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Can anyone tell me the maximum crosswind that is safe for an RV-9A on take-off and landing? I've had a lot of different answers so I am hoping you builders will know what is safe. Thanks.
PJ
PJ
Can anyone tell me the maximum crosswind that is safe for an RV-9A on take-off and landing? I've had a lot of different answers so I am hoping you builders will know what is safe. Thanks.
PJ
My GRT efis has said, with a straight face, that I've landed with a 115 knot crosswind. Really .
Ever consider re-calibrating your EFIS?
Okay, not to "one up" everyone, but you can use this as an example of what's possible if you "have" to come down.
A buddy in his -6 and me in my -6 once landed in Show Low, AZ in a 35 kts crosswind. That was the direct component, the actual wind was 38 gusting to 45. I kid you not. We were sick, it was bumpy, and I wanted to be anywhere but in the air at the time.
Final approach was at a 45 degree angle to the runway and I didn't straighten it out until the wheels touched. My landing roll was less than 100'. It was so windy (How windy was it?), that when we were taxiing in to the FBO, our airplanes were hopping sideways as the wind rocked our wings. Even when we shut down, it would rock and walk sideways.
I wouldn't recommend it but there is enough rudder there to get it on the ground in a near hurricane if necessary.
BTW, I'm not that great of a pilot either but if you practice enough and get the techniques down, these airplane are very capable.
Okay, not to "one up" everyone, but you can use this as an example of what's possible if you "have" to come down.
A buddy in his -6 and me in my -6 once landed in Show Low, AZ in a 35 kts crosswind. That was the direct component, the actual wind was 38 gusting to 45. I kid you not. We were sick, it was bumpy, and I wanted to be anywhere but in the air at the time.
Final approach was at a 45 degree angle to the runway and I didn't straighten it out until the wheels touched. My landing roll was less than 100'. It was so windy (How windy was it?), that when we were taxiing in to the FBO, our airplanes were hopping sideways as the wind rocked our wings. Even when we shut down, it would rock and walk sideways.
I wouldn't recommend it but there is enough rudder there to get it on the ground in a near hurricane if necessary.
BTW, I'm not that great of a pilot either but if you practice enough and get the techniques down, these airplane are very capable.
When I read this I wondered why the crosswind runway was not used? I thought maybe it was closed. I went to the AFD and it says Runway 16-34 is in fair condition but is "not available for aircraft operations." Odd, I have landed on that runway several times and it seemed fine. Why would it not be NOTAMed closed but would not be available? My guess is because the transition at the intersection with the paved runway is abrupt.Not trying to pound my chest, but last winter I landed at Alamogordo NM with a direct X-wind and the AWOS was saying 35 a minute or so before I landed...
Now for the real question - wheelie or 3-pt? I would assume wheelie if you literally didn't straighten out until the wheels touched.
Curious about the numbers, though....a 38KT wind with a 35KT crosswind component results in a headwind component of only 14.8KT. Even if you touched down at stall speed (no less than 48KT), which is not really practical in a RV-6, you'd still have a 33KT groundspeed, and to scrub even that off in under 100' would require some monster braking ability. More likely you landed faster than this, and especially if you wheeled it on, a less than 100' rollout would seem to involve more like a 35KT headwind component and a 14.8KT crosswind component.
When I read this I wondered why the crosswind runway was not used?
When I read this I wondered why the crosswind runway was not used? I thought maybe it was closed. I went to the AFD and it says Runway 16-34 is in fair condition but is "not available for aircraft operations." Odd, I have landed on that runway several times and it seemed fine. Why would it not be NOTAMed closed but would not be available? My guess is because the transition at the intersection with the paved runway is abrupt.
If it was me under those conditions I would have a look at the crosswind runway and use it if that looked like the safest option. I sure wouldn't need to use so much of the runway that I would have to cross the paved one at high speed.
Sometimes I think we get a little too fixated on pavement or long flat official places that must have numbers. I have used taxiways, ramps or other suitable areas on an airport for landing when that seemed to be the best thing to do. You may be braking some sort of rule when you do that but I have not seen anything in the FARs about it. As far as the catchall reckless and unsafe deal, it can sometimes be more reckless to use the runway.
"hey hon, have ya seen the popcorn popper of late?"
That popcorn may be a bit stale......these guys are responding to a 12-year-old thread.....
I find using the published wind speed and direction to be about useless. I have had times I landed easily in mid 20's and had tough times in the mid teens. Close to the ground, behind trees, behind hangers and during lulls or gusts things change a lot.
My RV-6 with the small rudder is pretty much out of rudder at 15 kts direct crosswind. I landed once at our airport with 19G26 crosswind rotoring over the college campus, trees and hangars and decided that was the last time I want to go there. The landing was safe but it was noisy.......several bumps and tire chirps....not enough rudder to stay aligned with the centerline.
Interesting, my 6A has the small rudder and yesterday I went out to practice x-wind landings. at one point it was up to 20k direct cross wind and I had enough rudder, not much left, but enough to stay aligned. I've flown 15k cross quite a few times. Was the issue the ground handling with the 6 or alignment in the air?
Actually, the current winds are available on my g3x...High x-wind discussions are fairly pointless considering gusts, trees, 30 ft. high anemometers, etc. Nobody really ever has a good idea on the actual wind they are touching down in - maybe just approx. what they might have flown short final in. If x-wind tales seem too high to be true, they are.
Actually, the current winds are available on my g3x...
Why would you be looking at it during roundout and flare?I'm with Luddite42 on this. The G1000 has this feature as well, but I suggest that nobody is looking at it during the roundout and flare, or at least they shouldn't be. If I had a student who was doing that I would beat him with a bag of doorknobs. Plus, what's the refresh rate on it? I have to confess I have no idea, but my impression is that it's not instantaneous.
Is that parameter something that can be downloaded afterward on the G3X? it would be cool data to trend.
I can tell you that the equivalent data on my GRT Horizon EX, though perhaps not instantaneous, is MUCH more accurate than the W96 AWOS.Plus, what's the refresh rate on it? I have to confess I have no idea, but my impression is that it's not instantaneous.
Seems like you and I are largely saying the same thing here. You wouldn't, That was my point.Why would you be looking at it during roundout and flare?
Most of that I agree with. One thing is certain, the max crosswind will be determined by the person in the box…Seems like you and I are largely saying the same thing here. You wouldn't, That was my point.
I was mostly responding to your comment that the G3X has the ability to display actual real time crosswind, which I though was in rebuttal to the comment a couple of posts up where somebody said that in a lot of cases the wind reported is probably higher than the reality at touchdown. I evidently did a poor job of explaining what I meant.
To clarify, I think that just because tower or ATIS or my G1000 says X knots at 50' agl or whatever, I may or may not have that much at touchdown, depending on quite a few external factors, and the best most real time tool, the onboard magic box, isn't something that people are looking at during that moment.
This isn't in reference to any of teh comments on tis thread, but in general and regardless of what kind of airplane it is, it seems to me that a non-zero percentage of the "I landed in 30g50 kts direct crosswind" comments that people tend to make have to be based on what the wind was doing well above touchdown elevation. Either because the anemometer is on top of a tower or they (very correctly) stop looking at the displayed x/wind vector somewhere out on final.
I can tell you for a fact that a Citation VII can't effectively do a wing low landing in a 35-ish kt direct crosswind, because we had to replace the wingtip on the prototype when the pilot (who was a graduate of the Air Force test pilot school) tried it and had such a large roll angle that he smacked it on the runway
Maybe I'm wrong, it's just my opinion.
Sorry for the thread drift. I can totally believe that a RV14 can land in 23 kts, as verified by an anemometer on the ground as reported above. I suspect it could handle more than that, but as to dmattuls question, I suspect that there are enough factors involved her that there's not going to be one ultimate number due to things like varying aircraft weight and density altitude.
I actually prefer the crab into the roundout, and decrab in the flare technique; not really a fan of an extended cross controlled approach. Either way works, just personal preference.I flew with Gene Littlefield a few times. He is the one who flew his Stearman at Airventure many times. The trick he showed me was to line up far out and see if you can hold the centerline. If not, go find a different field, preferably one with coffee and pie!
Paul
In a taildragger, that puts your decision point pretty late. I crab down to maybe 200’. The worse the wind, the earlier the slip starts. If I have don’t have enough rudder at say 400’, I assume I’ll go around in a moment. If I haven’t gained enough rudder by maybe 100, I push the power in and go somewhere to think. This is in the 185. My RV experience is more limited, but I’m still not trying to land if one rudder pedal is against the firewall.I actually prefer the crab into the roundout, and decrab in the flare technique; not really a fan of an extended cross controlled approach. Either way works, just personal preference.
That is why it is personal preference; I use the crab technique in everything from my challenger LSA to my work aircraft, currently the 737.In a taildragger, that puts your decision point pretty late. I crab down to maybe 200’. The worse the wind, the earlier the slip starts. If I have don’t have enough rudder at say 400’, I assume I’ll go around in a moment. If I haven’t gained enough rudder by maybe 100, I push the power in and go somewhere to think. This is in the 185. My RV experience is more limited, but I’m still not trying to land if one rudder pedal is against the firewall.
So far, even though the RV has a tailwheel, it seems to handle crosswinds more like my previous Bonanza, which landed well regardless of technique.