Free Speed!
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,966
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From: Norfolk
Free Speed!
If you really were concerned about speed then you'd not fly a biplane. All that parasitic drag and inefficient compression between the wings. Almost a built-in headwind in itself!
About a month ago, I was battling my way to Brittany against a headwind - the g/s was not even in 3 figures. Pretty uncommon to slip below the 100kts but it occasionally happens
This morning I flew from Sherlowe (been to see my folks) to South Norfolk and my average groundspeed was 151kts - that's over two and a half nauticals a minute - in a bipe!
I was listening out to Birmingham radar and they asked an inbound flight for a wind check at 4000' . 240/44 came the answer. I was under class D airspace at 3,300' and was tracking to the east. All that free speed - I love it!
As I approached Leicester, I cruise climbed upto 4,300 and the g/speed slowly crept up to 154kts. Once east of Lakenheath, I descened slowly to circuit height and was travelling in excess of 200mph at my economy cruise power setting.
Sherlowe to mine in 57minutes - It took me 1h19 on Friday.
Tailwinds - wish I could always have one!
Stik
About a month ago, I was battling my way to Brittany against a headwind - the g/s was not even in 3 figures. Pretty uncommon to slip below the 100kts but it occasionally happens
This morning I flew from Sherlowe (been to see my folks) to South Norfolk and my average groundspeed was 151kts - that's over two and a half nauticals a minute - in a bipe!
I was listening out to Birmingham radar and they asked an inbound flight for a wind check at 4000' . 240/44 came the answer. I was under class D airspace at 3,300' and was tracking to the east. All that free speed - I love it!
As I approached Leicester, I cruise climbed upto 4,300 and the g/speed slowly crept up to 154kts. Once east of Lakenheath, I descened slowly to circuit height and was travelling in excess of 200mph at my economy cruise power setting.
Sherlowe to mine in 57minutes - It took me 1h19 on Friday.
Tailwinds - wish I could always have one!
Stik
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 603
Likes: 0
From: Kent
I too had some fun with the winds today. I'd booked a PA28 for midday and had planned to do a local with my parents. The wind looked dubious all morning, and when I spoke to the airfield at 1115 it was gentle at the airfield, but set to increase in the afternoon.
Arriving at the 'drome at midday it was gusting 28, about 20-30 degrees off the runway. I wasn't happy to go on my own, but there was an instructor who was happy to sit in as a passenger to be there in case I screwed up (and it stopped parents fighting over the front seat
).
We had fun trying to find the strongest winds....lowest recorded GS was 41 knots, and the highest was 145 knots.
Then we did a low level trip around Dover Castle - good for photos.
Landing back at Manston was actually alright. So as it happened, I could have done it on my own, but the comfort zone wouldn't have been so high!
tKF
Arriving at the 'drome at midday it was gusting 28, about 20-30 degrees off the runway. I wasn't happy to go on my own, but there was an instructor who was happy to sit in as a passenger to be there in case I screwed up (and it stopped parents fighting over the front seat
).We had fun trying to find the strongest winds....lowest recorded GS was 41 knots, and the highest was 145 knots.
Then we did a low level trip around Dover Castle - good for photos.
Landing back at Manston was actually alright. So as it happened, I could have done it on my own, but the comfort zone wouldn't have been so high!
tKF
