to work, life would be so much easier. LOL

It will be interesting to see what happens to the weather on my check ride if I can barely even get lessons in! Maybe a record-breaking blizzard or something! ;)
 
steingar said:
There was a day, I think in February, where the winds were nuts but it was the first VFR day I could fly since Christmas. Ten seconds after I lifted off I realized I shouldn't be up in those conditions. But I did it anyway, and even did some good crosswind landings.
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I think it was a week before my checkride when I was scheduled to fly and there was a heck of a gusting crosswind. Something like 15 gusting between 25-30. I went to the airport anyway and found an instructor sitting behind the counter just waiting for someone willing to fly. We went up and did 5 laps around the pattern in some of the sketchiest air I could have asked for. In the Piper we were shooting for a final speed of 85 to account for the gust factor and landings were happening at a ground speed around 30 if memory serves me right. After the 4th landing we watched a Cessna on climbout turn left for crosswind and his plane was easily at a 90 degree bank. Made a mental note not to do it ourselves and as we leveled off in the base leg had a microburst push us down about 300 feet almost instantly. Gave it power to climb and I was able to get back to a good landing position. Touched down as smoothly as I could and just started taxing back to the tie down. While it was a scary flight for me I really appreciated that I was able to go up with an instructor for it and it definitely helped build my confidence that I at least had a basic understanding of how gusty winds affect landings. I still wouldn't go out like that solo but my fear wasn't taking off in those conditions. My fear was taking off in good conditions and returning or having to land somewhere else because of those conditions. Checkride weather was much better than I could have expected with calm winds and ceilings above 12,000 ft. Kind of unheard of in the Pacific Northwest in early March.
 
I feel your pain! Stuck in the office... err.. Home office all week looking at blue skies, waiting for the weekend and...

wx.JPG
 
Will Kumley said:
I think it was a week before my checkride when I was scheduled to fly and there was a heck of a gusting crosswind. Something like 15 gusting between 25-30. I went to the airport anyway and found an instructor sitting behind the counter just waiting for someone willing to fly. We went up and did 5 laps around the pattern in some of the sketchiest air I could have asked for. In the Piper we were shooting for a final speed of 85 to account for the gust factor and landings were happening at a ground speed around 30 if memory serves me right. After the 4th landing we watched a Cessna on climbout turn left for crosswind and his plane was easily at a 90 degree bank. Made a mental note not to do it ourselves and as we leveled off in the base leg had a microburst push us down about 300 feet almost instantly. Gave it power to climb and I was able to get back to a good landing position. Touched down as smoothly as I could and just started taxing back to the tie down. While it was a scary flight for me I really appreciated that I was able to go up with an instructor for it and it definitely helped build my confidence that I at least had a basic understanding of how gusty winds affect landings. I still wouldn't go out like that solo but my fear wasn't taking off in those conditions. My fear was taking off in good conditions and returning or having to land somewhere else because of those conditions. Checkride weather was much better than I could have expected with calm winds and ceilings above 12,000 ft. Kind of unheard of in the Pacific Northwest in early March.
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I had a similar experience just after getting my PPL. Pretty much everyone knows that if the PNW is going to have bad weather, it will be right over KOLM. I finally found a day where the ceilings were good but the winds made me very uncomfortable and that is saying something after completing my training in Alaska. All we did was pattern work and I was sweating when we called it a day. I think the CFI thought I was nuts because I didn't want to do anything but landings but that was what I felt I needed the most.
 
red4golf said:
I had a similar experience just after getting my PPL. Pretty much everyone knows that if the PNW is going to have bad weather, it will be right over KOLM. I finally found a day where the ceilings were good but the winds made me very uncomfortable and that is saying something after completing my training in Alaska. All we did was pattern work and I was sweating when we called it a day. I think the CFI thought I was nuts because I didn't want to do anything but landings but that was what I felt I needed the most.
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Yep, I fly out of KPWT and I believe it is the last place in the region that clouds will lift from. Had more than one checkride rescheduled due to the typical marine layer just sitting on top of KPWT while Jefferson County which is where my checkride was had beautiful skies. Almost considered flying the plane to Jefferson county the night prior and parking it once or twice. In the end it worked out and I completed my checkride in beautiful weather on my first attempt. Flight home was uneventful except for my grin from ear to ear the entire time.
 
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