Jim Jones wrote:
I went up today to practice crosswind landings. The wind was about down the
runway at my home airport so I went to Sky Manor (N40). This airport has a
2500x50 foot runway and requires vigilence in gusty winds. I did 2 landings
and 1 go around (due to the gusty wind) using runway 25 at Sky Manor with a
90 degree crosswind of about 12-15 knots gusting to about 18-20kt. The
landings here were pretty good.

Well, I went back to my home airport and the wind was still mostly down the
runway, but variable and gusty (in retrospect). Well, I built up too much
speed (the approach is over trees and there was a bit of an updraft, plus I
was a little high and probably subconsciously dove for the runway) and
floated in the flare. The gusts caused the airplane to balloon and I was
able to recover once, then it ballooned again and I should have gone around.
However, I tried to save it and as I came down I added a bit of power to
soften the landing, quickly began to balloon even higher and found myself
very nose high, very little airspeed, and was heading off the runway due to
a crosswind combined with low airspeed. I immediatly applied full power,
lowered the nose to get some airspeed, and went around. Had I waited much
longer to go around, the aircraft would soon have stalled 20 feet above the
ground. Basically, I recovered from an imminent approach to landing stall
20 feet above the ground. This is not a good situation to get yourself in,
to say the least.

This scared me pretty good. I was complacent at my home airport because I
am used to landing there, the runway is long, and the wind was basically
down the runway. I fully expected variable gusty wind at Sky Manor and
expected to go around resulting in me making a good early decision to go
around when necessary, while I tried to recover from a poor approach at my
home airport when I should have gone around earlier.

In retrospect, I made some poor decisions, but ultimately had a safe outcome
by making the right decision at the last second.

You need a nastier home airport to keep you from getting complacent.

At mine the 3 wind socks are usually pointed in three different directions.

I can't count the times I was at the point of congratulating myself
on a great landing when I suddenly found myself 10 to 20 feet back
in the air or suddenly heading for a taxiway.

I was bitching about how squirrely the air is to one of the local CFI's
one day. He just laughed and said if I can land it there, everywhere
else short of a rolling aircraft carrier should be a piece of cake.

He's right.


--
Jim Pennino

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