Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

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Dustdevil
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Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

Post by Dustdevil » Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:53 am

Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

In an RC Universe forum posting about flying in the wind, the opening question was… “what airplane is best for flying in high winds of 15 to 20 mph?

Friends, 15 to 20 is not a high wind situation, it’s probably an average at our field. Let’s talk about flying in winds of 25 to 35. Let’s consider winds blowing so hard that a hand launch is mandatory. If you plan to fly at Hollman Field on a regular basis throughout this coming summer you will be flying in wind over 20 mph. The fact is… it can be fun.

As many of us have, I have flown in 25+mph winds and have come to the conclusion that getting the plane in the air and flying in very high winds is not the real problem. Getting the airplane back down and safely to the pit area is the real problem. The airplane I was flying at the time was a small mid-wing .46 with a fat symmetrical airfoil. On landing, the plane would flip over, and blow all the way to the north fence. After three or four flights it broke in half. I was the only one at the field and I had a great time.

This site from New Zealand offers very sound advice for flying in the wind and is a must read if you plan to challenge the winds here in Oklahoma. There are also a couple of videos worth watching. - http://www.rcfnz.org.nz/flyinginwind.shtml

Some thoughts on windy day flying (25+mph):
• Airplane weight is not a problem - actually heavier might be better
• The airplane should be overpowered (A Hollman Club rule - if I remember correctly)
• A thin airfoil is better than a fat one - no airfoil might be perfect
• High wing models should stay home - mid wing is probably best
• High wind flying is a perfect opportunity to clear out old models for new ones
• Only bring old models to the field
• Prepare to do some walking
• We should think about having a high wind event sometime during the year. Who knows maybe some one of us will come up with a great new design that will totally beat the wind problem.

Standing in a high wind isn’t much fun, but if you do anything out of doors in Oklahoma you’re going to do it in the wind. That’s a fact. Also the wind is certainly an ongoing issue for our club, so please post any thoughts and comments you might have on this subject.

How about an award for the flyer who runs a certain pattern in the highest wind? For the competitors that would mean flying on some weekends in very windy conditions.

I wish I had found a ton of information about flying in the wind on the internet, but it's just not there. The guys who posted are a bunch of pansies, with the notable exception of the New Zealanders - it looks like it's up to us to write the book on flying in real winds.

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Wingnut
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Re: Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

Post by Wingnut » Mon Feb 22, 2016 6:02 pm

When I returned to western Canada after visiting Oklahoma in 2000 I was asked by a few of my club members how the flying conditions were here. I replied that there were days that when the birds wanted to travel, they had to walk. :o :o :D
Takeoffs are optional......Landings are mandatory

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DaveO
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Re: Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

Post by DaveO » Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:29 pm

I get that this is an old post and some of it is tongue in cheek. But there are some positives to flying in the wind. I like to practice high alpha stuff in the wind. To put it simple the plane stays in front of you longer. So if you are doing knife edge or slow rolls are something similar, flying into the wind gives you more time while the plane is in a good field of vision. Yes the landings can be a pain. Just take your time and don't taxi. You will be a better pilot for it and have more flying days a year.

David

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poowensiii
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Re: Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

Post by poowensiii » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:37 am

DaveO,

If you want to hold a high wind flying event -- be sure to ask Kip to pick the date! ;-)

Phillip

P.S. Kuddos to you for braving the OK flying weather! Bigger flys better.

DaveO
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Re: Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

Post by DaveO » Sat Feb 24, 2018 10:35 am

LOL. I didn't Kip was the wind Guru. We had our event on the same weekend in Elk City for 25 years. There were a few with some wind but most were great. I'm gonna have to brave it this Sunday to keep my all season flyer status up. I hope the wind is kind for 10 minutes.

David

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L82fly
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Re: Flying in Oklahoma - Flying in the Wind

Post by L82fly » Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:02 pm

DaveO,
Nobody can pick a bad date for an event better than me. It's almost like the movie Field of Dreams. "If Kip picks the date bad weather comes", Just saying :oops:

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