Landing choices after a long flight...

[455 Bravo Uniform]

If it helps anyone:

On a return flight (2 hours out, 3.5 hrs back due to headwinds, I had a choice to land straight-in 10 mile final or use the crossing runway.

I had a choice. Straight-in had pretty hefty crosswind. Crossing runway was almost head on winds.

It was night, and a long flight, and I figured I’m already lined up, so we’ll just land. Ugly landing, no damage.

Lesson for myself - don’t be so lazy and ready to land that I don’t take the chip-shot. It was a long day. Worked out ok. Learned something as always.

Side thought: how bad of a pilot am I really when every flight teaches me something. (But I think that’s what keeps flying interesting.

 

[RyanB]

Unless it was an emergency situation, I’d always choose the favorable runway over landing with a stiff cross wind.

 

[Vance Breese]

I am a flight instructor.

I learn something from every flight.

When I stop learning I will probably stop flying.

I find joy in the learning.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Unless it was an emergency situation, I’d always choose the favorable runway over landing with a stiff cross wind.

I would too. So I surprised myself with the stupid choice. Blaming it on fatigue and ready to stretch & pee. Seriously.

 

[James331]

Depends on the cross wind, I normally fly a pretty tight pattern so taking another runway isn’t a issue, my time thing wouldn’t be the pattern entry but where I’m parking.

 

[Pilot Steve]

Just my opinion but the reason I use the autopilot almost exclusively on a long cruise is not that I'm lazy or can't manually fly the aircraft, it's to conserve energy and maximum brainpower for the approach and landing.

It sounds like you learned a great lesson and might do things differently next time.

 

[kgruber]

Flying into the crosswind runway gave you a chance to do an "overhead break" so you could look cool like all the 5 striper RV pilots who like to look like the pros.

 

[Chaperral]

After a long flight, I agree, make it easy on yourself, but th wind is not the only consideration. A landing into a setting sun after a long trip, or a poorly lit runway would cause me to chose the cross wind. I try to go out of my way to chose crosswind landings when fresh and at my home field(when my friends aren't looking).

 

[cgrab]

Ten miles out you could have adjusted to make the favorable runway a straight in.

 

[TommyG]

What was a hefty crosswind?

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

What was a hefty crosswind?

I can’t remember the METAR. It was gusty was the issue. It was 1/1/2020 at 11:10p if someone wants to look it up and post here. I landed Rwy 28. KLAF

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Ten miles out you could have adjusted to make the favorable runway a straight in.

I coulda. I shoulda. Heck it was an easy direct left base entry. That’s my point. I was lined up on final since Pittsburgh, 3.5hrs away, lol.

 

[Salty]

I’ve found when tired, it’s dark, or a new airport with something tricky about it, flying the pattern reduces the risk of screwing it up considerably. Especially when I’m tired I intentionally avoid a lazy straight in because it’s always been worse if I don’t. Flying the standard pattern you’ve done a thousand times is a lot harder to mess up.

 

[Mohamed Ahmed]

I can’t remember the METAR. It was gusty was the issue. It was 1/1/2020 at 11:10p if someone wants to look it up and post here. I landed Rwy 28. KLAF

KLAF
01/01/2020 21:54->
METAR KLAF 012154Z 20010G17KT 10SM CLR 07/M03 A2975 RMK AO2
SLP077 T00721028=

View attachment 82465

Thank you
Mohamed

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

KLAF
01/01/2020 21:54->
METAR KLAF 012154Z 20010G17KT 10SM CLR 07/M03 A2975 RMK AO2
SLP077 T00721028=

View attachment 82465

Thank you
Mohamed

Thanks. Where did you find that? Zulu time would have been 0410 on 1/2/2020

 

[Skyrys62]

From that METAR looks like you had just a smidge of tailwind also.
I too am familiar with the bad choice/ugly landing.

Did you still have to pee after the landing?

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I’ve found when tired, it’s dark, or a new airport with something tricky about it, flying the pattern reduces the risk of screwing it up considerably. Especially when I’m tired I intentionally avoid a lazy straight in because it’s always been worse if I don’t. Flying the standard pattern you’ve done a thousand times is a lot harder to mess up.

I was at first uncomfortable with straight in approaches, as I'd only practiced in the pattern; my CFI showed me a couple of tricks (mainly to keep altitude until I really needed to get down) and it's never been an issue since.

 

[Clip4]

If it helps anyone:

On a return flight (2 hours out, 3.5 hrs back due to headwinds, I had a choice to land straight-in 10 mile final or use the crossing runway.

I had a choice. Straight-in had pretty hefty crosswind. Crossing runway was almost head on winds.

It was night, and a long flight, and I figured I’m already lined up, so we’ll just land. Ugly landing, no damage.

Lesson for myself - don’t be so lazy and ready to land that I don’t take the chip-shot. It was a long day. Worked out ok. Learned something as always.

Side thought: how bad of a pilot am I really when every flight teaches me something. (But I think that’s what keeps flying interesting.

Either your CFI failed to give you the 411 on this or you forgot what they told you.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Either your CFI failed to give you the 411 on this or you forgot what they told you.

Neither. ADM degradation. Lesson for me. Posted here in case it helps one other fool.

 

[danhagan]

Flying into the crosswind runway gave you a chance to do an "overhead break" so you could look cool like all the 5 striper RV pilots who like to look like the pros.

This makes no sense ... he was straight in, the overhead was not needed and using those maneuvers to get to the wind favored runway would've been the better option for the fatigued OP. I guess it's 'RV bashing" this week rather than Cirrus?

 

[Salty]

I was at first uncomfortable with straight in approaches, as I'd only practiced in the pattern; my CFI showed me a couple of tricks (mainly to keep altitude until I really needed to get down) and it's never been an issue since.

I'm comfortable with straight in approaches, but if I'm tired and have concern about my performance on landing, I force myself to fly the pattern and remind myself that going around is better than crashing from forcing a bad situation. I make sure I fight the desire to get down quick because I'm tired. It's a micro-"get-there-itis" situation.

 

[benyflyguy]

I’ve found when tired, it’s dark, or a new airport with something tricky about it, flying the pattern reduces the risk of screwing it up considerably. Especially when I’m tired I intentionally avoid a lazy straight in because it’s always been worse if I don’t. Flying the standard pattern you’ve done a thousand times is a lot harder to mess up.

Plus one to that. You pull your checklist and run it. Ultra long finals you can get complacent. Like try to land with autopilot engaged - just sayin...

 

[Sac Arrow]

Plus one to that. You pull your checklist and run it. Ultra long finals you can get complacent. Like try to land with autopilot engaged - just sayin...

Did that once. Long story. And not a long cross country.