A leaf in the wind...

[jeffkersey]

Sometimes I feel a little like a leave in the wind in this little plane. It keeps it from getting boring. I enjoy the challenge. My wife, not so much... I still have not had her on a smooth flight in the new RV yet. She thinks it is always bumpy and it is because the pane is so light. I have to remind her we get bounced around in big jets too. I look forward to a fun trip with her that is like glass... Oh well. Gusting to 20kts, 90 degrees to the runway. My little plane handled it just fine. I love this thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I3HtLJ4OWY

[AndyRV7]

I'll give you a thumbs up!

[JonJay]

She obviously has never flown in a Champ. My wife has dozens of hours right seat in the RV. She almost cried on her first flight in the Champ.
Way to fight through the gusts and get stabilized. Ground effect seems to have calmed things enough for you to be wings level in the flair. Wait until you treat her to that kind of gusting cross wind on the ground. YeeHa!

[Toobuilder]

My wife used to be uncomfortable in the bumps too. But one day in a C-177 we flew through a nasty rotor and both our heads hit the roof. I turned to her and said calmly: "well, this sucks." After that she realized it was not the end of the world she mellowed out. Now she sleeps through all but the worst of it.

Give her time, and make sure you remain calm and relaxed. She will key off of your reaction.

[Raymo]

At least she is willing to fly in small airplanes. Mine? Not. She gets motion sickness easily.

But bouncing around on a horse is just fine...

[luddite42]

I'm gonna stir the pot and say this is a perfect example of why we should take tall x-wind landing tales with a huge grain of salt. OP, I'm not calling yours a tale, just noting that based on your crab angle on short final that there was a right x-wind. But once you got below that tree line, you needed no crab or bank to control heading or drift. There was very little x-wind exposure at the time of touchdown. Heck, you even touched down on the left wheel. So you did more of a x-wind approach than a x-wind landing...but it did appear gusty/turbulent.

[jeffkersey]

Originally Posted by AndyRV7

I'll give you a thumbs up!

Thanks Andy

[jeffkersey]

Originally Posted by JonJay

She obviously has never flown in a Champ. My wife has dozens of hours right seat in the RV. She almost cried on her first flight in the Champ.
Way to fight through the gusts and get stabilized. Ground effect seems to have calmed things enough for you to be wings level in the flair. Wait until you treat her to that kind of gusting cross wind on the ground. YeeHa!

She got that on her first ride. She buried her head in her lap. I told her to look at the horizon but she does not always listen to me...

[jeffkersey]

Originally Posted by luddite42

I'm gonna stir the pot and say this is a perfect example of why we should take tall x-wind landing tales with a huge grain of salt. OP, I'm not calling yours a tale, just noting that based on your crab angle on short final that there was a right x-wind. But once you got below that tree line, you needed no crab or bank to control heading or drift. There was very little x-wind exposure at the time of touchdown. Heck, you even touched down on the left wheel. So you did more of a x-wind approach than a x-wind landing...but it did appear gusty/turbulent.

There is a line of trees on the right side that does help block the wind on the uphill part of the runway. Then it is wide open. You can see the sock if you look close. I landed left main because of a gust that lifted the right wing a little . I should have been more aileron into the wind. I'll keep working at it.

[luddite42]

Originally Posted by jeffkersey

There is a line of trees on the right side that does help block the wind on the uphill part of the runway. Then it is wide open. You can see the sock if you look close. I landed left main because of a gust that lifted the right wing a little . I should have been more aileron into the wind. I'll keep working at it.

I figured. I'm not trying to pick on you, just using your video as a good example of the difference between x-wind on approach vs. x-wind on touchdown for those who have seen past x-wind landing discussions turn into man-measuring contests, and thinking they're inadequate. Reported wind speeds can be pretty meaningless, depending on other factors. If you'd had much x-wind at touchdown, you'd have needed to carry either significant bank or crab right down to the grass, which wasn't needed here. You did a good job, and flew the conditions. Not trying to take away from your ability to handle x-winds, which I'm sure is perfectly fine.