Downwind ? Downwind leg ?

[LETS FLY]

Someone can explain what the meaning is of downwind and downwind leg?? THANX

[Speedbird 2946]

Ian,

When you fly a circuit at an airfield, you fly around the runway in a rectangle shape with the runway making up one side of the rectangle. Thus you take off, flying into wind, ie-the wind on the day is going over your wings from front to back. Next you turn onto the 'crosswind leg' where the wind is coming at you from the side and you are making the top 'side' of your rectangle. Next you turn and fly the 'downwind leg' which means the wind is blowing you from behind and you are flying parallel to the runway you took off from, but in the oposite direction to which you took off. Once past the end of this runway you turn 'base leg' where again the wind is coming at you from the side, and on this leg you set up your aircraft to land. When you are ready, you turn onto 'Final' and there infront of you (like in the movies etc) is your runway, awaiting your landing.

Hope this helps,

SB :)

[Noggin]

"Thus you take off, flying into wind, ie-the wind on the day is going over your wings from front to back"

Does this mean that when I am down wind the wind is now going over my wings from back to front?

[mad-andy]

Yes you are flying down with the wind

[doggonetired]

surely that's air that is descending?

[SpeedBird22]

Noggin & co,

*looks slightly worried* When on downwind you are going in the same direction as the wind. However, the wind will never be flowing over your wings from back to front unless you are happily flying your circuit one day and the winds whip up to around 120kts :) In which case you lose lift and come falling back to mother earth.

Also remember that the names of circuit legs aren't always representative of the situation - for example if you took off with a slight tailwind, you would be flying into wind on downwind even thought the names always stay the same.

Seeya,

:) :) SpeedBird22 :) :)