Spring is here

[Paul-WI]

Well, spring has finally arrived this weekend. Spent some time at the hanger and washed the plane and the bikes. I sure must like shiny things.

shiney.jpg

[W.J.Langholz]

Makes a guy feel good after a winter like this last one

[Paul-WI]

Is that a snow blower on the front of the train? Sure am glad we don't get that much snow around here. I hope that snow wasn't from over the weekend

[mit]

I just about lost this snow machine last weekend.

that is the Tanana River





Burning some old brush at the lake

[W.J.Langholz]

The burning some old brush thing...............I thought maybe that's how you guys got a hole in the ice to go fishing

nice plane

W.

[cessna170bdriver]

Think I'll leave the hangar doors closed: (For BL: KWJF is Fox Field, Lancaster; KMHV is Mojave) Tehachapi doesn't report weather, but it will be close to these numbers today.

METARs
KWJF 141656Z 26027G34KT 10SM CLR 14/02 A2978 RMK AO2 PK WND 26034/1652 SLP078 T01390017
KMHV 15nm E 141653Z 27025G32KT 20SM SCT030 BKN100 BKN200 12/05 A2977

TAF:
KWJF 141147Z 1412/1512 26015KT P6SM BKN200 FM141700 26020G30KT P6SM BKN200 FM142000 25032G45KT P6SM SCT200 TEMPO 1420/1424 1SM BLDU FM150700 27025G35KT P6SM SKC

[GAHorn]

Great day to go practice some crosswind techniques except for the woosies in CA.

[cessna170bdriver]

Great day to go practice some crosswind techniques except for the woosies in CA.

I don't know about you George, but I'm in this association to "preserve and protect" MY 170, and to have fun with it. At some point it stops being fun.
Actually, there are runways at both of those airports within 10 degrees of the wind, 6/24 at WJF and 8/26 at MHV. Of course if you WANT to practice in crosswinds, MHV also has 4/22 and 14/32. Also, at Mojave there's something that doesn't show up in the METARs and TAFs: the vertical components of the wind, due to being just downwind from 2500-3000 ft ridge. (Go to http://skyvector.com/ and enter KMHV to get a look at the terrain. Note that, due to magnetic variation, a 270 wind is almost perpendicular to the ridgeline.)

George, if want to land your 170 on 14/32 in these conditions, let me know and I'll run the video camera... from the safety of the tower.

Miles

[GAHorn]

You may have forgotten that I flew my airplane into Tehachapi for the convention you so-fantastically hosted, and I recall the terrain well. (You guys are still W O O S I E S !)

[cessna170bdriver]

You may have forgotten that I flew my airplane into Tehachapi for the convention you so-fantastically hosted, and I recall the terrain well.

Of course I remember you being here; no one could ever forget someone like you, George. I don't think the wind was 32G45 during your visit, though.

(You guys are still W O O S I E S !)

You ever heard of the California Salute? Here's to ya!

[edbooth]

35G45 HUMMMM.....It's been about six years since I retired and moved from Kansas, but the airport bums there I think would have considered this a breezy day. One of my notible flights I recall seeing 170 kts GPS G/S at 1500 ft AGL in the 170 on a flight from El Dorado to Emporia. Glad the wind was down the runway that day !

[Brad Brady]

35G45 HUMMMM.....It's been about six years since I retired and moved from Kansas, but the airport bums there I think would have considered this a breezy day. One of my notible flights I recall seeing 170 kts GPS G/S at 1500 ft AGL in the 170 on a flight from El Dorado to Emporia. Glad the wind was down the runway that day !

Ed,
That reminds me of what Dad told me about he and Pat Bartone landing in Kansas....they elected to use a path going to the awos, or what ever at the time in the 80's (less than 200 foot long) but into the wind..and having people come out to hold wings so they could taxi to the ramp. I've always said that Dorothy left on her own accord .......Brad

[oz502man]

Ed,
That reminds me of what Dad told me about he and Pat Bartone landing in Kansas....they elected to use a path going to the awos, or what ever at the time in the 80's (less than 200 foot long) but into the wind..and having people come out to hold wings so they could taxi to the ramp. I've always said that Dorothy left on her own accord .......Brad

That reminds me of one time when I was a passenger in a Bird Dog, we taxied out to the holding point, checked for traffic, then powered up and took off from the holding point across the runway!

It was at a quiet country strip (no tower) and a very experienced pilot at the stick.

[GAHorn]

Of course I'm only kidding MIles in good jest.... I don't mean to imply folks shoud go out and wreck their taildraggers in these kind of winds....

I recall a day back in my pipeline-patrol-days... in Corsicana... The wind was like this and the airport was abandoned and I had to land for fuel and continue a day-long patrol. I ended up alighting AT the fuel pumps and taking off from the ramp like a chopper. I doubt I rolled more than 15 feet either event.

I wouldn't want to do that these days in a personal airplane. (The junk the patrol-company had were good candidates for that kind of stuff.)

[Paul-WI]

Well - Spring WAS here for a few days. Woke up the last couple of mornings to this. Oh well - we could use the water as it has been very dry here. Lakes and flowages are way low.