How bumpy is too bumpy or too windy? - Page 5

Flyin'Bryan · #41 05-20-2022, 01:04 PM

Most of this is touched on in various degrees by other posters, but my contributions are:

Cruise flight - slow down -softens the impact and wear and tear on the body over time. maneuvering speed is your friend and varies with weight, so adjust it accordingly. Try different power settings/airspeeds to experience the change in the way that the airplane behaves and how it impacts you.

Go up with an instructor as suggested, preferably under a variety of different X-wind and turbulent conditions. Work you way up being proficient in handling 10-12 knot steady cross wind component, and keep working until you can proficiently handle a 15 knot cross wind component. You will need to determine your own gust factor or variable wind direction change limits, but keeping those on the lower side (5-7 knot gusts and 10-15 degrees max variation) is a good starting point. Work with your instructor to help define those limits. Experience builds confidence and enhances the body's relative ability to deal with the bumps and cross wind conditions.

I don't necessarily agree with a former poster's comment about turning ON the autopilot when the bumps are increasing. If altitude hold is engaged this could potentially lead to over-stressing the airplane in very bad turbulence. Definitely DO use it to help reduce work load and avoid fighting the nuisance bumps, but also realize that there is a point where you should disengage it.

As a former search and rescue pilot in the Colorado Rockies, turbulence was always there, and you got used to it with experience. So if you really want to gain more experience with it, become a CAP aircrew member. Eventually we got to the point where our personal limits for "bugging out" were having your head slammed into the cockpit ceiling!

Identify the bump-levels you are currently comfortable with, and the ones that you are not. Then note what those actual and forecast wind and weather conditions were, and that will give you a range of weather conditions to help you with your "go/no-go" or deviate/land decisions.

rockwoodrv9 · #42 05-20-2022, 07:23 PM

I agree, I need more time with my instructor in the bumps and especially cross winds. Lucky I have a great instructor - one everyone would know but Im not sure he wants more students after me! Ha! My latest solo endorsement comes up at the end of the month so I will be back in the air with him soon.

Our airport KTEW has a cross wind much of the time and I am pretty good up to about 7-10 x wind factor. I fly for fun, but dont want to be freaked out if it gets too windy when Im up so I dont have to go to another airport with better wind. I enjoy the limited x wind landings I have done at the upper limit I have set for myself. I may end up past where I wanted to land, but the 9 is so responsive to controls and power, you can recover a couple times before you do the go around - and I have no ego about doing a go around or any part of flying. Im still learning!!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Most I knew but there are some that I will try out and see how it goes.

swift12 · #43 05-21-2022, 12:58 AM

I vomited as a student on a few occasions. I never really liked bumps and a really bumpy day will mean I will try to find smoother air...for my passengers...not always possible. the answer is....tolerate it and be comfortable that most aircraft will take more than you can imagine...know the maximum turbulent air penetration speed and remember this is normally set for severe turbulence...which is truly revolting to be in. extreme turbulence is loss of control stuff....in 21000 hours flying c152 to 747 I have not had extreme. a few severe experiences but mostly a bad day was normally moderate. you think you know what severe is until you get into it. The day the 767 I was flying hit CAT and the autopilot dropped out several times...idle thrust...going up at VMO with the speed brake fully deployed and bouts of being hard to grab things in the cockpit...that was severe...or the time i ended up at 13000 feet in a non pressurised bandeirante that required an abnormal flight load check afterwards and replacement of both cowlings several screws. probably the worst two in 40 years of flying. certainly not meant to scare you but more encourage you that these machines can handle a lot and those really awful flights are few and far between...Point is....you will get more used to it but may not necessarily like it and will try to find ways to mitigate it. try to relax and dont over control...best of luck...I dont really enjoy turbulence but i have to deal with it so i do....Im sure you will learn to relax a bit with more exposure.

plehrke · #44 05-21-2022, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swift12

...most aircraft will take more than you can imagine
...know the maximum turbulent air penetration speed and remember this is normally set for severe turbulence
...these machines can handle a lot and those really awful flights are few and far between

A good place to interject that is why aircraft have some designed in margin. If you build/fly into the margins by cutting holes in bad places, flying over gross weight or outside CG limits you are closer to a bad day when encountering these few and far between flights.

Build and fly safe within the aircraft and your own personal limits.

swift12 · #45 05-22-2022, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plehrke

A good place to interject that is why aircraft have some designed in margin. If you build/fly into the margins by cutting holes in bad places, flying over gross weight or outside CG limits you are closer to a bad day when encountering these few and far between flights.

Build and fly safe within the aircraft and your own personal limits.

All three of those things are stupid to do at any time...

n982sx · #46 05-23-2022, 09:26 PM

If your an early riser, fly early. If not fly an hour before sunset. in my first build - a Sonex - I was back on the ground by 10am in the summer.

Fly high. I get in my 14 and climb till it's smooth. Your 9 should get you up there pretty quick. As a student, be sure and work with your instructor on flying high (8000' or so). You want to make sure your learn to use the mixture control while climbing to smooth air and coming back down.

RV7Guy · #47 05-24-2022, 08:06 AM

I don't think there is any place in the US that has greater turbulence than the deserts and mountains of AZ, especially between April and October. I've had measured 4G turbulence. When we travel eastbound the return is always exciting because the last two hour are always in the afternoon in the mountains and desert.

To lessen the impact we fly as high as possible and slow down. We make sure our seatbelts are extra tight and of course don't wear any hats with the little knob on the top.