Wind - How to judge on off airport landings?

[TahoeTim]

My tailwheel instructor was big on checking the sock at each airport approach. I am wondering how you guys judge the wind during off airport landings.

It seems like I could learn something that would apply even at airport landings.

Thanks

[kitfoxnick]

A trick I use is to fly square to the place you intend to land. (90 deg off your runway heading) concentrate on drift. If the plane drifts to the left then the wind is coming from the right. Many backcountry strips are one way in and one way out no matter wich way the the wind blows.

[DanB]

Here in the desert SW we have lots of dust. I look for signs of dust being blown and a farmer out plowing a field gives a great visual. In areas with lakes, look at the shorelines for the most white water. The thing I'm interested in testing out and using now is my Dynon 100 has a wind direction arrow that is said to show up when the OAT, magnetometer, and GPS signals converge. Has anyone found this to work well? Is it accurate enough? I just set up the parameters and was curious.
Dan

[SkySteve]

Like Dan mentioned, look at the natural surroundings. Things like which way are trees, grass, clouds, cloud shadows, horses tails, (horses and cattle tend to stand with their butts into the wind) blowing? Notice land formations where air would flow over, up or down (remember air tends to flow uphill in the morning and downhill in the afternoon), etc. If your GPS shows ground speed, compare that to your Indicated Airspeed. Do you have to add left or right rudder or flaperons to hold a straight course due to wind? When you fly downwind, upwind, crosswind, base or final does the plane tend to float left, right, slow down or speed up? Our planes are light enough and respnsive enough that they will tell you a lot when you get familiar enough with yours to feel what it is doing while you fly.

[Dorsal]

Here in the desert SW we have lots of dust. I look for signs of dust being blown and a farmer out plowing a field gives a great visual. In areas with lakes, look at the shorelines for the most white water. The thing I'm interested in testing out and using now is my Dynon 100 has a wind direction arrow that is said to show up when the OAT, magnetometer, and GPS signals converge. Has anyone found this to work well? Is it accurate enough? I just set up the parameters and was curious.
Dan

I find it works quite well and very handy. My son and I are in the middle of a flying adventure from MA to Nemacolin resort in SW PA, hit a new record with a 55 mph headwind really slows down a Kitfox.

[SkySteve]

Dorsal,
Just think of the cool vertical landing you could do!

[Dorsal]

Dorsal,
Just think of the cool vertical landing you could do!

I thought about going to minimum controllable airspeed to do the whole fly backwards thing but as the wind was projet to increase I wanted to be on the ground
Great trip so far, will write a trip report when we get home.

[jrevens]

Hey Steve, are you sure? I always thought that cows & horses generally faced into the wind.

"... horses tails, (horses and cattle tend to stand with their butts into the wind)..."

[kitfoxnick]

I don't know if I would trust cows and horses at least I wouldn't trust mine for wind direction. But most birds face into the wind.

[kmach]

My horses definitely put butts to wind , not a light breeze but 20-30 kt wind.