The wind. It blows!

[Brian Scranton]

Did a flight to Vegas (MTJ>VGT) this weekend. IFR, 14,000--and holy hell that 50kt headwind had me moving at a solid 105kts GS. A quick stop in St. George for fuel, since we were taking 30% longer than normal and got there in a record slow 3:45. Tried altitudes between 10K and 16K and all of them were junk! However...the way home was a 200kt circus. 2:20 and we were on the ground! Damn...

Also, on departure from MTJ, I heard ATC looking for a mayday-declared Cirrus that had gone down due to engine failiure--finally found him on 121.5--he apparently pulled his chute and was on the ground. That was something. 

[N201MKTurbo]

You still had three digits of groundspeed. Once in New Mexico I was at 16000 TAS 175 GS 83...

My most extreme round trip was KCHD -> KOAK 4:30 westbound 1:30 eastbound GS hit 273 KTS and it was smooth as silk.

As much fun as those big tailwinds are, it seems that 90% of my trips have a headwind

[Bob_Belville]

Just now, N201MKTurbo said:

 

As much fun as those big tailwinds are, it seems that 90% of my trips have a headwind

Me too! I have questioned the accuracy of the ASI. How else can I have a 20 or 30 kt headwind for 2 solid hours and virtually no tail wind on the return flight after a 30 minute turn around? 

[ArtVandelay]

Did a flight to Vegas (MTJ>VGT) this weekend. IFR, 14,000--and holy hell that 50kt headwind had me moving at a solid 105kts GS. A quick stop in St. George for fuel, since we were taking 30% longer than normal and got there in a record slow 3:45. Tried altitudes between 10K and 16K and all of them were junk! However...the way home was a 200kt circus. 2:20 and we were on the ground!

How was the ride? Bumpy?

[Hank]

1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said:

You still had three digits of groundspeed. Once in New Mexico I was at 16000 TAS 175 GS 83...

My most extreme round trip was KCHD -> KOAK 4:30 westbound 1:30 eastbound GS hit 273 KTS and it was smooth as silk.

As much fun as those big tailwinds are, it seems that 90% of my trips have a headwind

Yep, i just had headwinds for almost 3:30 each way this weekend. But my worst was TAS ~140 knots, GS = 68 knots at 10,000 msl.

Am I doing this right??

I'm still debating the $200+ trim-to-fit plastic overlay, or making one from cherry laminate. 

[bradp]

That's alright - did a trip with two buddies from BUR to VGT one day in a PA-28 time builder that had a GPS-195 and a single VOR with no AP and a paint mismatched front door.  Way there was like 110kias maybe 120 over the ground.  Winds kicked up on the way back and we were doing 60 over the ground watching the highway traffic pass back to front under the wing. That was my first "manipulation of controls" as my friend wanted to sit right seat for his upcoming CFII exam.  I got to fly over the desert at night and IMC over the valley until he picked up the localized and took us into BUR. I was absolutely hooked.  Still highway traffic passed us in the little warrior....

[Marauder]

Years ago I was flying with a buddy in his 172 headed towards Buffalo. We were dealing with a strong headwind when the controller asked us we wanted to try another altitude. He pointed out the cars on the New York State Thruway were traveling faster than us. Sure enough, looking down at the cars below us , we had that eerie feeling of flying backwards.


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[KLRDMD]

In my first Mooney, a C model I was once at 12,000 ft westbound (dust required that altitude to be VFR) from El Paso to Tucson with ground speeds for portions of the flight of 47 kts (100 kt headwind).  Later that night I I talked with a UPS pilot flying a 757 at about the same route at about the same time but of course at a much higher altitude. He reported 200 kt headwinds for portions of his flight.

[Ron McBride]

I was flying a C310 from So Cal to Oceano CA   usually a 1 hour flight each way.  One Sat, 1 hour 45 minutes going up, and 30 minutes going home on Sunday.  Over 300 Knts on the Loran.   That was the fastest over the ground that I have ever flown. 

Ron

[Brian Scranton]

4 hours ago, teejayevans said:

How was the ride? Bumpy?

Luckily, for my passengers, neither direction was bumpy--only a little light chop popping in and out of the cumulus. 

[Oldguy]

My PPL instructor went up on a rather windy day in the DA-20 the school had and was able to get it going backwards with a headwind greater than its slow flight speed.

And I used to get frustrated in a 172 doing 105 kts.

[Guest]

Does anyone here have any records on groundspeed records?

http://www.groundspeedrecords.com

Clarence

[Bartman]

8 hours ago, Brian Scranton said:

Did a flight to Vegas (MTJ>VGT) this weekend. IFR, 14,000--and holy hell that 50kt headwind had me moving at a solid 105kts GS. A quick stop in St. George for fuel, since we were taking 30% longer than normal and got there in a record slow 3:45. Tried altitudes between 10K and 16K and all of them were junk! However...the way home was a 200kt circus. 2:20 and we were on the ground! Damn...

Also, on departure from MTJ, I heard ATC looking for a mayday-declared Cirrus that had gone down due to engine failiure--finally found him on 121.5--he apparently pulled his chute and was on the ground. That was something. 

I bet the Cirrus lost his engine due to... wait for it... he didn't make the stop like you did and ran out of fuel.

[Hank]

46 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

Does anyone here have any records on groundspeed records?

http://www.groundspeedrecords.com

Clarence

No, but I'm about to. Just need to find the picture, should be in my camera. It'll put me in 3rd place for the C, level cruise at 186 knots.

[Guest]

Just now, Hank said:

No, but I'm about to. Just need to find the picture, should be in my camera. It'll put me in 3rd place for the C, level cruise at 186 knots.

I've got a few, my M20E and my RV4, I have to submit for my 400.

Clarence

[KLRDMD]

2 hours ago, M20Doc said:

Does anyone here have any records on groundspeed records?

http://www.groundspeedrecords.com

I have the #1 & #2 place in a previous airplane I owned, a Cessna 337.

[Brian Scranton]

3 hours ago, Bartman said:

I bet the Cirrus lost his engine due to... wait for it... he didn't make the stop like you did and ran out of fuel.

Ya know...I wasn't gonna say it. And the funny thing is, I said to myself, "I can probably make it--but who the hell cares? I like landing!"