Tailwind landings

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LousyFisherman
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Re: Tailwind landings

Post by LousyFisherman »

co-joe wrote:The problem with taking the 5 kt tailwind today is that tomorrow you'll take 6 or 10 kts, because 5 wasn't that bad. And eventually you'll be that Challenger going into Aspen Colorado with 33 kts up the tail pipe...
I think a 5kt tailwind should be taught in PPL training so a pilot is aware of, and has experienced, the difference in handling.

5000' density altitude, 3000' grass strip, prevailing wind from the west, windsock is wrapped around the pole. A 182 takes off towards the west. The strip is known for wind shear on short final.

Believing that the wind is from the west, I make my approach and as I pass over the fence at 10-20' I realize wow, am I ever going fast.
What followed can be described as the worst landing of my life. I obviously attempted to force the plane down, which resulted in a violent (and my first) porpoise. I immediately give it full gas, which in the dreaded 150 with full flaps results in the perfect landing attitude. Since there was still 1500' of runway left, I eased off the gas and landed, properly this time :)

I really would have preferred some experience with a tailwind with an instructor before I had to do it myself.

As always YMMV
LF
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Colonel Sanders
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Re: Tailwind landings

Post by Colonel Sanders »

I really would have preferred some experience with a tailwind with an instructor
Sorry, the AvCan experts have determined that
5 knots of tailwind is a "gateway drug" and if
you do it, you will inevitably end up crashing
a bizjet in Colorado with a 33 knot tailwind.

It's a fact.

PS I teach tailwind landings every time we
do an EFATO (SEL) at 500 AGL.
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Liquid Charlie
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Re: Tailwind landings

Post by Liquid Charlie »

Not by choice but by necessity -- 40 kts downwind in a 2 otter and a hs74 -- non issue both times -- glidepath was more an issue than the landing --
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pdw
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Re: Tailwind landings

Post by pdw »

The glidepath is the issue, sure. The 33kt guys had their airspeed shifting volatile 15-20kts ...
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shimmydampner
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Re: Tailwind landings

Post by shimmydampner »

Colonel Sanders wrote:5 knots of tailwind is a "gateway drug".
Hey, get your own material! Plagiarist.
Believing that the wind is from the west, I make my approach and as I pass over the fence at 10-20' I realize wow, am I ever going fast.
Seems as though instruction on how to properly assess wind without the aid of a windsock would have been more useful than "tailwind landing lessons."
I'll admit, I rarely take tailwinds anymore. Most of the takeoffs and landings I do necessitate the performance associated with being as into wind as possible. However there was a time when I would regularly take light tailwinds to avoid having to turn to backtrack aircraft with low-clearance props on gravel. I never found tailwind landings to be significantly different or more challenging. Ultimately you're still simply maintaining or adjusting attitude and power to give you the desired speed and glide path to the runway. Would a person need special training to go from landing with a 10kt headwind to landing wind calm? Would further training be required to go from wind calm to 10 kts on the tail?
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Elmo
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Re: Tailwind landings

Post by Elmo »

I think it completely depends on the type of flying you are doing, as a bush pilot you don't always have an option. I often take tailwinds if its the safest option. Having said that I think there is a big difference between taking tailwind because you are being lazy or wanting to please other pilots in the air, and taking the tailwind cause its safer. The company I fly for has very strict rules with all the strips we fly to, one of them is so sloped that when you land you are in a climb attitude. At that strip we our SOPs say to always land with the tail, even if its 20 kts. One way in, one way out. And we do practice tailwind landings in our on route line training.
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