Sport Pilot Talk

dstclair · Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 65 Location: Allen, TX

The weather in Dallas this winter has not been the best for light sport flying. Today was forecast to be absolutely perfect -- clear, light winds and 60 degrees. I was ready to slip the surly bonds....

Forecast surface winds for the time of my flight (and for 12 hours thereafter) was 330@8. My home airport has 7000' runway oriented 17/35. Absolutely perfect to knock some rust off.

Reported wind on the ASOS was 280@5 or, according to ground, "light and variable". No issues -- took my place in the long line of other happy pilots and soon lifted off. I went tooling around the farms, ranches and lakes east of town, went up to altitude and did a few wing overs, lazy eights then after a bit over an hour headed back home.

ASOS reported wind 350@8 but I knew the plethora of planes in the pattern were landing on 17. Hmm. Contacted the tower, told the winds were 'light and variable' and to make a direct base entry for 17. Controller then asked if I could expedite. No problem -- cut a 45 degree for short final. Do this all the time.

Came in a bit high, but not too bad. Ground seemed to running by faster than normal. Hmm. Taking a little more rudder to hold the center line, than the reported winds called for. Hmmm. Sink rate doesn't seem quite right. Started the flare, then somehow ballooned, tried to smooth it out but it didn't feel right -- said the heck with this approach and kicked all 100 horses of the Rotax into gear. Where did that gust come from and why was I fast?

I thought -- man I'm rusty. I was making student pilots look good.

Oh well. Run a full pattern, stay in front of the plane, use the ILS for a glide slipe. Pulled power, got the plane in the white arc, took a notch of flaps. Life is good at 500 fpm sink. Feeling good. Base to final -- take another notch. Still taking a lot of rudder to hold the center line. Actually crabbing a bit. Hmmm. Plane still feels 'fast', sink rate picking up. Added a touch of power. Looking good. Flared at the touch down zone. Ground still going by faster than normal. Mains hit, keep the nose up, let the nose fall gently, still feel fast but all is well. Runout was one taxiway longer than normal. Hmmm. Not a great landing but OK considering it had been 3 weeks since my last flight.

I'm thinking, I just didn't have it today. Maybe go up tomorrow and stay in the pattern for practice.

Then I noticed the windsock. Mostly down the runway, varying by 30 degrees from the west. Looks more like 350-330@8 to me. Did a quick wipedown to get the bugs off and felt a bit more wind out of the west. Checked ASOS for the heck of it: 330@13. A nearby airport was reporting 320@11G17. Basically I was landing with an 8 kt tailwind with around that much crosswind. Potential gusts as well. Never landed with a tailwind before :)

I also noticed they changed the direction of the pattern after I landed....

Moral to the story. Be careful out there and check the wind sock on final (which I always do except today) to get a better visual of the winds. Trust the 'feel'. I did but I wasn't a true believer until my second time around.

Nice learning experience, though.