Always Learning

An upgrade to Piper Warriors had me thinking that Piper figured out how to design an airplane that could handle strong gusty winds with far fewer control corrections than was required in the Cessna 150. In reality, I was slowly improving my skills as a pilot and getting even more comfortable in Earth’s dynamic atmosphere.

My pinnacle of learning to fly in the wind came during my commercial training in a Cessna 172RG. My instructor wanted to make sure I was competent to carry passengers during gusty crosswinds, so we launched into howling Chicago winds I would never have taken on by myself. He gave me advice that I’ll never forget: “On landing, I’d rather see you plant the mains firmly on the runway than try to land as gently as possible.” His point was to always maintain positive control and land precisely where you intended to on the runway.

There is no doubt, learning to fly on breezy days was challenging, but with proper training it was rewarding. I was feeling pretty good about my abilities.

And then, just for fun, I decided to earn a tailwheel endorsement. After my first lesson, I was suddenly terrified by wind. How could that happen? Easy—I was intimidated by the possibility of ground looping the airplane. Avoiding a ground loop is quite simple in theory: Keep the airplane tracking straight down the runway centerline during the entire takeoff or landing sequence. And to track the centerline properly, you really need to know the wind direction and velocity. I eventually realized it was not the wind I was terrified of—it was my newfound personal limits. I had reached a plateau in my understanding of the wind and how it affects an aircraft; I had more to learn.

In “Blown Away,” which begins on page 38, William E. Dubois provides terrific insights on how to determine wind direction and speed without the benefit of automation, or even a windsock. After reading this article, you will suddenly see the telltale signs of wind direction and speed all around you, just waiting to be observed and acted upon.

I’ve been flying tailwheel airplanes for several years now, and I’m happy to say that I finally love the wind again. As pilots we challenge ourselves. We learn new skills—and over time, with continual practice, we become proficient at the type of flying we want to do. These are great life lessons that only aviation can teach us.