Wind is fun

I went down to the airport (KPAO) the other day, not really knowing
what I was going to do. When I got their the wind was 260 variable
320, 15 gusting 20. I thought about whether doing some pattern work in
that would be manageable, and decided, I was up for it. I rented the
club's rattiest 172 (no sense wasting $s going nowhere) and taxied
out.

I've gotta say, that was the most fun I had in an airplane in a long
time. I think I did 11 T&L's before my stomach was telling me I'd
better pack it in before lunch packed itself out. I won't say any of
my landings were beauties, but it was just so satisfying to get blown
around six ways from Sunday and still be able to put that aircraft
safely on the runway each time. As is my habit, I did a simulated
engine-out short approach last. Nice to know that works even when
you're getting knocked about.

Anyway, being a relatively poor grad student (very very soon to be
unemployed recent graduate), I spend too much time looking at airplane
magazines bummed about all the hardware I'll never fly.

It's nice to be reminded that you can have a lot of fun in a tired old
spamcan, too.


-- dave j

PS -- I just don't understand why everyone doesn't LOVE to fly. MX
does not know what he's missing.

Dave J wrote:

I've gotta say, that was the most fun I had in an airplane in a long
time. I think I did 11 T&L's before my stomach was telling me I'd
better pack it in before lunch packed itself out. I won't say any of
my landings were beauties, but it was just so satisfying to get blown
around six ways from Sunday and still be able to put that aircraft
safely on the runway each time. As is my habit, I did a simulated
engine-out short approach last. Nice to know that works even when
you're getting knocked about.


Good for you. I see too many pilots avoiding windy days. You are
building a lot of confidence and experience. When you start doing
it a few times you learn you can land a spam can in some pretty
gusty/windy conditions and even make it look well executed.

Nice story Dave... Wind doesn't have to be our enemy...

Anyway, being a relatively poor grad student (very very soon to be
unemployed recent graduate), I spend too much time looking at airplane
magazines bummed about all the hardware I'll never fly.

Why? Did you get your degree in a field that doesn't pay anything? I
never understood why people do that.. Good luck..

Jon

On May 3, 11:15 pm, Dave J wrote:
I went down to the airport (KPAO) the other day, not really knowing
what I was going to do. When I got their the wind was 260 variable
320, 15 gusting 20. I thought about whether doing some pattern work in
that would be manageable, and decided, I was up for it. I rented the
club's rattiest 172 (no sense wasting $s going nowhere) and taxied
out.

I've gotta say, that was the most fun I had in an airplane in a long
time. I think I did 11 T&L's before my stomach was telling me I'd
better pack it in before lunch packed itself out. I won't say any of
my landings were beauties, but it was just so satisfying to get blown
around six ways from Sunday and still be able to put that aircraft
safely on the runway each time. As is my habit, I did a simulated
engine-out short approach last. Nice to know that works even when
you're getting knocked about.

Anyway, being a relatively poor grad student (very very soon to be
unemployed recent graduate), I spend too much time looking at airplane
magazines bummed about all the hardware I'll never fly.

It's nice to be reminded that you can have a lot of fun in a tired old
spamcan, too.

-- dave j

PS -- I just don't understand why everyone doesn't LOVE to fly. MX
does not know what he's missing.

Dave
I recall my basic instructor telling me 50+ years ago, "Anyone can fly
when its calm." I continue to tell my students the same thing and fly
in strong winds. We can't control the weather and if it kicks its
heels we have to be able to deal with it..
Good for you!
Ol Shy & Bashful

On May 4, 3:42 am, Jon Kraus wrote:

Wind doesn't have to be our enemy...

Yup.

Did you get your degree in a field that doesn't pay anything? I
never understood why people do that.. Good luck..

People do it for various reasons. My undergrad was in computer and
electrical engineering. I was making good money in Silicon Valley
working for chip companies and design automation companies as a field
applications engineer. (pre-sales tech guy) After awhile, I found the
work kind of dull, and moreover, I always wanted to "do something with
my life."

So I went back to school to do something completely different: a
Masters in Public Policy. Most people are unfamiliar with the MPP
(it's only been around since the late 60s), but it's essentially a
combination of political science, economic theory, and statistics. My
program was pretty heavy on the economics and lighter on the polisci.

MPPs are supposed to be able to look at the options for a given
problem/situation, and make reasoned, quantitative analyses to
determine what's best overall.

In any case, no I don't expect to be unemployed very long, but one
never knows. As for how much I'll be earning, well, let's just say
that there is a definite tax on the desire to "do good." Non-profits
are the lowest, with government jobs coming next, and then private
sector jobs paying the best. All my experience is in the private
sector, so I'll probably end up there again. There are some exciting
startup companies in the Bay Area doing renewable energy technology.
I'm going to see what I can do at one of those!

-- dave j

On May 4, 3:07 am, kontiki wrote:

Good for you. I see too many pilots avoiding windy days. You are
building a lot of confidence and experience. When you start doing
it a few times you learn you can land a spam can in some pretty
gusty/windy conditions and even make it look well executed.

Yeah, the pattern was nearly empty. A couple of people came in, did a
landing or two and then left, complaining that it was too bumpy. I get
it. Images of pranged airplanes certainly come to mind, but I think
maybe sometimes people are just a little too cautious. (It's like that
NYT article posted here last week. The author said that GA is getting
safer, but people are getting more risk-averse faster.)

I also would never have subjected my fiancee to a ride like that just
for fun -- though there are some exes....

As an aside, it got me musing about what it means to fly an aircraft.
Too many pilots, I think, especially of high performance and heavily
wing-loaded AC think of it as driving around the sky. In reality, it's
always going to be a negotiation between you and that big ocean of
air. Sure, you could keep that AC perfectly straight and level on a
gusty day, but you'll end up working pretty hard for it, and getting a
less comfortable ride in the process.

-- dave j

On May 3, 10:15 pm, Dave J wrote:
I went down to the airport (KPAO) the other day, not really knowing
what I was going to do. When I got their the wind was 260 variable
320, 15 gusting 20. I thought about whether doing some pattern work in
that would be manageable, and decided, I was up for it. I rented the
club's rattiest 172 (no sense wasting $s going nowhere) and taxied
out.

I've gotta say, that was the most fun I had in an airplane in a long
time. I think I did 11 T&L's before my stomach was telling me I'd
better pack it in before lunch packed itself out. I won't say any of
my landings were beauties, but it was just so satisfying to get blown
around six ways from Sunday and still be able to put that aircraft
safely on the runway each time. As is my habit, I did a simulated
engine-out short approach last. Nice to know that works even when
you're getting knocked about.

Anyway, being a relatively poor grad student (very very soon to be
unemployed recent graduate), I spend too much time looking at airplane
magazines bummed about all the hardware I'll never fly.

It's nice to be reminded that you can have a lot of fun in a tired old
spamcan, too.

-- dave j

PS -- I just don't understand why everyone doesn't LOVE to fly. MX
does not know what he's missing.

You sound like me! I find it much more fun to fly on a windy day with
a bit of a crosswind...

I recently was checked out in a Diamond DA20. I went up with the
instructor on a day that was blowing 20 gusting to 28, with a 20
degree crosswind angle. FUN FUN FUN!

The DA20 is fun to fly. The light control forces and the stick make
it feel a bit like an RV6 or a Kitfox, except that it doesn't want to
stop flying, it glides like nobody's business.

Dean

Dave J wrote:

Images of pranged airplanes certainly come to mind, but I think
maybe sometimes people are just a little too cautious. (It's like that
NYT article posted here last week. The author said that GA is getting
safer, but people are getting more risk-averse faster.)


Being cautious about something you do not have the confidence (or
competence) to do is a good thing. But not taking the steps to
increase (or maintain) your level of competence is not wise.
You could take off on a nice calm day and come back with winds
gusting to 25 (happened to me a number of times).

"Dave J" wrote in message ups.com...

I went down to the airport (KPAO) the other day, not really knowing
what I was going to do. When I got their the wind was 260 variable
320, 15 gusting 20. I thought about whether doing some pattern work in
that would be manageable, and decided, I was up for it. I rented the
club's rattiest 172 (no sense wasting $s going nowhere) and taxied
out.


Yes, wind is your friend, if you know how to tame it....

"Blueskies" wrote

Yes, wind is your friend, if you know how to tame it....

Friend? A friend is someone you like, well.

I would say it is more like an in-law, that you know has to be tolerated,
from time to time.

You know that it is part of the deal, and that you should not change the way
you live, and enjoy life, even if they are around.

When they come to stay, (and stay, and stay) and they get to be way too
much, then occasionally, you look for other ways to deal with them, (before
you do something really, really bad) and sometimes that means leaving the
house for a while! g
--
Jim in NC