The PIC can always say UNABLE, a magic word to controllers.
The controller cannot turn the whole airport around at a
busy air carrier airport, there may be dozens of airplanes
in trail for a hundred miles. But the PIC can usually work
something out to get a more favorable runway within a
reasonable time. It helps if you can fly your approach at
higher speeds, nothing like getting a C172 at 62 knots on
final to really slow the airport down.
Don't accept a clearance you can't safely fly, and practice
some non-standard operations to find out how to fly fast and
slow down for the landing.

Most POHs show landing distances with a tailwind, but you
should understand that many pilots fly and land too fast and
waste a lot of runway and have other landing problems [wheel
barrow]. Tires have a speed limit, but that is usually not
a problem on light aircraft.

If you want to fly to a big, busy airport with noise
problems, learn to deal with it.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in
message
nk.net...
|
| "David Cartwright" wrote in
message
| ...
|
| Frankly, if a controller tells me I'm to land with a
tailwind, he can get
| stuffed. Aside from the "hey, that fence is rushing at
me quite quickly"
| factor, you also have the issue of the extra strain it's
putting on the
| tyres/landing gear because the ground speed is so much
higher.
|
|
| So would you go somewhere else or land without a
clearance?
|
|
|
| I've been a passenger in a light aircraft where the
controller has
| insisted on the PIC using a particular (shortish) runway
with a tailwind,
| though. Fortunately, the PIC was (a) a 14,000-hour
veteran and (b) a
| stroppy, but polite old git. The discussion was an
interesting one to
| hear, but the one-sentence summary goes something like:
"You don't have a
| clue what you're saying, you don't have the performance
documents or POH
| for this aircraft to hand, and you're not responsible
for the safety of
| this aircraft; I am, though, so I'm going to do a visual
approach to RWXX
| instead, and you can lump it. When we're safely on the
ground, if you want
| to come and argue with me, that's fine". To the
controller's credit, we
| sat and had a coffee with him later and both sides
explained their point
| of view in a grown-up manner, and the controller went
away with the
| understanding that if we'd landed with the tailwind, we
stood a good
| chance of being in the hedge at the other end.
|
|
| Did he land without a clearance?
|
|