Monday, May 12, 2008

Spring wind!

In case you haven't noticed, it's windy... That's not such a bad thing, though. It just means it's time to hone your crosswind skills. If the wind's down the runway, you likely have a considerable headwind component. This means that your approach will change. If you fly a normal approach into a strong headwind, you'll end up consistently low throughout your approach. Try turning base earlier, so your final leg is shorter. Because your groundspeed is so slow, you'll spend the 'normal' amount of time on final, but cover less distance. Experiment with this; set up uncomfortably high (expecting a go-around) and see where you end up. You'll probably be surprised how steep you can descend!

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