Wind - Speed up or slow down?

[201er]

How do you vary your cruise speed depending on winds aloft (headwind, tailwind, crosswind)? Do you cruise the same IAS regardless or slow down/speed up under certain conditions?

[Cruiser]

One of the greatest advantages of the faster aircraft is the ability to maintain a near normal ground speed into a headwind. For years flying a Piper Archer I was frustrated with sub 100 kts ground speed being a victim to adverse winds. I finally realized that going fast was good but going kinda fast into the wind was the real advantage of having a higher performance aircraft.

 

I would normally cruise at WOTx2500, if I had a tailwind I might be tempted to pull back the RPM and watch the MPG jump above 20 ............

[Seth]

It depends.  If I have a really good tailwind and I'm not in a rush, I'll often power back to get better MPG.  Then again, I love seeing 200+ groundspeed

 

I may see how fast I can get it, and then power back.

 

If I have a headwind, I usually keep the power up as it's already biting into my timing, unless of course I'm not heading anywhere or have no deadlines. 

 

I also know that there is never a true deadline and that it can always be a no-go or divert decision (safety first).

 

In turbulance I power back and lower the IAS so that I know I'm not adding too much extra stress to the airframe.

 

-Seth

[stevesm20b]

I cruise WOT and 2500rpm regardless of wind direction. I may vary my altitude depending on winds aloft in order to get the best ground speed.

[rob]

Into a headwind, it's more fuel efficient to go as fast as possible (limiting your time in the headwind). With a tailwind, the reverse is true (increasing your time with the tailwind). Unfortunately, a headwind has a greater effect as you are subjected to it longer than a tailwind.

 

All that said, I always go as fast as she'll go considering the altitude, temp, and any turbulence. My C cruises well into the yellow at times.

[Jerry 5TJ]

When headed downwind with a good breeze pushing me along, I often take a picture of the panel featuring the high ground speed.  

Heading into the wind, I never shoot an image.

[1964-M20E]

I cruise WOT and 2500rpm regardless of wind direction. I may vary my altitude depending on winds aloft in order to get the best ground speed.

Ditto

 

The worst GS I ever had was around 80Kts in my Mooney WOT, 2500 and 8000ft  higher or lower did not matter.

[Jamie]

I've noticed the wind doesn't have any effect on my decision. I usually run around at 55%, which gives me 147ish kts TAS, iirc. The few times I've gone back to 75% was when it was getting dark or I had to pee.

[MARZ]

Full out either way it all averages out to 157 TAS @ 9.5        I LOVE my Mooney

[FlyDave]

When headed downwind with a good breeze pushing me along, I often take a picture of the panel featuring the high ground speed.  

Heading into the wind, I never shoot an image.

Jetprop panel pictures don't count Jerry

[Hank]

I don't usually have much 'speed up' available. I've found that headwinds generally increase with altitude, so I stay as low as possible when they are bad. My record was at 10,000 msl between Greenville and Knoxville, right on 68 knots groundspeed. Once clear of the hills, I dropped to 6000 and hit 115 . . . East of Greenville I had been making 120-ish at 4000.

[Mooneyjet]

Balls to the wall, gentleman for this mooney driver. The way I see for 99% of my trips I want to get there as quick as I can, for the occasionally 100 dollar burger then throttle back and still pass the Cherokee and cessna.

[larryb]

FT/2500 always. Lop normally but may go rop in the face of a stiff headwind. The 10kt gain with rop will be a larger % of the goundspeed with a big headwind, and therefore less of an efficiency loss.

[aviatoreb]

I usually go easy like 60 or 65% with a good tail wind, and I go high to increase the tail wind, and I go a bit lower to reduce a head wind - but still high enough to hopefully get some turbo altitude effect balanced against even higher winds a loft, and I usually burn it a lot harder into the wind, like 72, 75 or even 76%.

 

Usually means...unless I have a good aeronautical reason to do otherwise.  Like a week and a half ago coming back from DC I flew at 17k into a headwind instead of maybe 11k to avoid the stronger winds aloft.  But I was high to spend as much time in sunshine as possible instead of in the weather below.

[John Pleisse]

WOT always and let the altitude determine TAS and direction of flight/winds aloft..

[tomn]

I usually have the need for speed - WOT all the way regardless...

[jlunseth]

I fly like a sailor, wherever the wind is most favorable.  So if there is a tailwind in the Flight Levels I will go there, and on the trip back I will avoid that wind by flying low, where the wind velocity will be lower and the direction may also be more favorable.  Dropping in altitude also entails a reduction in TAS, but that reduction is generally less than the gain realized by reducing the headwind.  But regardless of which altitude I fly at or which direction the wind is, I use the same cruise setting in % HP (75%).  That may entail a different MP and fuel flow because of the altitude difference, but I set for the same power output.  I cruise between 3,000 and FL22, with occasional forays lower and higher in unusual circumstances, so there is quite a bit to work with.

[Earl]

Tailwinds?!?!?  What the heck is that?  As in my youth I had to walk ten miles to school every day, uphill both ways.  :-)

 

Actually I fly at 65% up and downwind and try to find the best altitude for winds, weather, turbulence, etc.  My usual tactic is to fly in the 10-12k range west and 11-13K east unless there are some very good winds higher or lower.  Also depends on the season.  I like to fly higher in the summer for the cooler temps, above the haze layer and better t-storm visibility.  Winter it depends on potential icing conditions.  

[jlunseth]

I don't vary my throttle settings or airspeed for a given altitude because of the wind, but I often vary my altitude.  Going west to east especially in the winter it is not uncommon to see truly massive tailwinds in the flight levels, so the trip is often at FL210 and the tailwind may be 75 knots, plus the TAS of 165-170.  On the return trip I will look for the best altitude, realizing that I will be flying lower and the TAS will therefore be reduced quite a bit.  If I flew to FL200 the 75 knot wind would yield 90-95 knots GS.  If I stay down lower the TAS might be 145-150 for a given %HP setting, but if the headwind is 20 knots, the lower altitude will be quite a bit better.  On rare occasion you get really lucky and see a tailwind up high west to east, and a tailwind down low east to west.  But although the MP settings may be somewhat different between, say, 5,000 feet and FL220, I just set for 75% power at the given altitude and that is my cruise.

[Jsavage3]

Into a headwind, it's more fuel efficient to go as fast as possible (limiting your time in the headwind). With a tailwind, the reverse is true (increasing your time with the tailwind). Unfortunately, a headwind has a greater effect as you are subjected to it longer than a tailwind.

 

All that said, I always go as fast as she'll go considering the altitude, temp, and any turbulence. My C cruises well into the yellow at times.

 

Rob is right, but for me it's all about decreasing my time enroute -- I didn't buy a Mooney to go slow, hence, I don't do LOP -- in a J that is.  If I were sitting behind an IO-550, then I'd probably do LOP...

 

I climb at WOT and 2600 RPM, then I use the "key #" 47 for 65% in cruise...and cruise at an altitude that minimizes headwinds and/or maximizes tailwinds...

 

Always WOT with ram air open (above 3000' in cooler seasons and above 5000' in summer) and...

 

2400 RPM down low (23" MP at WOT)

2500 RPM medium altitudes (22" MP at WOT) or

2600 RPM up high (10-12K with <= 21" MP at WOT)...

 

I will also look at wind patterns -- CCW around a low and CW around a high...