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HomeHomeDiscussionsDiscussionsiFly Wish-ListiFly Wish-ListiFly calculate and report crosswind component?iFly calculate and report crosswind component?
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5/7/2018 11:57 AM
 

When we have good automated info of the wind on the runway (be it from ATIS, AWOS, or whatever),unless wind is so low as to be irrelevant we do mental calculation of the crosswind COMPONENT (maybe by rule of thumb, or just seat-of-pants guesstimate, but I'd be surprised if any of us takes out the calculator and nails it.)

It occurs to me that if the wind direction and speed are specified (as they are in ATIS, AWAS, etc, and METAR) it's really a shame that the system doesn't do the simple calculation and report the crosswind component for us.loud, clear, and specifically. As in "CROSSWIND COMPONENT 15 KNOTS RUNWAY 34".... as that's the  wind number most useful to me if I had only one I could get.

In my utopian world I'd phone the FAA, they'd thank me for my brilliant suggestion and require it be implement immediately. ;-).     Walter being slightly more responsive than the FAA, I wonder if  as a cheap and  second-best iFly could do that, at least sometimes?.  IIRR iFly does sometime have access to the METAR and could calculate off the numbers in that. No?

Just a thought.

Alex

P.S., Anyone up for lobbying AOPA to try to promote the idea of putting crosswind component reporting into the automated systems (ATIS, AWOS, etc.) transmitions? 

 
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5/7/2018 1:06 PM
 

Hi Alex,

I have thought about this very feature for a couple of years now and am also trying to figure out the best way to suggest it...and it would still have to take some individual pilot/plane inputs to make it work as every aircraft has a model/type demonstrated crosswind component from the manufacturer which can be altered with modifications. 

For example, my humble 150 max demonstrated crosswind component in the POH is 15 knots, but other planes are far greater...and some are slightly less....so this would take some user input to dial in the right parameters for your plane...and probably more importantly, your skill levels at X-W landings.  Of course, you already knew this, Alex...

As for AOPA asking for the component on the automated broadcasts....they may have the same issue. For which planes? They could go "heavy, light, etc." but will probably opt to leave that up to you.

I live in the windiest and gustiest state east of the Mississippi, so this is something I always have to watch around here....

Perhaps this would be possible if each user "dialed in" his/her own max crosswind (and headwind and tailwind) components out of our POH's and then let the computer do the magic by pulling data from automated reporting stations...that might work, Alex.  That is what I have been thinking about for a while now.  It would be helpful.  Like you, I have now gotten pretty good at doing it in my head before, during and while landing.  Thanks for bringing up an interesting topic.

Regards, Mike in Carlisle, PA

 
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5/7/2018 1:14 PM
 

Whoops.  I posted an erroneous response.

 
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5/7/2018 4:17 PM
 

Mike, the crosswind component has nothing to do with a given aircraft. It is derived from the wind speed and relative wind direction to the runway you are using. 

I think this is a great idea, and really should be part of an automated broadcast. However, as you know, wind speed and direction are constantly changing, and really wouldn't work on an ATIS (hourly). An awos may be possible though. 

 
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5/7/2018 4:46 PM
 

It would work on an ATIS to the same extent the wind direction works.

 
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HomeHomeDiscussionsDiscussionsiFly Wish-ListiFly Wish-ListiFly calculate and report crosswind component?iFly calculate and report crosswind component?