Crosswind rental limits?

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.

"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.

A limit of 5 knots might be unusual, but the general idea of imposing limits
of that sort on students isn't. FBOs and instructors both do regularly
place restrictions on their students, especially with respect to weather
conditions.

In my experience though, a 5 knot limit is a bit on the low side. Perhaps
the FBO would be willing to up the limit a bit (even getting it up to 7 or 8
knots would put it more in line with what I've seen at some other FBOs) if
the student were to spend some extra time on crosswind practice with his
instructor. If the weather conditions are such that a 5 knot limit is
causing problems flying solo XC flights (I assume you mean "flying", and not
"scheduling"...weather shouldn't affect scheduling, unless the student is
waiting until an hour or so before the flight to schedule ), then it
should not be hard for the student and instructor to go out and find some
good crosswinds to practice in.

Of course, there is also the possibility of just being patient and trying to
work around the existing limit. This could mean keeping one's schedule
open, so that when good conditions show up the student is ready to fly. Or
it could be adjusting the XC plan so that the intended airports of landing
have prevailing winds that are more commonly straight (or at least
straighter) down the runway, so that the crosswind component is minimized.

Pete

In my experience though, a 5 knot limit is a bit on the low side.

Have you flown a DA20? it has glider wings..
5knts for first solo may be prudent..
up to 10knts when ready for the check ride.

BT

"BT" wrote in message
...
In my experience though, a 5 knot limit is a bit on the low side.

Have you flown a DA20? it has glider wings..

What's the maximum demonstrated crosswind for the DA20?

I realize that the DA20 has a higher aspect ratio wing than similar
airplanes, but with a wing span just under 36' it doesn't have "glider
wings".

5knts for first solo may be prudent..
up to 10knts when ready for the check ride.

Unless the maximum demonstrated crosswind for the DA20 is significantly
lower than that for other airplanes, I see no reason that lower limits
applied to students should not be comparable to those for other airplanes.

Pete

On Mon, 6 Nov 2006 19:16:48 -0800, "Peter Duniho"
wrote:

"BT" wrote in message
...
In my experience though, a 5 knot limit is a bit on the low side.

Have you flown a DA20? it has glider wings..

What's the maximum demonstrated crosswind for the DA20?

Which is normally a meaningless figure.

I realize that the DA20 has a higher aspect ratio wing than similar
airplanes, but with a wing span just under 36' it doesn't have "glider
wings".

5knts for first solo may be prudent..
up to 10knts when ready for the check ride.

I'd hate to tell you what the cross winds were at my first landing on
my first long cross country.:-)) That was a long time ago and I was
not given any limits, but even today, you may be given limits and the
weather may not cooperate.


Unless the maximum demonstrated crosswind for the DA20 is significantly
lower than that for other airplanes, I see no reason that lower limits

I would agree.
Demonstrated is only 12 knots on the Deb and it's good for 25

applied to students should not be comparable to those for other airplanes.

Student cross wind components are a different animal.



Pete

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
What's the maximum demonstrated crosswind for the DA20?

Which is normally a meaningless figure.

It is never a "meaningless" figure. It always means *something*, and the
more effort the aircraft manufacturer puts into it, the more it means.

Curious, I did a quick bit of research. I found that early models (maybe
the Katana? I wasn't looking that closely at the exact model number here)
had a demonstrated crosswind of 15 knots, while the DA20 has a demonstrated
crosswind of 20.

Both numbers are very respectable, and indicate that there is no problem
whatsoever landing the airplane with a crosswind.

[...]
Unless the maximum demonstrated crosswind for the DA20 is significantly
lower than that for other airplanes, I see no reason that lower limits

I would agree.
Demonstrated is only 12 knots on the Deb and it's good for 25

applied to students should not be comparable to those for other airplanes.

Student cross wind components are a different animal.

Different animal than what?

My point was that the student limits ought to scale just as the demonstrated
limits do. For example, if a limit of 8 knots is appropriate for a student
flying an airplane with a demonstrated crosswind of 16 knots, then 10 knots
might be appropriate as a limit for a student flying an airplane with a
demonstrated crosswind of 20 knots.

The DA20's demonstrated crosswind *exceeds* that of the 172, and I saw one
reference that said that the 150 has a demonstrated crosswind of 12 knots.
Granted, that 12 knots is sure to be *well* below what the 150 is actually
capable of. But even so, with a demonstrated crosswind of 20 knots for the
DA20, there's absolutely no reason to think that one needs to be *more*
conservative with that airplane than with others.

Being less conservative might not be warranted either, but I see no reason
to restrict students more in the DA20 than in other trainers.

Pete

Bt,

Have you flown a DA20?

Yes.

it has glider wings..

So? (And it doesn't)

5knts for first solo may be prudent..
up to 10knts when ready for the check ride.

BS.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

BT schrieb:

Have you flown a DA20? it has glider wings..

Have *you* flown a DA20? And you obviously never flew a glider.

(Besides, we routinely and successfully land our gliders with
considerable amounts of crosswind.)

Stefan

On 2006-11-07, BT wrote:
In my experience though, a 5 knot limit is a bit on the low side.

Have you flown a DA20? it has glider wings..
5knts for first solo may be prudent..
up to 10knts when ready for the check ride.

I've flown both the DA-20 and the DA-40. The -20 was no more difficult
to handle than a Cessna 150. I thought it had very good habits.

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

In article om,
"nrp" wrote:

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.

A college buddy of mine might not have had a fatal solo if the FBO had, and
enforced, a crosswind limit.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate