Inspiration struck me for this topic while flying recently. I would not quite call it complacency, but flying on gusty days definitely feels routine. For example, it would not deter me if I saw a local airport reporting LLWS (low level windshear) +/-5 knots by a Skyhawk. In fact, a local airport is famous for reporting LLWS perpetually on gusty days. It is obviously a consideration, but not something I would cancel a flight over.
So when I was out flying, the moderately gusty weather did not raise any flags. We had flown into the same airport about three hours earlier with nothing more than light turbulence on the approach. The winds were about 30 degrees off the runway, at 10 or so knots, with gusts into the mid-teens. Again, nothing that would set off any alarm bells. We added the appropriate airspeed buffer—half the gust value—and continued the approach.
