Downdraft Dual

I am a lapsed pilot who last flew 47 years ago. Ive recently gotten back into the left seat and have picked up about 10 new hours flying with a CFI. The first few hours were intimidating, but confidence is returning every. Until, that is, a few days ago.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A lapsed pilot, returning to flying after 47 years, encountered significant and unexpected airspeed fluctuations and control issues during touch-and-go landings in gusty conditions.
The pilot experienced a rapid 20-knot increase in airspeed followed by a critical 20-knot decrease, leading to a stall warning at 400 feet AGL despite pushing the nose down.
Post-flight, the pilot realized they had survived a windshear encounter and concluded they should have recognized the signs earlier and reacted more aggressively to maintain aircraft control, such as making a full-stop landing.

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Iam a lapsed pilot who last flew 47 years ago. I’ve recently gotten back into the left seat and have picked up about 10 new hours flying with a CFI. The first few hours were intimidating, but confidence is returning every. Until, that is, a few days ago.

At 31 degrees F, it was a cold December day for my dual session in a Cessna 172, with a solid overcast at 3000 feet, winds from 280 degrees at 11 knots and gusts to 19. My CFI and I remained in the pattern to fly touch-and-goes on Runway 30.