haven't checked the weather channel to see the weather in boston tonight but i did download it and flew a pattern around boston logan which brings me to post this. how accurate is downloading real world weather? i can't believe anyone could fly a small aircraft in it let alone try to land. i don't remember what the winds were after downloading but the was PLENTY of turbulance! there would have to be some accidents tonight as i don't see how ANY pilot could land in that, in a GA type aircraft! so what's a poor boy to do up there in that situation? william

There is some weather coming through. It's blustery and breezy, and the temperature is dropping.Decades ago, I heard a statistic (made up from real facts, no doubt, like most statistics) that the average wind in Boston exceeds that of Chicago, the so-called Windy City. Walking between my dorm and classes along the Charles River in winter, I saw no reason to doubt that statement.The wind did go out of the sails of one prominent Bostonian earlier today, but if I had to choose between a Presidency and a World Series, I'd take the Sox any time.

LOL. thanks, william

The NOAA website reported that at 0053 UTC last night Logan had 17 knot winds, gusting to 24 knots. I'm not a pilot, but that probably makes for tricky flying for light aircraft.Alex

I think there is much more to the real world weather than the numbers on a METAR. I live in Upstate NewYork and I am a pilot. Last Sunday it was something like 16 gusting 22 but it did not bother me that much on my C172 ride. I flew once to Boston area...Cape Cod to be exact. You should almost always expect some good turbulance on that coast even in a nice sunny day. I am looking out of my window right now...definitely IMC. Even IFR pilots think more than twice before flying in actual IMC. VFR is not in any part of the picture at this moment.

i'm wondering how it didn't bother you? thanks for the reply and judging from what you said it does get bad up there. thanks, william

thanks alex. yea, that's definitly flying on a wing and a prayer. william

Hi William, by "not bothering me" I didn't mean it's smooth, easy and enjoyable. All I really meant is that it was not a threat to the safety of the flight. And also the visibility and ceiling was not bad. That was more important probably than anything else.I think the major difference between wind in the sim and in real life is that real wind is much less consistant than the sim especially when one approaches to land. In sims before I approach I'll think...ok so wind is from there and this fast...so I will crab like this and kick my rudder and lower my wing like that. And it works. But when I make a windy landing in real life, wind effects always become more or less random around when ground effect takes place. At that moment I go by the feel of it. One hint from me on landing, once you flare, don't let the nose down even if the aircraft starts to climb a bit. Let it down and the plane will start sinking hard and it's normally too late to pull unless it's pulled really hard. Then of course it'll climb again even more. Someone I know did that cycle three times and eventually had a prop strick in his Mooney. Cost of fixing was $20,000.00.

The forecast for today in Boston (Friday Nov 5) is 60 mph gusts. Yes, sixty. Fortunately, I'm doing my virtual flying in the Caribbean this week. Shrek 2 is also due out, so one way or the other, I'll be Far, Far Away...

I flew into Chicago last week (real world Delta MD88) and I was at the controls for landing on 22L with winds at 35 Gusting to 50 and the direction was variable from about 240-270 degrees. It was actually very close to our crosswind limits most of the time. The real fun was below 1500 feet on final where it took all my skill and concentration to ride out the moderate turbulence and plus or minus twenty knot wind gusts and safely land. I dare say I was working rather hard. Since the wind was so high they could only use a few of the runways to land and takeoff, luckily the weather was basically good VFR so the lines for takeoff were not too long. I asked for 27L on approach just before vectors on downwind as we came in from the south. I wanted to lessen the wind risk as it was more down the runway instead of a crosswind. Normally you can do this and it may cuase a slight delay for traffic but this day approach just shot right back with "Negative, if you have to go around, then you have to go around" I looked at my copilot with some surpirse and just smiled. I figured that there was too much traffic for just us to get out of the sequence so we presed on towards 22L. While on downwind, base, and final at least three aircraft (big ones) went around down close to the runway due to the crosswind. We got lucky and it remained within our limits but I have to say it was one of the top two or three most difficult landings I have done in a large aircraft in 15 years. I was almost full throw with the controls and throttle and even then I wasn't stabilized the whole time but it was safe and ended in a rather smooth touchdown. We taxied off the runway and the grass was being whipped flat and the aircraft was being buffeted significantly. We even saw something strange on taxi out later. The elevator is normally not hydraulically powered, you move a tab that displaces the elevator for control. It can be hydraulically powered if you need it past a cetain threshold for nose down pitch at very high angles of attack, I.E. if you are stalling. Then the elevator powered light comes on on the overhead annunciator panel (OAP) showing you have this hydraulic help. Well the wind was so strong, it was pushing our control tab up very hard and then causing the elevator powered light to come on sgnaling full throw on the Stabilizer against 3000 PSI!! Havent seen that in over 3,000 hours on the Mad Dog and later called maintenance to see if it was a problem. They said its ok as long as we could still move it and we could with no problem. A definite extraordinary day that will stick with me for a long time, Windy City? Oh yeah! Hows that for a wind story.... :)Hornit

I forgot to add, one night in Boston years ago we diverted from Newburg NY due to winds out of crosswind limits and landed there in Boston with winds to 55kts. It was right down the runway though on 22 and fairly smooth also. After landing we were almost immediately at taxi speed!Hornit

Alright, loving your wind story. Today's wind is just crazy. I would not even fly on my sim today :). As an airline pilot, what do you think of the VFR traffic at major airports? Small cessnas and that sort? Are they "hated" by you guys and the controllers? I am putting it together for a possible trip to Albany International. not a huge one but more than big enough for me. I am thinking if I end up making someone go around, that's $3,000.00 airline loss under my name...and if I get caught in weak turbulence...well that's whatever that's gonna be then.

Those of you who like flying in the New England area should particularly try the KBOS scenery by George Grimshaw, and the really super upgrades for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (KMVY and KACK) by William Shea.

Well, Captain, it has been very windy all day in the Boston area. It has/was been coming from the Northwest with gusts up to the 40Kt range. Regarding the "Windy City" discussion: This has nothing to do with the atmosphere - it has to do with politicians speaking, talking or blabbering (take your pick).Cheers,Paul

ouch! expensive mistake. well, the turbulance was the big thing for me i guess. wind seems a bit more manageable generally speaking. the turbulance was a killer. the whole approach was like being slammed up and down constantly the whole way down. i did manage to get the kingair down in one piece though but in real life i probably wouldn't be here writing this. so what do pilots do when turbulance is that bad? landing didn't really seem to be an option, at logan anyway. not so bad there tonight. william