Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1912950
Interesting problem.

Uncontrolled aerodrome.
All runways serviceable.

You arrive overhead and see a windsock indicating across and with a slight tailwind to the runway indicated by the T.
There is a runway that is into wind.
If there’s other traffic you have to conform to the established circuit, or go somewhere else, or wait until there’s no other traffic if you choose to go against the T and into the wind instead.

This is one of those questions where we have to consider our desire to obey the rules by landing with the T, or whether to go back to classic airmanship and use the windsock for guidance instead.

Back in PFA days I arrived at the Cranfield Rally in the Condor, landing with a 4 knot tailwind. Easy peasy for an ace pilot like I were!
But I still suggested the runway be changed... This was all but impossible with the steam of traffic with no inconvenient limiting slot times in those days.
A Jungmann, a Pietenpol, and a Quickie went off the sides of the runway as even a small tailwind on a hard runway will make it easy to lose control.
The option to land into wind is important in some aeroplanes...

Confusion one day was taking off from 12 at Boundary Bay in a DA20-C1 into a strong wind and flying to nearby Langley.
The nose was pointed well towards the south as I tracked, ball in the middle, eastwards.
Langley invited me to join left base for 01, and this confused me as my mindset was firmly on 19. I heard 01 but I visualised 19!
The ground rises south of Langley and blanks the windsock from the strong southerly wind.

We’ve discussed mountain flying on here, we should already be aware of the wind effects from ground features around the runways we use, they’re the same.

Is wind awareness a lost art?
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By Talkdownman
#1912957
Blackbushe. 'Out of hours'. Blind transmission, join overhead, windsock distinctly favouring easterly.
Blind Tx "joining for zero seven". Unidentified voice with hand-held says " but we are using two five'. What would you do....
By chevvron
#1912966
Talkdownman wrote:Blackbushe. 'Out of hours'. Blind transmission, join overhead, windsock distinctly favouring easterly.
Blind Tx "joining for zero seven". Unidentified voice with hand-held says " but we are using two five'. What would you do....

As the voice was unidentified, I would have queried it (I know you would have); who for instance is 'we' and did they hold an ROCC which had been signed by the radio station licensee? :think:
I would have thought that landing 07 you would have less need to taxy and thus could vacate the runway quicker. :thumright: