Flights in high winds are used to develop and understanding of the limits to flight operations under these conditions and develop skills to cope with them. As with other more extreme conditions, sooner or later they will be encountered by glider pilots. Depending upon the wind direction, turbulence, and runway conditions, relatively normal flight operations can continue up to about 25 knot winds.
The chief problems with high winds are turbulence and drift during the landing and takeoff phases, and drift with relation to the airfield, leading up to and in the circuit. With high winds, wind shear in the morning or evening, or behind obstructions must be anticipated. Glider pilots must be careful on aerotow not to overcompensate when following the towplane as it moves through the shear, to minimize the chance of overshooting and causing towplane upset. Similarly on landing sufficient margin must exist in the approach speed to compensate for the momentary airspeed loss when passing through the shear. It is all the more important to plan good circuits and approaches, as glidepaths should be achieved with spoiler or flaps in the mid-range for landing. This margin will allow for some method to control the effects of turbulence close to the ground. In free-flight care must be taken to keep the aircraft safely upwind of the airfield. It can be quite dangerous trying to judge circuits that are not started from the normal upwind entry point. The outline for this exercise is:
- Instructor checks student’s knowledge of conditions during pre-flight briefing.
- Instructor checks student’s performance of pre-takeoff checks.
- Instructor coaches student’s performance during launch until off tow. Is prepared to take over promptly under 1000 feet if student unable to maintain proper position on tow. Instructor should make corrections as necessary and return control to student.
- Off tow, Instructor checks student’s knowledge of radius of action under the prevailing wind conditions.
- Instructor coaches the student’s performance during the circuit and makes sure any corrections are done promptly.
- Instructor coaches student’s performance during the landing phase. Ready to take over at least sign of difficulty. Instructor checks the student’s movement of aircraft after landing.
Flight in high winds require adjustments to the circuit and the landing. Emphasis should be placed on drift control and use of the proper approach speed. Short or long landings are rarely a useful teaching technique. Prompt students to move the aiming point up the runway and show them how the steeper approach is possible. Be wary of the increased mechanical turbulence at the lower levels and the requirement for good ground handling techniques. These conditions offer good lessons in staying upwind of the field, proper radius of action, drift illusions etc. Downwind landing training, alternate runways, rope breaks etc. should not be practised under these conditions.