With the wind?

Okay, I've never even had a flying lesson, which
may explain it, but yesterday afternoon I stopped
by a local airport to watch some planes, and noticed
that the tower had them all taking off and landing
more *with* the wind than against it. The wind
was blowing at around 10-12 mph (around 10
or so knots) and the windsock appeared to agree.
I know about crosswind landings and t-offs,
but I always thought once the wind was giving
more of a tailwind than headwind, it was time
to change directions. BTW, these were all small
planes, as this airport doesn't accomodate anything
bigger than corporate jets. Just curious, thanks!

-----
Jay McKenzie
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-wstviews

"smallg" wrote in message
...

Okay, I've never even had a flying lesson, which
may explain it, but yesterday afternoon I stopped
by a local airport to watch some planes, and noticed
that the tower had them all taking off and landing
more *with* the wind than against it. The wind
was blowing at around 10-12 mph (around 10
or so knots) and the windsock appeared to agree.
I know about crosswind landings and t-offs,
but I always thought once the wind was giving
more of a tailwind than headwind, it was time
to change directions. BTW, these were all small
planes, as this airport doesn't accomodate anything
bigger than corporate jets. Just curious, thanks!


What airport? What runway?

Probably a noise abatement agreement for a designated
runway. Until the tailwind is above a certain strength,
making the take-off and initial climb dangerous, many
airports have agreed to use a particular runway to avoid
take-offs over homes.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"smallg" wrote in message
...
| Okay, I've never even had a flying lesson, which
| may explain it, but yesterday afternoon I stopped
| by a local airport to watch some planes, and noticed
| that the tower had them all taking off and landing
| more *with* the wind than against it. The wind
| was blowing at around 10-12 mph (around 10
| or so knots) and the windsock appeared to agree.
| I know about crosswind landings and t-offs,
| but I always thought once the wind was giving
| more of a tailwind than headwind, it was time
| to change directions. BTW, these were all small
| planes, as this airport doesn't accomodate anything
| bigger than corporate jets. Just curious, thanks!
|
| -----
| Jay McKenzie
| http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-wstviews
|
|

"smallg" wrote in message news:JFPXf.4877

.....and noticed
that the tower had them all taking off and landing
more *with* the wind than against it.

You didn't give any wind direction or runway info, so it is hard to say.
But I can tell you this: The notion of tailwind or headwind on a runway can
be somewhat misleading when the wind is running more or less across the
runway. IIRC, in light airplanes, the wind direction has to be about 20
degrees aft of the wing before you start to pick up significant tailwind
effect.

I can remember at least one tower communication, "N12345 cleared for
downwind takeoff". And, at the standard procedure at Pepperell, MA
where I learned gliders, was to take off on 06 and land on 24. This
allowed for an aborted take off into a cornfield rather than a pile of
granite. So, downwind is not unheard of, but not preferred because it
uses more runway.


smallg wrote:
Okay, I've never even had a flying lesson, which
may explain it, but yesterday afternoon I stopped
by a local airport to watch some planes, and noticed
that the tower had them all taking off and landing
more *with* the wind than against it. The wind
was blowing at around 10-12 mph (around 10
or so knots) and the windsock appeared to agree.
I know about crosswind landings and t-offs,
but I always thought once the wind was giving
more of a tailwind than headwind, it was time
to change directions. BTW, these were all small
planes, as this airport doesn't accomodate anything
bigger than corporate jets. Just curious, thanks!

-----
Jay McKenzie
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-wstviews

It depends on the situation. When I worked at GFK we had a lot of
operations from the UND, the large college flight school. The airport
had parallel Ry 35's and a crossing Ry 26. The wind mostly blew north
and south but once a week or so the wind would go strong out of the
west, favoring 26. Due to the volume of traffic we stayed on the
parallels until the wund exceeded a 15 knot crosswind. The same thing
happens at any major airport, changing to the other runway is quite a
production.



smallg wrote:

Okay, I've never even had a flying lesson, which
may explain it, but yesterday afternoon I stopped
by a local airport to watch some planes, and noticed
that the tower had them all taking off and landing
more *with* the wind than against it. The wind
was blowing at around 10-12 mph (around 10
or so knots) and the windsock appeared to agree.
I know about crosswind landings and t-offs,
but I always thought once the wind was giving
more of a tailwind than headwind, it was time
to change directions. BTW, these were all small
planes, as this airport doesn't accomodate anything
bigger than corporate jets. Just curious, thanks!

-----
Jay McKenzie
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-wstviews

If a tower phrased a take-off clearance "cleared for |
downwind takeoff" it would be because the pilot requested
that runway and the tower was getting it on tape, that the
pilot knew and accepted the procedure. If the wind was not
significant and a taxi to the other end of the airport was
long, using a runway with a little wind component on the
tail might be very reasonable. It depends on runway length,
departure profile and terrain balanced by aircraft
performance.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Stubby" wrote in
message . ..
|I can remember at least one tower communication, "N12345
cleared for
| downwind takeoff". And, at the standard procedure at
Pepperell, MA
| where I learned gliders, was to take off on 06 and land on
24. This
| allowed for an aborted take off into a cornfield rather
than a pile of
| granite. So, downwind is not unheard of, but not
preferred because it
| uses more runway.
|
|
| smallg wrote:
| Okay, I've never even had a flying lesson, which
| may explain it, but yesterday afternoon I stopped
| by a local airport to watch some planes, and noticed
| that the tower had them all taking off and landing
| more *with* the wind than against it. The wind
| was blowing at around 10-12 mph (around 10
| or so knots) and the windsock appeared to agree.
| I know about crosswind landings and t-offs,
| but I always thought once the wind was giving
| more of a tailwind than headwind, it was time
| to change directions. BTW, these were all small
| planes, as this airport doesn't accomodate anything
| bigger than corporate jets. Just curious, thanks!
|
| -----
| Jay McKenzie
| http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-wstviews
|
|

Thanks Jim, this makes perfect sense, as noise has
been an issue there for years. I just had the idea
that tailwind landings and takeoffs were never allowed,
as the FAA traditionally seemed pretty strict.
BTW, airport is Peachtree-Dekalb (Atlanta metro
area); here's a page on noise abatement there that
I found just now: http://www.pdkairport.org/abatement.htm
--
-----
Jay McKenzie
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-wstviews

There's no such phraseology as "downwind takeoff." The controller is
required to issue the wind when you takeoff with a tailwind component,
this can be accomplished via the ATIS and would be obvious when you
listened to the tape.

Jim Macklin wrote:

If a tower phrased a take-off clearance "cleared for |
downwind takeoff" it would be because the pilot requested
that runway and the tower was getting it on tape, that the
pilot knew and accepted the procedure. If the wind was not
significant and a taxi to the other end of the airport was
long, using a runway with a little wind component on the
tail might be very reasonable. It depends on runway length,
departure profile and terrain balanced by aircraft
performance.

smallg wrote:

Thanks Jim, this makes perfect sense, as noise has
been an issue there for years. I just had the idea
that tailwind landings and takeoffs were never allowed,
as the FAA traditionally seemed pretty strict.

We're not you're mother. If traffic allows and you want a 20 knot
tailwind the runway is all yours.