Tips and Techniques: Gusty Wind Pattern Flying

In this episode of Tips and Techniques, AOPA Content Producer and flight instructor Alicia Herron takes Senior Video Content Producer Josh Cochran up in a Cessna 172 to go over some valuable techniques for flying the traffic pattern during a windy day. Alicia shares her vast knowledge and experience to help you become a better pilot. So, buckle up and join us for this exciting and informative flight! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more Tips and Techniques videos.

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[AC-jkwq]

Always fun to fly and learn from a knowledgable instructor…!

Go Alicia!

[tomdchi]

Lucky for me, the wind very much obliges by changing to provide “great conditions for learning” most times I’m out! But seriously, Alicia’s running explanations made this a really useful video!

[Rance]

Great job….student pilot here! Greetings from KOKC

[greglong]

Great video. I would love to see more of them.

[erniekelly]

Nice. Very good narrative throughout the exercise. We all need more crosswind practice.

[stubby]

"It'll be fun" she said. Quoting my CFI on a windy day. Still learning, a couple of years later.

[buddha]

Halfway on strut as long as you are at TPE (Traffic Pattern Elevation) correct?
I am an avid enthusiast but due to current ME cannot obtain AC/PPL.

Thank you for entertaining us, love flying so much...

[edcew]

Would love to see what AOA would have indicated in the gusts, and if would have even been usable...

[jimallen]

Would have thought to have some discussion as to Why less flaps for gusts (and for that matter, with crosswinds). Also would have expected discussion of crab and kick out in one pass and side slip in the other pass. Nice hitting the concern for an overshooting approach, however.

[manifestgtr]

This is something I’m exceedingly careful about nowadays. I just got my license back in October (of 2024) so I watch the winds like a hawk when I’m going to go out. I’m juuuust under that hundred hour mark so it feels like a time when you wanna slowwwlllyyy start expanding your horizons. Too much “extra” and it just wouldn’t be fun…incremental…

[pilot]

Great video with awesome information! Just curious, what were the wind conditions?

[KateProctor-oerw]

Alicia made a common error, I think. On final, with the tail cam, you could see her tipping left aileron and then taking out the aileron. The plane would drift to the right, and she would re-add left aileron. MUCH better would be to add a smaller amount, the correct amount, of left aileron and leave it in right to the end. Then either kick it out, or land with the upwind wheel depending on technique. But in and out with the left aileron is mistake...

[ManishaTagariwala]

Thank you plen bodi entororesan and paulot trinity enfolesan uo Ara nema

[vrotate]

Too fast, not on the centerline twice. Need more practice. Too much teaching going on; info overload for a student pilot.

[rv-ation]

Generally good video, but on your second approach you're operating with the flaps extended outside the white arc, way too fast! Don't be a test pilot!

[susansticazsky]

Way too fast way too flat. Try that with a Mooney. You will be able to that. Just once. 😂