Why tailwinds S**k

[markejackson02]

Flew N201TK KAXH - KHYI yesterday.  Going out, ground speed was 125ish, took 1.3 hrs.  Coming home, GS was 175, 180 at times.  "Hmmm, I could get used to this...."

[1964-M20E]

Short flight from New Orleans LS40  to Baton Rouge KBTR Friday afternoon 115 there  180 back.

 

 

[FloridaMan]

No winds on quick round-trips are best. On trips where you're somewhere for a couple of days, it's best to go north before weather and come back after it passes. (I think of it like High pressure moving in = Headwinds when going North). 

Edited January 30, 2017 by Antares

[peevee]

if it were me I'd have found the headwind both directions

[Vance Harral]

Just now, peevee said:

if it were me I'd have found the headwind both directions

Or in my case had a return headwind so bad the tailwind on the way there isn't much comfort.

My airplane partner and I flew from Denver down to San Antonio a week ago.  Our airplane typically cruises about 145 KTAS.  Saw 155 ground speed on the way down.  On the return leg from San Antonio to Abilene, ground speed was about 70 knots.  No, that's not a typo.  Saw 35 knots ground speed in the climbout.  Could have bought 10-20 knots at a lower altitude, but it wasn't enough to justify getting pounded by the turbulence for hours on end.  Was pretty smooth at 6000', so we decided to live with highway speeds.  Took all day to get home (winds were better further north), but with two pilots to fly legs, it wasn't unpleasant.

I told my buddy we should fly a 360 just to see our groundspeed downwind and take a photo, but he said, "No way - do you know how long it would take to make up the lost ground?!"

[peevee]

32 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

Or in my case had a return headwind so bad the tailwind on the way there isn't much comfort.

My airplane partner and I flew from Denver down to San Antonio a week ago.  Our airplane typically cruises about 145 KTAS.  Saw 155 ground speed on the way down.  On the return leg from San Antonio to Abilene, ground speed was about 70 knots.  No, that's not a typo.  Saw 35 knots ground speed in the climbout.  Could have bought 10-20 knots at a lower altitude, but it wasn't enough to justify getting pounded by the turbulence for hours on end.  Was pretty smooth at 6000', so we decided to live with highway speeds.  Took all day to get home (winds were better further north), but with two pilots to fly legs, it wasn't unpleasant.

I told my buddy we should fly a 360 just to see our groundspeed downwind and take a photo, but he said, "No way - do you know how long it would take to make up the lost ground?!"

we took the K to MN to see a plane we almost bought, we made about 205-215 ground the whole way, the way back I think we made about 150 and sucked so much fuel I had to stop in SNY for fuel. After hours. In the dark. During the world series. With no self serve. Disaster.

(howdy neighbor, we hangar the rocket temporarily at eik also)

Edited January 30, 2017 by peevee

[Vance Harral]

33 minutes ago, peevee said:

(howdy neighbor, we hangar the rocket temporarily at eik also)

PM me next time it's there, would love to come see it.  I live a stone's throw from KEIK, though our airplane actually resides up in Longmont.