Crosswind rental limits?

A silly policy, better to be sure the routes allowed for
students have good alternates and airports within close
proximity with runways on different headings.

The CFI should be allowed to do his job.

Many FBOs are just money-men and know nothing about
airplanes or pilots.



"nrp" wrote in message
ps.com...
|A relative is working on a PPL using a Diamond DA20. The
FBO has a
| policy of no student solos with more than 5 knots
crosswind component.
| Do other FBOs do this? As a result he is having trouble
scheduling his
| solo cross countries.
|

On Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:55:22 -0600, Jim Macklin wrote:

A silly policy, better to be sure the routes allowed for students have
good alternates and airports within close proximity with runways on
different headings.

The CFI should be allowed to do his job.

Many FBOs are just money-men and know nothing about airplanes or pilots.

The FBO where I did my initial training was run by someone that knows
airplanes (even if he didn't seem to like them very much {8^). But they
still had a 5 kts crosswind limit.

Perhaps I could have had it increased over time, but I never thought of
asking. The limit didn't seem that onerous, even though I also spent
plenty of time with an instructor practicing crosswind handling.

But the airport where I trained had intersecting runways, and every
airport involved in my cross countries was similarly endowed. That was
probably a deliberate choice on the part of the FBO.

There was also a headwind limitation, but I don't recall it.

- Andrew

Jim Macklin wrote:
Many FBOs are just money-men and know nothing about
airplanes or pilots.

Then they must also be stupid. I can't imagine investing $500,000 into
airplanes for a next to zero return.

-Robert

Old saying, "to make a small fortune in aviation, start with
a big fortune."

Point being that weather changes from minute to minute.
Wind that is nearly calm and forecast to stay that way can
become 20g42 within a single reporting period. If you are
so worried about a student or pp renter that you won't rent
to them if the wind MIGHT become a 5 knot crosswind, you
need to stop all operation.
The FAA requires that certified aircraft be able to handle
at least 20% of the stall speed as a 90° crosswind. The
manufactures report maximum demonstrate because that was
what was blowing on that day.

Teach people to fly in strong and gusty winds, to use their
feet and hands and control the airplane and they'll be safer
than if some bookkeeper says "it's too windy" to fly.

Seek out crosswinds. Practice on the crosswind runway. Fly
extended flares and practice switching from crab to slop and
back. tracking sideways with a slip while keeping the wheels
aligned with the runway 1 foot off the ground. Practice and
determine your ability to get full rudder travel and aileron
too. Know how to slip to a landing and how to crab until
almost down and then "kick the plane straight [not my
preferred method.]

But you can learn to see how much crab angle is being
required to track straight and know how much slipping power
your airplane has. When you see you don't have rudder and
aileron available, change runways or even land at a slight
angle on the runway to cut down the crosswind component.


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
|
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| Many FBOs are just money-men and know nothing about
| airplanes or pilots.
|
| Then they must also be stupid. I can't imagine investing
$500,000 into
| airplanes for a next to zero return.
|
| -Robert
|

Robert M. Gary wrote:

Then they must also be stupid. I can't imagine investing $500,000 into
airplanes for a next to zero return.

I've known some FBO owners that do exactly that. G