![]() |
If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
Same kind of thing in Missouri. Coming into St Louis area last night,
0 tailwind at 3500 and 30 knots at 2000. -- Gene Seibel Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html Because I fly, I envy no one. We flew to Rantoul, IL today -- home of the Chanute Air Museum, on the site of the former Chanute Air Force Base. The wind was predicted to be howling -- winds aloft were calling for 54 knots at 6000 feet! -- but the sun was shining, and we were enjoying our first Saturday off since last Oshkosh. So off to Rantoul we went. Our local AWOS was calling the wind 180 at 13, gusts to 21 -- strong, but right down one of our three runways. Takeoff was a non-event, and the cool temperatures meant we were soon climbing out at 1200+ fpm, even with 84 gallons and four aboard. As we passed through 500 feet AGL, we experienced some moderate turbulence, followed by some really "hinky" air -- you know, the kind that lifts first one wing sharply, then the other? It's an almost uncontrolled feeling, where you really just kind of keep things pointed in the right direction as you climb through it. Then, the most amazing thing happened. Our ground speed, which had been an anemic 90 knots or so climbing out in a shallow "cruise climb", suddenly accelerated sharply. Within seconds, we were doing 130 knots climbing on the SAME HEADING that had given us a headwind just moments earlier! Interestingly, the air instantly became silky-smooth, with hand's off flight producing an absolutely rock-solid heading. As we leveled off at 5500 feet, our ground speed rapidly climbed through 170 knots, meaning that we had a solid 30 knot tailwind, heading South. As we passed Muscatine, the smoke from the power plant clearly showed a wind out of the South, yet at 5500 feet we were riding a strong tailwind from the North. On the way home, Mary stayed down below 3000 feet, where the headwind (it was no longer out of the South down low, dang it) was considerably less. We still dragged home at 117 knots, meaning we were bucking a 25 knot headwind. The one time ATC asked us to climb to 3500 for radar coverage, we instantly lost 25 knots in ground speed! Again, the air was smooth as glass, however. It's hard to envision an air flow that could cause such severe wind shear, yet not also cause moderate to severe turbulence. Never seen anything quite like it. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
sound of wind shear | Dan Jacobson | General Aviation | 2 | May 11th 04 11:43 PM |
I'M GOING TO DIE TODAY. | ArtKramr | Military Aviation | 0 | February 4th 04 09:44 PM |
12 Dec 2003 - Today’s Military, Veteran, War and National Security News | Otis Willie | Naval Aviation | 0 | December 12th 03 11:01 PM |
Weathervaning | Koopas Ly | Piloting | 50 | November 15th 03 07:56 AM |
"Target for Today" & "Thunderbolt" WWII Double Feature at Zeno'sDrive-In | Zeno | Aerobatics | 0 | August 2nd 03 07:31 PM |