Cessna 172SP Is there a maxium safe headwind for departure? Like think twice if gusting 35kts.?

Question

Cessna 172SP Is there a maxium safe headwind for departure? Like think twice if gusting 35kts.?

Answer 1

michael, check and read your manual, its all there

Answer 2

Unless the headwind is greater than the aircraft's speed, no problem so long as the crosswind component, if any,  is within the maximum permitted for the 'plane. With gusting, it is normal to add extra grounspeed before rotation, to allow a safety margin.

The weather report would say something like "20  G35". I would add 1/2 the gust factor on top of normal rotation speed, and not climb out at best rate of climb, reduce it if safe. And it probably is, in a strong headwind. Better to keep the airspeed up.

Answer 3

Nothing in the manual about headwind component, but if you don't feel good about the conditions, leave it tied down and go flying another day.

Answer 4

It depends on what you're used to and what you feel comfortable with.  On my first solo cross country I landed at my second stop in calm winds.  Before I could refuel, refile, and take off the winds were gusting to 35 knots and wind direction was varying across the runway +/- 45 degrees in less time than it takes to describe it.  Wonderful.  How do you get home?    Verrrrrrrrry carefully.

I talked to an instructor at the airport, watched other airplanes taxi out and studied what they did, carefully reviewed the correct control placement depending on the direction of the wind, taxied out slow while thinking fast.  I learned to fly in Kansas so this condition was worse than normal, but not all that much worse.  

I have to agree with some of the previous posts.  If you aren't confident of your ability to handle some particular amount of wind, if you don't know you can do it, leave the plane tied down.  Live, learn, and maybe you'll feel up to it another day.  If you've never taxied a plane in crosswinds higher than ten knots, today isn't the time to try gusts to 35.  

Time to spare?  Go by air.

Every region of the country has it's own peculiarities.  The Midwest has high, gusty winds.  I landed in Fort Lauderdale once and they wanted to know if I needed a runway more closely aligned with the wind because they put me on a cross runway.  The total wind was only about four knots with no gusts.  It didn't even register as a crosswind on the Kansas scale.   Some parts of the country typically have light winds and low visibility in haze.  Coming from Kansas I'd have a hard time dealing with that VFR.  Some states have mountains.  That's special knowledge too.  It all boils down to what you feel comfortable with and you have to build up to conditions you can accept with caution and experience.   Don't push it.

Answer 5

No.  

If there are problems on the ground they would be more with taxiing than with departure.

Answer 6

You know as well as I do that a straight on-head wind is no problem.  The side winds are the problem.  I crabbed a 172 in at a 25 mph side wind once!  Not something I would recommend!

Answer 7

35kts is a lot for a 172. Let's review a recent accident at Jeffco in Colorado. January 17, 2006, N1322U :

"The pilot reported he taxied the airplane to the run-up area for runway 29R. According to the automated terminal information service (ATIS) report, the wind was from 300 degrees at 25 knots, gusting to 34 knots. After positioning the airplane (nose at 210 degrees) for the engine run-up, the pilot cycled the flaps per the airplane checklist. With the flaps extended, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to a heading of 120 degrees, and subsequently, the airplane flipped over. Examination of the airplane revealed the vertical stabilizer was bent. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured."

This is a pretty good illustration -- it's not that 35kts is impossible, it's just that you are not allowed the slightest mistake (in this case, not aligning with the wind, and extending the flaps).

Vso on most 172 models is around 46kts, but that's max gross. With just one person on board, it's probably closer to 40kts. Gusts of 35kts mean that this airplane will be pretty darn close to flying when you don't want it to.