Ah, Spring. Flying season is around the corner. The sun will shine, the birds will chirp, the flowers will bloom, the winds...will start to pick up in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Look, if it was all idyllic, you wouldn't have an opportunity to put your skills to the test. Before the season changes, let's do a quick refresher on the humbler of all pilots: crosswinds and gusts.
Any crosswind beyond the demonstrated crosswind velocity makes you a test pilot.
Rudders can only deflect so far, and that’s where your rudder authority ends. “Nose with your toes” during a crosswind landing won’t work if the crosswind velocity is too high.
Brush up on finding the Winds/Temps aloft.
ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, and aviationweather.gov are good resources with valuable information, but they’re only useful if you know how to read the data. Look for layers of winds and temps that significantly differ from adjacent layers. Big differences = dynamic weather.
Prog charts gain extra significance in transitional seasons.
Dynamic weather systems move quickly, and in Spring, they often include convection. Check the progs early and often.
A constant pressure chart is a wealth of information.
For example, you can see the jet stream doing its thing at several altitudes, and you can identify trends. You also can determine how much the winds will increase as you fly higher (as they almost always do). This chart will not only give you regional information but also context that can inform your route or go/no-go decisions.
Reacquaint yourself with WS in METARs and TAFs.
You’ll see a lot of wind shear in Spring, maybe even something like WS020/27055KT, which, of course, means "wind shear 2,000' AGL, from 270 degrees at 55 knots." In other words, yikes!
Be ready to change your flap settings for landings.
Check your POH, but in most GA airplanes, full flaps aren't always needed for landing, and they can make crosswind landings rather harrowing. If you’re dealing with a strong headwind, you can come in with reduced flaps, knowing that your approach ground speed will be lower than usual and your rollout shortened by the opposing wind.
You’re supposed to fly with a light touch, but gusts demand a firmer grasp and a little muscle.
Grip the yoke/stick a bit tighter than usual and firmly command the airplane (in a controlled fashion, of course). As needed, apply stabilizing rudder pressures to counter wind forces. Plant your feet on the pedals; don’t use your tippy toes. Lean into it, and don't let the rudder move. If it's stable, you will be too.
For go-arounds in gusty winds, focus on not letting the nose rise above the horizon.
If you get hit by a significant gust and a wing drops, immediately apply opposite rudder. Don’t apply opposite ailerons unless you firmly apply rudder in the same direction. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the receiving end of exaggerated adverse yaw…at low airspeed.
Write down your personal limits. Right now. I’ll wait.
I hope you included wind speed, wind direction relative to the runway, and gust spreads. Stick to those limits no matter what (unless you first fly with an instructor who agrees you can safely increase your personal performance numbers).
Be ready to say, “Not today.”
As with any aspect of flying, PAVE will give you a good reality check. Make sure the pilot and aircraft can handle the environment.