Thank you,
Alice
Greetings Alice:
Yes, wind can be a problem. Without knowing all the specifics I can only offer some general advice.
First, there are two general reasons pilots fear gusty winds. They fear the airplane will either come apart in flight or be rendered uncontrollable and flip over like a flapjack. I've written quite a bit about airplane strength - they are incredibly strong - so let's focus on controllability and flapjacking. First, airplanes are seldom flipped over by wind. In seminars I ask for a show of hands of those who have been turned upside down by the wind. When I ask the one in a hundred who raise their hand about the conditions in which they were flying when the event happened, I always get the same answer: The winds were in excess of 25 knots near mountain ranges (more like 35-50 kt). Furthermore, I've been flying near mountains for nearly a third of a century and have yet to be flipped inverted by winds. Nevertheless, if the thought of being flapjacked frightens you, then visit a skilled, competent aerobatic instructor. Spend one lesson learning how to return an airplane to the upright and locked position if it's flipped upside down. A good aerobatic instructor can teach you to do this on the first lesson (and this isn't unreasonable for you to learn, given your flight time).
Your problem, however, more than likely stems from another issue. I suspect that you haven't learned that there are times when it's necessary to physically muscle an airplane instead of being gentle with it. Yes, I know that pilots are taught to be smooth and gentle on the controls, but the wind doesn't care about a pilot's daintiness. The more turbulent and gusty the wind, the more aggressive you need to be with those controls.
For instance, if you're on final approach and the wind lifts a wing or yaws the airplane, then do something about it. Don't just sit there like a meditating Buddha. Move those ailerons to keep those wings level and press that rudder to keep the nose straight. Be aggressive enough to accommodate the situation.
In most instances where I've encountered pilots who fear the wind, these same pilots are terribly deficient in rudder and aileron coordination. In one instance, a pilot had both feet folded under his seat as he tried to wrestle the plane to the ground in gusty winds. I recall looking over at this fellow, incredulous that he didn't feel the need to use rudder in controlling his airplane. That's when I said, "Hey, Lotus Blossom, how about letting me see some rudder action here?"
If you're on final approach in gusty winds, keep that nose perfectly straight (in the desired direction) with those rudders. Don't let it move an inch. Keep those wings level (until necessary to do otherwise) with the ailerons. Don't let them bank even a few degrees. If you can't use your flight controls in this manner, then it's unlikely that you'll ever feel confident about the ability to control your airplane in gusty-wind conditions. Yes, there's a time to be smooth, but there's also a time to be aggressive on those flight controls.
Parting Words
Dear Rod:
What do you tell students just before they solo, before you're ready to close the door? Adios, amigo? Sayonara? Let us pray?
Sincerely,
John
Greetings John:
What I say varies from student to student, but there are still some general principles. First, despite my inclination toward levity, I seldom kid around in this context. My objective here is not to provide any critical data. Long ago I realized that, no matter what the instructor says, the anticipation of solo usually results in the student hearing nothing but, "Blah, blah, blah, yak, yak, blah, blah....good luck." If you have something important to teach the student, do it before the day of the first solo.
Instead, my objective is to remind them of what they already know. I tell them that what they're about to do they've already done many times before, except without me on board. I tell them that they've seen most of the things that typically happen in the pattern and have a strategy for handling them. I remind them that any time they don't feel comfortable with an approach they can always go around. Most important, I tell them that they are the pilot in command, not the controller (if this is a controlled field). Then I make a comment about any specific airport circumstances (i.e., weather, traffic, position of the sun, etc.) of which they should be aware. I also remind them that the airplane will climb faster and not come down as quick with the instructor offloaded. (I have, however, already prepared the student for this on a previous lesson by flying an approach with a little power applied to simulate the change in descent characteristics). Then, as I close the door, I wink, smile, and say, "Have fun, you earned it."
High-Performance Skills
Dear Rod:
I completed my VFR, single-engine, high-performance checkout last year. I'm interested in learning about the best way to improve my skills. I want to continue to learn, and I just need to be pointed in the right direction.
Hope you get time to respond!
Cary
Greetings Cary:
In my opinion, if you could do anything with an airplane in hopes of increasing your flying skills and confidence, it's to fly cross-country. There comes a point when it's time to stop talking about it and just do it. Want to learn more? You should do one thing and only one thing: Start flying cross-country today. The longer, the better. Here's why.
First, the farther you travel from home, the more you must learn to rely on your navigation and weather interpretation skills. After all, if you're close to home base, you are often within view of familiar landmarks, which means you never need to place complete trust in your navigation instruments. Leaving home also means that you'll see weather modified by geography other than what you're used to.
You also have a better chance of learning what's possible in terms of circumnavigating weather problems if you have a destination of reasonable distance. And unless you have to stop for fuel three, four, and five times, you may never know if you can make some of the tougher flight planning decisions that pilots frequently need to make.
Finally, there's something almost ineffable about flying hundreds and hundreds of miles, making decision after decision, and ending up landing safely at an airport (hopefully it's the one at which you originally aimed). This sense of accomplishment helps to bring all the disparate aviation skills you've learned into a meaningful focus. You can now see the airplane as a tool over which you have some degree of mastery. It's a wonderful feeling.
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot for 32 years and a CFI for 28, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and owns a Beech A36 Bonanza. Visit his Web site ( www.rodmachado.com ).
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