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Wind? What Wind?

Bob and I are flying back to Connecticut, IFR in his Cessna 182, after a fabulous experience with my first visit to Oshkosh. We depart with full tanks.

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Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots frequently underestimate the pervasive influence of wind, which affects all aspects of flight from fuel planning to approach and landing.
  • Lack of wind awareness can lead to dangerous situations, including misjudged fuel needs, unsafe downwind landings, and unstabilized approaches requiring precise adjustments.
  • Effective wind management demands early weather monitoring, proactive adjustments to power and heading during approaches, and a readiness to execute a go-around when conditions are unfavorable.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Bob and I are flying back to Connecticut, IFR in his Cessna 182, after a fabulous experience with my first visit to Oshkosh. We depart with full tanks.

As the flight progresses, trouble looms. Our LORAN groundspeed (yep!) was low. I spin my whiz wheel (yep!) as the fuel needles creep ever lower. I had calculated our fuel consumption to OSH as 13.1 gph. At our present groundspeed, the LORAN, whiz wheel and I figure we will need gas about an hour short of destination.

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