Dust Devil
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Ontario, Canada
Dust Devil
Though not common in this part of Canada, we have the odd Dust Devil. For want of a more precise description, it's a very small, and generally harmless tornado, which does not originate from cloud.
Today while taxiing to position on runway 18, with the wind reported as 220 at 22 gusts 28, I nptice a dust devil approaching from about 2 O'Clock.
I was taxiing very slowly around to the runway heading, with the controls held in a position appropriate for the wind. All of a sudden the stall warning horn was sounding full on, the right wingtip had lifted, with the right main just off the ground, and the plane was pivoting around the nose wheel, with the left main tire chirping as it slid sideways along the pavement.
It came to a stop on three wheels again into the wind, with no harm done, but it was certinaly alarming
Today while taxiing to position on runway 18, with the wind reported as 220 at 22 gusts 28, I nptice a dust devil approaching from about 2 O'Clock.
I was taxiing very slowly around to the runway heading, with the controls held in a position appropriate for the wind. All of a sudden the stall warning horn was sounding full on, the right wingtip had lifted, with the right main just off the ground, and the plane was pivoting around the nose wheel, with the left main tire chirping as it slid sideways along the pavement.
It came to a stop on three wheels again into the wind, with no harm done, but it was certinaly alarming
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 487
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From: Daventry UK
Good story DAR. It's not just aircraft that are affected. Driving a rental car across the desert I saw one approaching the highway and thought it would be neat to time my speed to co-incide with it. Bad idea! As I entered the dust devil, the car instantly slewed 30 deg off course, travelled sideways for a moment and then slewed instantly back again as I emerged, fortunately still on the (empty) highway!
