AVIA 300
Wind Safety
Department of Aeronautics, Liberty University
AVIA 300 – Aviation
Introduction
Wind is one of the largest, if not the largest variable that has to be accounted for before
any flight. Not only does it affect your en route time to your destination, and the heading to
remain on course. Failure to account for the direction and magnitude of the wind can lead to a
damaging effect. When flying in the traffic pattern, it is especially important to pay attention to
the wind, as an inattention can lead to undue hazards to yourself and others flying around you. It
is important to remember that you are not done flying the airplane until it is in the tiedown,
especially on windy days.
Understanding wind, and the risk it presents begins on the ground, like everything else.
Wind is the “horizontal motion of the air past a given point” (NOAA National Weather Service
Glossary). It is important to note that air is always moving horizontally, so there is always a wind
force acting upon an airplane, even in a resting state. Air moves from an area of higher air
pressure to a lower air pressure, and the greater the difference in pressure, the stronger the force
of the wind. Given the nature of wind, aircraft must always be operated regarding the activity of
the wind as they are affected by it in every facet of the airplane’s life.
Ground Handling
Taxiing in Windy Conditions
While taxiing an aircraft in high surface winds, it is important to position the rudder and
ailerons of the aircraft properly to keep the aircraft tracking straight in every axis of its rotation.
A rule of thumb to follow to remember proper control orientation is to “Climb into a headwind,
, dive away from a tailwind” (Collins, 2018). When taxiing into a headwind, position the yoke
with full aft elevator and into the direction of any crosswind. This can prevent the aircraft from
generating lift in moderate to strong wind and will prevent the upwind wing from rising while
taxiing. When taxiing into a tailwind, position the yoke with moderate-to-full fore elevator and
position the upwind aileron down. Moderate-to-full is used in this article, as holding full-fore
elevator in a tailwheel aircraft can cause the aircraft to nose over. Elevator being positioned
downward prevents wind from getting under the tail and picking the airplane up. The same logic
applies to the proper aileron orientation, as the upwind aileron being down counteracts the wind
attempting to pick the airplane up by the wing.
Proper Mooring of Aircraft
Even when the aircraft is not taxiing, it is important to chock, tie-down and/or hangar the
aircraft. Extreme wind events have been known to be conducive to unplanned unmanned flight
of aircraft. Make sure the aircraft is properly anchored to the ground at both wings, and at the tail
to prevent any damage, and to save the airplane from taking flight without a pilot. Another
consideration to make in ground handling is to secure the control surfaces of the airplane. Use
control locks to prevent the airplane’s control surfaces from fluttering and potentially becoming
damaged.
In the Traffic Pattern
The Crosswind Takeoff and Landing
The Crosswind Takeoff. Everybody that has flown an airplane can tell you how tricky
crosswind landings can be. The same can apply to a crosswind takeoff, and they should be
handled with the same caution used for every other aspect of flight. A crosswind takeoff is
simply a transition from taxiing to flight with a wind from either direction, while a crosswind
landing is practically the takeoff in reverse. The takeoff begins with the flight controls positioned
Wind Safety
Department of Aeronautics, Liberty University
AVIA 300 – Aviation
Introduction
Wind is one of the largest, if not the largest variable that has to be accounted for before
any flight. Not only does it affect your en route time to your destination, and the heading to
remain on course. Failure to account for the direction and magnitude of the wind can lead to a
damaging effect. When flying in the traffic pattern, it is especially important to pay attention to
the wind, as an inattention can lead to undue hazards to yourself and others flying around you. It
is important to remember that you are not done flying the airplane until it is in the tiedown,
especially on windy days.
Understanding wind, and the risk it presents begins on the ground, like everything else.
Wind is the “horizontal motion of the air past a given point” (NOAA National Weather Service
Glossary). It is important to note that air is always moving horizontally, so there is always a wind
force acting upon an airplane, even in a resting state. Air moves from an area of higher air
pressure to a lower air pressure, and the greater the difference in pressure, the stronger the force
of the wind. Given the nature of wind, aircraft must always be operated regarding the activity of
the wind as they are affected by it in every facet of the airplane’s life.
Ground Handling
Taxiing in Windy Conditions
While taxiing an aircraft in high surface winds, it is important to position the rudder and
ailerons of the aircraft properly to keep the aircraft tracking straight in every axis of its rotation.
A rule of thumb to follow to remember proper control orientation is to “Climb into a headwind,
, dive away from a tailwind” (Collins, 2018). When taxiing into a headwind, position the yoke
with full aft elevator and into the direction of any crosswind. This can prevent the aircraft from
generating lift in moderate to strong wind and will prevent the upwind wing from rising while
taxiing. When taxiing into a tailwind, position the yoke with moderate-to-full fore elevator and
position the upwind aileron down. Moderate-to-full is used in this article, as holding full-fore
elevator in a tailwheel aircraft can cause the aircraft to nose over. Elevator being positioned
downward prevents wind from getting under the tail and picking the airplane up. The same logic
applies to the proper aileron orientation, as the upwind aileron being down counteracts the wind
attempting to pick the airplane up by the wing.
Proper Mooring of Aircraft
Even when the aircraft is not taxiing, it is important to chock, tie-down and/or hangar the
aircraft. Extreme wind events have been known to be conducive to unplanned unmanned flight
of aircraft. Make sure the aircraft is properly anchored to the ground at both wings, and at the tail
to prevent any damage, and to save the airplane from taking flight without a pilot. Another
consideration to make in ground handling is to secure the control surfaces of the airplane. Use
control locks to prevent the airplane’s control surfaces from fluttering and potentially becoming
damaged.
In the Traffic Pattern
The Crosswind Takeoff and Landing
The Crosswind Takeoff. Everybody that has flown an airplane can tell you how tricky
crosswind landings can be. The same can apply to a crosswind takeoff, and they should be
handled with the same caution used for every other aspect of flight. A crosswind takeoff is
simply a transition from taxiing to flight with a wind from either direction, while a crosswind
landing is practically the takeoff in reverse. The takeoff begins with the flight controls positioned
