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Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
Some people can’t make a PIREP to save their lives and need to read the AIM again.
Oh Dacuj
- Thread starter Cherokee_Cruiser
- Start date
Who cares. Obviously they are asking to gather more information about the landing environment that they are either missing or have forgotten. Personally I've asked when we are showing something completely different on final. Like a large tailwind vs what they are calling at the surface. I'm not going to assume or guess because someone might be offended by the question.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
34 pages of NOTAMs and people get worked up about a windcheck.
Yes.
I’m not really a ”wind check” guy because I’m of the school of thought that winds are supremely localized weather phenomena. Winds at the measuring station may not be the winds the aircraft is experiencing for a number of reasons. But if someone wants a check, good on them.
I did, however, get a wind check during severe crosswinds in DTW a few years ago when things weren’t making sense and it turns out with the runway contamination and braking action, the observed AND freshly reported winds put us out of limits for the runway. “We’re going to need to land west for operational necessities or we will have to proceed to Cleveland” and that set off a chain reaction of other jets realizing that it’s out of limits.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
Yeah I don't request them either, for largely the same reasons, but I also do not see what the big stinking problem is. Perspective.
“I can’t believe the car in front of me ordered his burger ‘Animal Style’, it really irks me”
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
Not as bad as the "So, you ever want to be a Commercial pilot?"Yes, I STILL get that......
When I got furloughed from a regional my mother in law asked me why I didn't just apply to be a pilot at FedEx or UPS until I got my job back making $23 an hour flying someone else's passengers.
You should've listen to her.
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
I think we've established I'm not the brightest bulb in the bunch.
JDean3204
Well-Known Member
If the winds are greater than any limitations when you initiate an approach, you’re already making the wrong decision.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Or a place like Denver, where on a good day the winds at Terminal A are 360@11, Terminal B 270@13, and terminal C 180@12. Don’t even ask about the runways.
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
Having a discrepancy between winds aloft and surface winds is one thing. Anyone who has operated out of LAX with any regularity has seen stiff tailwinds on final when it's light and variable on the field.
But getting inside the final approach fix on approach when the winds are clearly out of limits is a poor decision.
JDean3204
Well-Known Member
I mean it doesn’t affect me that much, I don’t get worked up over it, just makes me wonder what the reason for it is most of the time. But I don’t go all Chris Farley when it happens lol
roundout
VNAV monitor
LOL. do you even denver, bro? Inside the marker 40 knot tailwind, 100 feet bumpy bumpy, at touchdown calm or headwind.
Cory Trevor
Well-Known Member
Then there’s flying into Aspen. The winds always seem to be right at our limits. 
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
I hate that airport.
But yes, you're correct. What I meant was that if the surface winds are out of limits and you're continuing, then you're making bad decisions, and I'll stick by that.
Compass had a flight land with a 25 knot tailwind in Denver, for seemingly no reason other than poor decision making.
ChasenSFO
hen teaser
Well yeah, of course you shouldn't shoot an approach exceeding any limitations. But they can be under by a few knots and change, seen that lead to strings of go arounds at SFO with aircraft already on the ILS after a few guys request wind checks. When it storms bad here I fairly often see planes holding short for departure request a few wind checks until they like what they hear and take off.
Like @Derg said, windsocks a few thousand feet down the same runway can be totally different so I get not doing it, but I don't get caring if people have their own reasons for asking is all. 2 weeks ago I was cleared to land on 25 with winds 260 at 11 but it felt like I was riding a mechanical bull on short final so I asked again and it was 290 at 17 gusting 23. Good to know, and I'll always ask when my ass and what I'm expecting don't agree in case it's over my personal limits flying VFR. YMMV.
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roundout
VNAV monitor
How'd that FOQA call go?
ShortField
No one of consequence
A lot like “To Catch a Predator” I would imagine.
“Why don’t you have a seat. What are you doing here? Is that a 6 pack of zima?”