Test Pilot?

[Romeo Tango]

There is a reason why test pilot schools (NTPS, USAF) locate in SoCal - good weather & wicked winds!

I took '79V from Palo Alto to Phoenix/Deer Valley over Thanksgiving to visit with family. The high desert is some of the most beautiful country we have, and littered with all sorts of aviation hotspots and points-of-interest. It also has strong winds and tall rocks!

We had a huge high pressure system coming in off the coast, and I made it down to the Mojave area in record time with screaming tailwinds. Given fuel on board and biological inclinations, I decided to fuel at Lancaster/Fox. ATIS was reporting "winds 280, 23 gusting 28; landing runway 24". When I landed they had picked up to over 30, and closer to 300. Yes, boys & girls, that's over 25 knots crosswind!

Fortunately Fox has a very long & very wide runway. I used the vast majority of it and was pleased it had been conveniently placed there for my use. I had fuel to get to Twentynine Palms which was a lot calmer, and was disinclined to retreat to Mojave to get better runway options. Let's just say I landed with about 50% power, full ailerons and full rudder in the longest wheel landing I've ever done. I logged it as seven landings.

Once coralled and under control, I could not fill the tanks when fueling as the wings were going through 30 degree gyrations and chucking expensive 100LL on the ground. And the fueling ladder nearly blew downrange to New Mexico. Yikes! They didn't mind my intersection takeoff request. I asked about runway remaining (it has a bit of a hump, hard to tell) and ATC was bemused to say somethink like "3500 feet?" With the wind aligning more closely to the runway I needed about 300 feet.

Tasty!

On the return trip I stopped at Victorville, saddened that the main runway was unavailable and I had to land on the small one (9,138' x 150'). Same deal - strong right crosswinds that had me a whole bunch closer to the runway edge lights than I like to be. It's a remarkable sight - the storage depot of commercial aircraft. I even saw two United B747-400 aircraft. Hard to believe such modern warriors would be in depot storage.

This made last week's trip to San Luis Obispo somewhat boring by comparison.

btw - I'll stop in at Tehachapi next time I overfly and am not in a race to beat the storm clouds home.

RT

[Watkinsnv]

I had my Cessna 140A in the Mojave Desert for 11 years. I called Fox field, Crystal Air a private soaring strip and a Dirt strip out by the El Mirage lake bed home for the 140A. Tell me about high gusting cross winds. Lance

[cessna170bdriver]

btw - I'll stop in at Tehachapi next time I overfly and am not in a race to beat the storm clouds home.

RT

All 170ers welcome at TSP! Fuel just went up to $3.20, but still some of the most reasonable in the area. If you're just passing through, it saves about 1700 feet of climbout on the departure compared to Fox Field. It can be windy up here, but rarely more than 30 degrees off the runway. I've been based here 10 years now and only diverted once due to wind. We have a new AWOS on 120.02 that hasn't yet been published.

Mojave has runways 8/26, 12/30, and 4/22, but it's situated about where the strong winds spill off the Sierra and Tehachapi Mountains. I've seen it 20G30, variable through 60 degrees. You pay your money and take your choice. Thank goodness all the runways are nice and wide!

You might try Apple Valley next time instead of Victorville, They built a crosswind runway some time back (11/29). I had to use it a few weeks ago.

Miles

[Robert Eilers]

I frequently travel back forth from Northern Cal to Southern Cal - San Diego Co - CRQ. Grew up in CRQ when it was just a sleepy litle beach town surrounded by tomatoe, strawberry and flower fields. Spent 80% of my youth in salt water. I find Fox Field a nice stop over, refueling spot. I have always enjoyed the little airport cafe located there. I normally climb out of Fox and pickup the Hollywood VFR transition through LAX Class B. However, I am thinking about carrying on to Redlands next time and staying inland to Hemet and then CRQ. It is nice to have fields like Fox, TSP and Apple Valley. Just can't quite make it to CRQ non-stop.