Whats The Strongest Winds Youve Flown In

[Tailboom]

I've just landed having flown the Rally GB in Wales where the weather has been absolutely terrible this weekend, and I just wondered what is the strongest winds you guy's have flown in and in what machines.

The Rally pilots this weeked have had to put up with 45/50 knot winds and terrible visability in the South Wales mountains and Valleys which has made flying very entertaining !!!!

I came back from Swansea this afternoon with a 60 Knot tail wind in a Squirell which was quite smooth at 4000 feet until I started my descent into a private site, it then got interesting.

Last year a few of us flew on the last day in the mountains of Brecfa and Trawescoed in 60 knt winds, there was an R44 with us most of the day and even though it was bumpy it was quite uneventfull.

My Instructor has always told me that "wind is only for people on the ground" what is your opinions on this and what advice is on offer for high wind flying

[NickLappos]

"Strong" wind is a relative term, for a helo with 17 knot crosswind capability and 80 knot Vne, a 25 knot wind is a force to be reckoned with. For a helo with 35 knot crosswind, and Vne of 160 knots, the story is different.

I have flown in 60 knots wind with gusts to 80 in the Black Hawk and S76, and never felt that the control was in any doubt. Such flights in a Robbie would be foolish.

[Droopy]

Was in a 332 once with an S61 ahead by a few miles who expressed concern on the radio that his groundspeed had dropped to zero. Normal cruise for the S61 was 110kt...:uhoh:

[Perro Rojo]

I had an 80 kt headwind during an NDB/ARA approach to a rig near Sable Island one time. Needless to say, after discussing it with the rig we decided to miss and head back to Halifax. The pax would have had to crawl across the deck with winds like that.

I have also had a 100+ knot tail wind at cruise altitude in the same area and near Trelew, Argentina.

[Colonal Mustard]

I remember landing at leeds in a B206, in order to refuel, R/R not allowed but the wind was that bad that it took 15 mins to stop the blades turning with the Rotor brake, credit to the pilot who had to time it on each rotation to apply the brake at the perfect moment to prevent "blade sail":ok:

R/R would have been safer IMHO but Regs are Regs

[ShyTorque]

During a last light casevac in Hong Kong (as a typhoon approached) we had 75 kts IAS in the hover just over the lights surrounding a basketball court.

We had only about 15 kts IAS on the ground - the wind shear was something to behold and it wasn't much fun landing (no winch, we had to land inside).

I also saw 223 kts groundspeed in a S76-A++, coming in from an offshore rescue, again ahead (but only just) of a typhoon. IAS was about 145 kts...

[Ioan]

I was climbing in corrie an lochain a few years ago and watched an RAF sea king let down onto the cairngorm plateau for a rescue. On getting back we checked the weather station on cairngorm; 55 kts gusting 70.
Even walking was difficult; makes you appreciate the job they do

[SASless]

Wind.....we ain't afraid of no stinking wind! (uttered in complete foolishness to two non-American pilots in Iran...)

We then took off into 45-60 knot winds and bumped our way over the Zagros Mountains for what seemed like a lifetime....having intermittent bouts of hydraulic failure as all the fluid smacked into the top of the resevoir and cavitated the hydraulic pump.

75 knots on the clock whille setting on a deck in the North Sea prior to liftoff for the Shetlands. I could have walked the distance quicker than we flew it!

[Up & Away]

Flying in strong winds is no real issue (within limitations of type)
starting and stopping the rotors in strong / gusty conditions on the other hand Can be Very Interesting!! I know when its blowing 50kts or more ..cause I can't stand up ..haha
;)

[levo]

Quite right G i flu yesterday and it makes it more fun :eek:

Did you ask Andrew.

Levo.

[TeeS]

After sliding backwards across the helideck on hands and knees following the fuel check, (friendly bear grabbed me by scruff of neck and returned me to the net!) got airborne to find ground speed of 35kts for the first part of the trip back to ABZ. BCAL S61 - Piper or Claymore I suspect, passengers and Captain both looked rather green!

TeeS

[Mikila1A]

Once flew for a Government Agency where we had a SOP that you could not operate with a gust spread of 100%. I recieved a call one day from my boss;

boss "how come you are not out flying?"
me "wind limits, can not go"
boss "is it blowing hard'
me "last I checked 2kts gusting to 4kts..too much spread" well, it was friday..!:}:8

Honestly...scared yes, Grand Banks, called for weather 5 minutes final to rig...wind 80kts gusting 94kts vis 1/2 in fog. (wx man still says theoretically impossbile) I say NOT!

:ugh:

[Bertie Thruster]

70kt ias while moving backwards into five finger gully on the Ben, winchman out on the wire.

[somepitch]

i had the interesting experience of being out in the bush for the day, and at the spot where i landed the winds were 10-15 kts, no big deal. after i took off and exited what i can only assume was the only calm spot in 100 miles the winds were about 60+ kts...in the mountains in a 206 i can tell you it was not a lot of fun. i couldn't get the blades stopped at the other end either...:ugh:

[mustering guru]

Was working a 205 in Nunuvik canada slinging gear...(only did one load) it was 50 gusting 65 knots refused to shut down for fuel at the Salluit Airport. ASI was showing 50-55 knots on the ground...took a life time and 3 guys to get the blades to stop when i did.

MG.

[Hippolite]

One night flight in a 76A to pick up a medivac with a ruptured ulcer had 90 knots, fun when you are single pilot with a cross deck landing! 75 kts on the Northern North Sea, however, wasn't uncommon during winter.

[Bladestrike]

Quite a few low level jets pass through the Sable Island/Halifax area. The worst I've seen was a 100 kt quartering headwind on the ILS (to mins!) inside the FAF ....or so the GPS claimed. It was definitely a steady 80 knots, which I seem to run into at least twice a year on approach. It was actually pegging 60 knots on an offshore deck early this morning!

On that 100 knot approach, we had told tower our groundspeed on the approach was going to be near 30 knots, they replied not to worry as no-one was flyig within 200 miles of Halifax!

These are either in a Super Puma or S61, wouldn't go near anything close in a Robbie!

[Fareastdriver]

The biggest advantage of the Puma in 75+ knots on a helideck was the external flotation gear, it gave you something to hang on to as you went round it. Passengers would be exchanged individually so that their weight would keep the aircraft on the deck. Refuelling was done with them inside.
A good tip was to land the aircraft about 10 or 15 degrees out of wind. This ensured that the wind was leaning on one side of the tail rotor instead of banging it one way and the other.

[Tailboom]

I think the best plan in high winds is to get up as high as possible over the mountains, its just that you have a battle with your mind which tells you to keep as low as possible.

I've been in a R22 with 40+ knots it did it but very uncomftable on the other hand the R44 was not bad under the same conditions, ive also found that a Hughes 500 doesnt half bounce about in turbelance, I some times prefer to be in a 44 !!!!!!

If you have to scud run home through mountains or valleys then keep well tucked into the windward side of the hill valley so that you are experiencing updrafts instead of downdrafts seems to work for me anyway :ok:

[tecpilot]

Have flown a helicopter not seldom with gusts of 60kt and terrible turbulence- no fun really, but the most impressive situation in my (wind)career was as i cutted the right fin of a BK 117 with only 25kt cross but very turbulent wind vector on a direction fixed trolley during shut down. Smash...

Since that i believe flying isn't so dangerous but landing makes me nervous.

[the beater]

Colonel Mustard says: 'I remember landing at leeds in a B206, in order to refuel, R/R not allowed but the wind was that bad that it took 15 mins to stop the blades turning with the Rotor brake, credit to the pilot who had to time it on each rotation to apply the brake at the perfect moment to prevent "blade sail".'

I don't understand this, could you explain?
I would have thought that the rotor brake would have set on fire well before fifteen minutes application with the rotors turning. And why would you 'time' the application to avoid blade sailing; I'd have thought that you would just want to stop the rotors ASAP.
This isn't meant to be a critical comment, it's just that having just come off duty, I may be missing something due to tiredness.

[Rosh]

In or Out of the cockpit!?

While flying the North Sea, with certain colleagues, I sometimes found the winds inside the cockpit more of a hazard.

Not so bad in the winter, with an airtight immersion suit to keep the fragrance secure until in the locker room....but in the summer in a cotton suit - Not good!

[Limpopo]

Night SAR callout from RAF Lossiemouth to the NW of Scotland many, many years ago in a Sea King. Took off with winds gusting 50-55Kts. Went around the top as weather totally unsuitable for a transit across land. Turned the corner at Wick and routing along the north coast. As we got to abeam Thurso ran smack bang in to a "hurricane" (as described by the BBC next morning). Groundspeed wasn't brilliant as we had been doing about 40-45Kts, but suddently we were down to 5 Kts! (IAS was 100-105 if I remember correctly). Not long afterwards got a call from the radop that the groundspeed was now MINUS 5Kts!!!

Decided to give up at that point and RTB. Turning downwind was, to say the least, interesting, with the groundspeed going from not a lot to 200Kts. Wind dropped off again as we turned the corner at Wick.

Got back to Lossie OK, and had an "interview" with the Squadron Boss over the phone a few days later for launching in such weather. Funny old thing, but about a month later he was out on an oil rig in winds of 80-90Kts!

Aah, the good old days! :)

[rudestuff]

My record was 142kts on the GPS in a schweizer 300 (I obviously Vne'd it downwind to get the photo). Unfortunately to make it official you also have to do it in the opposite direction....

[leopold bloom]

18,000ft rescue. (http://www.rotorandwing-digital.com/rotorandwing/sample/?pg=29)


Here's an example of some strong winds!!!!!:D

[YOP]

Well to copy Limpopo, night SAR callout on New year's Eve from RAF Lossiemouth to Ben Nevis many, many years ago in a Sea King. Going down the Great Glen with 100kts IAS the groundspeed dropped to zero at one point. Fortunately I was only an enthusiastic junior co-pilot at the time so had no concept of my own mortality. Not sure what the rest of the more experienced crew thought.

As I sit in my comfy chair watching Coronation Street with a beer in my hand, I actually don't really miss that sort of trip.

Must have been something about Lossie in the 80's. :)

[Bearcat]

G 75 kts on a A320...up the rwy....frig all else where to go. Biggest prob on the rwy vacacating as it wished to wished to weather cock into wind. opening doors etc another issue....

[Tail-take-off]

Saw 100 kts on the ASI while sat rotors running on the Ninian North platform New Years morning 2002.

We were on a SAR call out in the Sumburgh S-61 to a rig safety boat which had taken a wave through the bridge & lost all power.

The worst bit was engaging rotors while tucked in the lee of the Sumburgh hangar. Wind at sumburgh about 60 kts at the time. The Dunlin was reporting 106 gusting 126 offshore.

Departed Sumburgh with the intention of giving it our best shot then continuing to Norway but by the time we got there the wind was down to 80-100 kts & the boat had regained partial power so we sat on the Ninian Central until an evacuation would definately not be necessary.

By sunrise the wind dropped sufficiently for us to return to Sumburgh which was about 100 nm away. It took us almost 3 hours!

[rotornut]

Hovering in a 40 kt. wind in a Hughes 269B. You really couldn't turn out of wind very much as the TR lacked authority.

[scooter boy]

I find 35-45kts in my R44 quite controllable but pretty unpleasant especially if the wind is on the beam. Not good for nervous pax either. Strong gusty winds at night with no visible horizon can also be far more disorientating than in a fixed wing aircraft.

Excess of 45 kts is wind I'd rather drive through in my car than fly through in a 44.

I am amazed by what the larger helicopters (and their crews) can cope with though,:D rather you than me.

SB

[rotorrookie]

65kts headwind at 6500agl in B-206L when clearing over dust storm, thank for god gps couse it was the only thing that told me I was still going foreward due to limited visibility below.

[npage]

GOM in Sept 1981... Hurricane evac during Allen?. Customer naturally waited until the last minute to evac a production platform. Flying a AS350D. Landing on the platform was a handful, almost too much wind to get door open - my hands were full, rig hands took some time getting in. LORAN showed a GS of over 200 kts with an IAS of about 110. The only turbulence was near the rigs - surprisingly calm over the open gulf. Promised never to repeat that one...

[902Jon]

October 1987 (Michael Fish's hurricane)
6 months into being a Bond co-pilot on the 365N - flew out to evacuate Dutch semi-sub Smit Semi 1 that had been blown onto sandbanks and had lost 3 out of 4 motors. 240kts outbound - 35kts inbound to North Denes. RAF SAR unit at Coltishall (those were the days) unable to launch until later, Bristow unable to get to aircraft in hangar even. Wind was lifting roof panels and the bolts were snapping and firing like bullets into the hangar. If memory serves they lost two windscreens and lots of other damage to blades and radar noses etc. A/C was very new G-BLUN.

[Boslandew]

Reminds me of the time in Sumburgh when, following horrendous winds overnight, someone phoned the tower to ask what the maximum recorded speed had been? The tower replied, 104 knots. The chap said he was surprised that it hadn't been even higher than that. The tower replied that it might well have been but that was the speed at which the anemometer was torn from the tower and recordings ceased!

[biggles99]

5.5 hours from shobdon to cornwall and back, today in R22.

55 kts GS on way down, and had very little help on way back from the stiff westerly, much to my chagrin.

Big Ls

[Peter-RB]

Towards the end of my training, my Lady instructor started to test me out in more than standard day type winds( normal to average was 18 to 25knts) according to my comments in my Log book we went out with the Wind 20/25 gusting to 35Knts, concentration wasn't a problem that day found my self with her sitting alongside me, take off happened at just over 12" on the MP and full blown flight at about 14", I have never left the ground so fast in my life, I felt like the Lone Ranger riding Arkle(not Silver) fantastic until return to field then I could have walked it quicker, That days flight taught me my most valuable lesson, and that is still to this day simply R22 =25knts max take off wind, any more and I wont take the R22!:ooh:

Peter R-B
Vfrpilotpb

[Hughesy]

Certain poster on pprune here taught me in the AS350.
On approach to a running landing on my first "hyd" failure, he asked "how is it going?" "not too bad" I replied.....his response was " does this help?" making scooping motions with his hand....could have cut that "wind" with a knife!
Managed to get it on the ground....just :}