Can this be done?

[McCub]

Returning home last week, I was caught in some wind. Officially, the wind was 30 mph, gusting to 38 mph, straight down runway 21L. I touched down on the runway threshold and stopped on the horizontal bar of the “L” with virtually no ground roll. The tower graciously gave me the option of doing a 180 on the runway, or just turning left on the taxiway, which I did.

That landing got me thinking . . . Could I take off in a similar wind, pull up the nose under power, slow my forward airspeed below the wind speed, back up to the starting point, and land again?

 

[Jerry Burr]

air sick

Hi McCub. The only problem I know of is nausea. It does NOT feel right. Do it at altitude first so the feeling isn't so shocking. Jerry B. :-?

 

[Sbrookfield]

I have heard rumors of some lady in maine doing this years back.

 

[RedEye]

Ive backed up once at altitude, but still haven't the stomach to try it on the runway.

 

[Ruidoso Ron]

I have done it in a J-5. Took off, crossed the road at the end of the runway, back up, and landed where I took off. Never turned.

Another time, during a cold front passage, I hovered over a friend's house in the country for 10 minutes, and then I backed home, over the highway, to my strip..............at 13 mph on my Loran.

My friend said I had traffic stopped for miles!

 

[JimC]

My foster brother once landed a J-3 going backwards at about 2 or 3 mph. Ground roll was about 10 feet backwards. A bunch of us were standing ready to grab the wings and walk him into the hanger.
Fun, but I don't know that I'd recommend it on a regular basis.
JimC

 

[jnorris]

I have done it in a J-5.

I've done it as well, and also in a J5. Took off with a little "forward progress", then throttled back and backed up along the runway, then added power and made slow progress back to the strip for landing.

Taxiing is the hardest part on days like that!

 

[Scruffdog]

Only gone backwards at altitude in a Taylorcraft....never close to the ground though.

 

[Brian Fox]

The J5 must win the prize because I have done it too in a J5C. It does mess with the senses!

Brian

 

[Roger Peterson]

I once called the tower and asked for permission to back up to the airport and make a vertical landing I was about 1.5 mi away. I asked them to call the restaurant and have 4 guys catch my wings and walk me in. By the time I got down, the entire restaurant had emptied and was watching. Won't do it again though. Did it in a J3.

 

[WWhunter]

I did something similar in my 172 at Hagerstown MD many years ago. Don't remember the wind speed but when I departed it was non-existent and when I returned the wind was straight down the runway. I was a new pilot and scared $!thless. I landed like a helicopter with nearly zero ground roll. My buddies at the FBO were all watching and thought it was the coolest thing they had seen. Had to power up quite a bit just to taxi. SPOOKY for a new pilot.

 

[Alex Clark]

I had to stop at Penticton (spelling??) B. C. Canada for customs.
It was so stinking windy that I had to use power to land. Then I could not get out of the plane for the customs lady.
She kept waving me into the office through the window. And I just sat there with both feet on the brakes watching the snow blow past me...
Finally a couple guys came over and we used some chains to tie her to the little walk-way fence...

Take-off was straight up and I climbed to departure altitude over the runway. Then turned north (downwind) and was gone like a sock up a vacuum cleaner hose...
Skaha lake and Okagagan lake make it pretty windy along that runway in the winter.

 

[Ruidoso Ron]

I landed the SC in Lethbridge, AB with about 40 knots, straight down the runway and steady. Landing was no problem, but I couldn't turn off the runway. Tower told me to hold on the runway while they sent the firetruck out. I didn't know if they were going to turn the fire hose on me, or what. After they arrived, they drove slowly down the taxiway, upwind from me to block the wind until I got to the ramp. There were about 5 guys waiting to grab the wings and tail. I stayed on the brakes, with the engine running, until they finished tying me down. They said it happens all the time there.