co2bruce Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Headwinds sucks. 35-37 kts for 3 1/2 hours. Do you think I'll get the same tailwind next week on the way home............yeah right 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMan Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Even if you catch the same tailwind your total combined flight time will be longer since you spend more time flying at the slower speed with the headwind. Maybe it's a crosswind and it'll suck equally both ways :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMuncy Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 3 minutes ago, Antares said: Even if you catch the same tailwind your total combined flight time will be longer since you spend more time flying at the slower speed with the headwind. Maybe it's a crosswind and it'll suck equally both ways :-) Even with direct cross winds you still lose. (presuming you are going both ways with the same winds). No wind is the only time you don't lose. And I think I can count on one hand, the number of flights where I caught tail winds both ways. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Just now, DonMuncy said: I think I can count on one hand, the number of flights where I caught tail winds both ways. So can I, with four fingers left over. And a thumb. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMan Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Just now, DonMuncy said: Even with direct cross winds you still lose. (presuming you are going both ways with the same winds). No wind is the only time you don't lose. And I think I can count on one hand, the number of flights where I caught tail winds both ways. I think of it like this with weather systems moving in. "High, Headwind, Up" for if there's a High pressure system moving in, you will get a headwind going Up (North) on the map. So if I'm going up north ahead of a low pressure system, I'll expect a tailwind on the way there, crappy weather during my stay and a tailwind on the way back. Likewise, if I were up north and needed to go south and there was a nice high pressure system moving in, I'd expect a tailwind on the way down, nice weather while I was there, and a tailwind on the way back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) To catch a tail wind both ways would take some flight planning around a... - High pressure system with nice VMC... - Low pressure system with not so nice IMC... You would have to plan to fly before and after the system passes through. Or fly past the system on the way back and forth... PP weather knowledge only. Bets regards, -a- Edited March 23, 2017 by carusoam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I saw an analysis somewhere recently that explained that out of 360 degrees there is only about 90 degrees of wind direction to you that are helpful everything else will hurt. So it is true that 3/4 of all winds are head winds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Avalle Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I saw an analysis somewhere recently that explained that out of 360 degrees there is only about 90 degrees of wind direction to you that are helpful everything else will hurt. So it is true that 3/4 of all winds are head winds. Dream on...never happened to me at least.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godfather Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 On long trips pushing a 40 knot headwind I'm just thankful to be flying a Mooney. Nothing worse than flying a 172 with great downward visibility and watching the car traffic pass you by. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
co2bruce Posted March 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 1 hour ago, Godfather said: On long trips pushing a 40 knot headwind I'm just thankful to be flying a Mooney. Nothing worse than flying a 172 with great downward visibility and watching the car traffic pass you by. That's just not right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 1 hour ago, Godfather said: On long trips pushing a 40 knot headwind I'm just thankful to be flying a Mooney. Nothing worse than flying a 172 with great downward visibility and watching the car traffic pass you by. Crossing the Smokies westbound at sunset near Knoxville, I climbed to 10,000 to avoid 32° clouds. I'd been into the wind all evening, that last 2000' dropped groundspeed to 68 knots. My wife said, "sure glad we aren't flying a Cessna!" I was indicating 143 mph (+ 20% = 172 mph = 149 knots . . . ) After clearing terrain, turning north and being cleared down to 6000 msl, I finally hit 100 knots . . . In the Skyhawk I trained in, I'd still be heading home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy95W Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said: I saw an analysis somewhere recently that explained that out of 360 degrees there is only about 90 degrees of wind direction to you that are helpful everything else will hurt. So it is true that 3/4 of all winds are head winds. Way to kill the mood, Rich. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMan Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 16 hours ago, Hank said: Crossing the Smokies westbound at sunset near Knoxville, I climbed to 10,000 to avoid 32° clouds. I'd been into the wind all evening, that last 2000' dropped groundspeed to 68 knots. My wife said, "sure glad we aren't flying a Cessna!" I was indicating 143 mph (+ 20% = 172 mph = 149 knots . . . ) After clearing terrain, turning north and being cleared down to 6000 msl, I finally hit 100 knots . . . In the Skyhawk I trained in, I'd still be heading home. Makes me wonder if you couldn't have found the rising air over the terrain and stay in the windward side for a bit higher airspeed. That kind of speed moving over the mountains had to result in lift somewhere that you could've traded for airspeed, provided it wasn't too turbulent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldguy Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 21 hours ago, co2bruce said: Headwinds sucks. 35-37 kts for 3 1/2 hours. Do you think I'll get the same tailwind next week on the way home............yeah right You must have been flying the same route I was yesterday. Making a solid 122 kts. at times and proud of it! About 3 1/4 hours from KLAL to the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) 44 minutes ago, Antares said: Makes me wonder if you couldn't have found the rising air over the terrain and stay in the windward side for a bit higher airspeed. That kind of speed moving over the mountains had to result in lift somewhere that you could've traded for airspeed, provided it wasn't too turbulent. I was around 115 knots all the way from Fayetteville / Ft. Bragg at 4000 where the wind wasn't so strong . . . Just a really windy day with a long deviation around ice in southern WV. Edited March 23, 2017 by Hank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMan Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 31 minutes ago, Hank said: I was around 115 knots all the way from Fayetteville / Ft. Bragg at 4000 where the wind wasn't so strong . . . Just a really windy day with a long deviation around ice in southern WV. I hate those. I've deviated around Memphis to get to Wichita before. On a side note. Didn't I meet you at Sun n Fun a couple years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnoe Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I'm still trying to get over Yooper's recent post where he was fighting a 100+ knot headwind. Of course in his turbo-prop Lancair he was still making over 200 knots groundspeed. WOW! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 4 hours ago, Antares said: On a side note. Didn't I meet you at Sun n Fun a couple years ago? Possibly. I was there for the tornado, 2010. Got weathered out last year, and may be schedule out this year . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Peace Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Here is a nice tail wind I had a few months ago,,,would love to have it in the Mooney sometime.... bottom left of picture: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 1 hour ago, Jim Peace said: Here is a nice tail wind I had a few months ago,,,would love to have it in the Mooney sometime.... bottom left of picture: 774 MPH WaHoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
co2bruce Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 3 hours ago, Jim Peace said: Here is a nice tail wind I had a few months ago,,,would love to have it in the Mooney sometime.... bottom left of picture: Your hijacking my thread..... and his belongs in the tailwind thread...hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtVandelay Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Here is a nice tail wind I had a few months ago,,,would love to have it in the Mooney sometime.... bottom left of picture: You mean top left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Top left is ground speed (673 knots); bottom left is the tailwind (200 knots). My C won't get that high . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75_M20F Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 On 3/24/2017 at 5:44 PM, Jim Peace said: Here is a nice tail wind I had a few months ago,,,would love to have it in the Mooney sometime.... bottom left of picture: Looks like a Boeing product. Is that a 75? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Peace Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 4 hours ago, Mooney_Mike said: Looks like a Boeing product. Is that a 75? 767-300 someplace over the North Pacific..... I remember having over 700 knots GS at times in my travels....could not tell you when or where....also have a picture of minus 75 degrees at altitude....surprisingly it was over the equator. The coldest temps I have ever seen aloft have been over the equator and the warmest have been northern latitudes. But the experts who write the books about polar ops keep telling me that fuel freezing on polar routes is a problem....they should get out more...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.