Flying in the wind can be very intimidating... Just flying faster at any weight will help.
Spring, in particular, and Texas in general provides us with more wind than we would like to fly in. Around here it is said that you learn to fly in the wind or you don't fly. I always enjoy listening to flyers that have just moved here from other parts of the country. They arrive at the field on what we consider just an average flying day, with a wind from 8-15 mph, and they're always amazed that so many people are flying in all this wind. "Back home" even the good flyers left their planes in the car on a day like this.
Flying in the wind can be very intimidating, especially to the newer flyer. Once basic flying skills are achieved, wind flying is more a matter of confidence than anything else. After you fly in the wind with some help and support from an experienced flyer, you see that it is really not all that hard.
There are several things to do to make windy flying work. Adding weight to your plane will help. You can make your plane slightly more nose heavy... but only slightly. Too much nose weight can make things worse. Adding extra weight or ballast at the CG (center of gravity) is the best place. This weight must be very well secured. A changing CG makes for a very exciting flight. Ballast has also been defined as a reason for removing bulkheads. The extra weight raises your wing loading, which causes your plane to fly faster. Since your plane is now heavier, it is less easily upset by gusts.
Just flying faster at any weight will help. Most people, especially beginners with light planes, actually fly too slow in all conditions. Put in an extra click or two of down trim and let the plane speed up a little. You may be surprised at how that sluggish floater now becomes quite responsive and handles much more positively. Without sufficient airflow over the control surfaces, they can not be effective. AIR SPEED IS CONTROL. Practice flying faster on calm days. Get used to it so that it feels comfortable and doesn't scare you.
One of the worst ways that air speed can really get you in windy weather is the difference between apparent air speed and real air speed. This is most apparent when you are flying downwind. It looks like you are really moving. Yet, when you try to turn, nothing happens. This is because you really do not have that much air speed, you are just floating with the wind. You need to put the nose down and dive a little to get enough air speed to make your controls effective.
The main mistake people make is floating around too slowly and letting themselves get blown downwind. FLY UPWIND AND STAY UPWIND. When launching, get off the line and fly upwind as far as you can stand and stay upwind. Under no circumstances let your plane get back to where you are standing. You can fly upwind as far as you can see and the wind will try to blow the plane back closer to you. If you make a mistake, the plane will come closer to you. If you get downwind, each mistake will just blow it farther away until you are finally blown off the field.
Landing is the most difficult part of wind flying. It is also the scariest. The fear is what causes the most mistakes. People are afraid to put their plane on the ground and thus fly too slow and loose control. You must get the plane down and on the ground quickly. Remember, AIR SPEED IS CONTROL. If you have spoilers, use them to get the plane down fast. When you get within 20 feet off the ground, get the nose down and put the plane on the ground. Keep the nose directly into the wind or, if you have to, land HOT downwind. Do not try to land crosswind. Don't go far downwind on your landing pattern. In fact, sometimes you will make your crosswind turn in front of you and let the plane drift back as you make your crosswind leg.
The next time the wind is up a little more than you like, ask one of the more experienced flyers to coach and support you and try flying. Once you try it and see that it isn't so bad, you will find you have a lot more flying days.
P.M.
