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Is there a lowest GS club?

Jeff A

Jeff A

Well Known Member
Had a great flight this morning in North Texas. The wind was brisk out of the west above 1500', but smooth and enjoyable. Quick gas run to KSWI and played around a bit on the way back to KDTO. Was hoping to get the groundspeed down into the single digits, but to no avail. It was good to practice some slow flight...something I don't do enough.

DG9qVv.jpg
 
In my STOL 172 that's a fun game to play. I've gotten it to 8 before at around 4,000 feet. Legends of people flying backwards but I've not done that... yet...
 
When I was working as a Mission Engineer for the Solarimpulse Project we also had a funny moment when we flew from Mandalay in Myanmar towards Chongqing in China. The Groundcrew was not yet ready on the arrival airport and we had a tailwind of approx. 36kts thus we were coming in way to quick. To gain some time we told the Pilot to make a 180 turn and fly backwards towards the next waypoint. As the aircraft had a cruise speed of 25kts indicated (33kts true at 10'000ft)) the groundspeed went from 69kts to 3kts the ATC controller did not realize what happened he asked if everything was ok :) He did not realize that we actually flew this 3kts backwards ;) After we had the confirmation that the Groundcrew was ready we turned around and flew "normally" to the destination.
 
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AviatorJ said:
In my STOL 172 that's a fun game to play. I've gotten it to 8 before at around 4,000 feet. Legends of people flying backwards but I've not done that... yet...
Click to expand...

I've flown backwards in my C-180, at 13k' in about 70 kts of wind. It wasn't any big deal in that much wind.

Dave
 
Jeff A said:
Had a great flight this morning in North Texas. The wind was brisk out of the west above 1500', but smooth and enjoyable. Quick gas run to KSWI and played around a bit on the way back to KDTO. Was hoping to get the groundspeed down into the single digits, but to no avail. It was good to practice some slow flight...something I don't do enough.

DG9qVv.jpg
Click to expand...

It's a good start Jeff keep experimenting. It took me good 5 years to reduce GS to negative values. I finally flew backwards.
 
You mean I've spent 2 years building a faster airplane only to find out how slow we can get it????? LOL but will go home tonight and continue the build!
 
Mountain wave over Kelowna BC got me going backwards in a 152 many years ago... slow flight with flaps, GPS track was 100, speed 15 and decreasing until... track 280, speed 12.
 
I once spent an entire lesson with a student doing stalls over the exact same field. Gotta love the C-150!
 
Did it in my C-177 years ago but haven't found the right conditions yet to do it in the RV. Friend of mine did an almost vertical takeoff in his Cub a couple of years ago with the wind down the runway at a steady 35 gusting to 45. Problem was that he couldn't get it to land again. Every time he would almost have it on the ground a gust would boost him up again or he would get the mains on the ground and couldn't get the tail to set down. Finally landed in the grass at an angle with a slight cross wind!
 
Yep. I found that our local ATC computer completely throws out the speed data on the target when you fly backwards. I had a nice chat with our local class D controller at about 5k', backing into (above) his airspace one day.
 
Curmudgon

I hate to throw water on this, but there is no such thing as a negative gps speed. It doesn't know if it's moving forward or backward, just that it's moving.

I too have flown a Champ backwards down a runway, but still had a positive gps speed..

Flame suit on.
 
About flight 3 or 4 in Phase I...3SMPH over the ground overhead Singleton. With a bit more experience, I am sure I could have hovered it.

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