• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Strange Winds

superchamp

Registered User
COOK MINNESOTA
Yesterday I flew my Stinson 85 miles south to get the annual done. Air was smooth as could be, but a big headwind. I was 2000 AGL doing 110 MPH airspeed and 60MPH groud speed on the GPS - telling me there was about a 50MPH wind from the South. When I got to sky harbor in Duluth, I noticed the waves off Lake Superior were going the same direction I was - north to south - and they were 4 foot rollers. Couldn't understand it so I found a windsock and yup, winds were from the north and the sock was straight. I descended and landed, and didn't notice any real turbulence on the descent, and landed on floats in the harbor to the north into a 25 mph headwind. This meant that in 2000 feet the wind changed from 50 mph south to 25 mph north, a 180 degree change and a combined difference of 75 mph. I would have figured my GPS was giving me a bad ground speed except the 85 mile trip took one hour and 20 minutes. Any one else ever encountered such a change in 2000 feet of altitude? I never encountered any real bad wind sheer in the circling descent either.
 
Russ,
How is everything going?
I experienced something similar when I was home last summer. I was flying down to a flyin south of St. Cloud and at around 2000 feet I was cruising at my normal 110 in the 172 and it was rather bumpy and I was indicating around 100 in ground speed(slight headwind). I climbed to around 4000 and all of a sudden my ground speed jumped to 145. I think I made the trip in around 45 minutes.
Keith
 
Seen it here in the Pac. NW every now and then, cold surface wind from the north spilling out of Canada while new weather system is overriding w/ southerly winds at altitude. Often w/ no turb or shear boundary. It's great, you can get a tail wind coming and going (or headwind if you are just having fun and want to rack up the hobbs meter)
Chris
 
It was definitely a cold north northeast wind out of Canada at the surface. What amazed me the most is how smooth is was 2000 feet up even with the 50 headwind. A weather system came in from the SE last night, so that must have been pushing the winds aloft at that speed. Doing good Keith - sure felt good to be on floats again. Lake Vermilion was about 90% ice free when I took off yesterday morning. Saw no ice going south.
 
Welcome to Duluth in the spring time. The weather changes hourly and plan on a strong NE wind down lake superior. You can have days of lake wind with cold temps and clouds. Sometims it can be 80 about 15 miles inland and in the low 50's or colder near the lake. It gets better when the water warms in late june but it never really gets "warm".
 
I lived 8 years in Duluth, 6 below the hill. Saw the sun 3 times in those years. Moved back up north to Lake Vermilion 12 years ago and get there once or twice a year now - and don't miss it a bit. Jon down at skyharbor keeps me coming back. He has been very fair to me with my annuals so I am happy to run the plane down south to him even though there is a A&P 10 miles east of me on Lake Vermilion. Paul - did you ever sell those AWB 2500 wheel skis? A guy here with a '56 180 would be interested if you haven't. Russ
 
Yep, I've seen winds like that. the last time I can recall was on approach at Dillingham. Surface winds were out of the northeast at about 25 Kt, favoring runway 01. Inbound from the procedure turn I was showing a 50 knot tailwind at about 3000 ft.
 
Russ, Glad to hear you made it out alive! I sold the AWB's but thanks for asking. I've got a place on Black Duck lake north of Orr so if I ever get my Cub back up and running I'll have to stop in and say hi.
 
Paul - I have a hunting shack over by Marion Lake - about 8 miles east of Blackduck. Let me know when you're there and I'll stop in with the Stinson. I'd love to see your cub. Maybe even twitch the controls. I visit Charlie Hill on Blackduck in my plane a couple of times a year. About 15 minutes from my home on Lake Vermilion.
 
Crazy world. I looked at some property on Marion this winter via snowmobile ( NW side). I met Charlie a few times 15 years ago when I worked up there, interesting person. We hunt the whole Black Duck, Elephant, Pelican River area. Our cabin is on the SE corner of the lake.
 
Back
Top