Pilot Institute

MAY 26, 2025

Wind Shear Wind shear happens when the wind suddenly changes speed or direction over a short distance, which creates turbulence. This is why wind shear is described as either vertical or horizontal, depending on the direction of the change. What happens when you fly through wind shear?

Turbulence

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 8, 2025

Dawn had broken bright and clear, and while icing , ceiling, and visibility had been my preoccupationrightfully so, given our arrival into Portlandthe actual threat of the day was wind. As we walked from the wharf to breakfast, I saw that peak wind gusts were tickling the 40-knot mark.

Crosswind

iPad Pilot News

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

To the right you can see the winds aloft: about ten knots down low, picking up to more than 50 knots out of the southwest at 10,000 feet and above. Comparing this information to the current METAR for the area confirms this data, with low ceilings and light winds. Is there wind shear at a certain altitude?

Weather

Flying Magazine

APRIL 25, 2024

As we turned to intercept the localizer, the winds were 360 at 53 knots at 2,000 feet, according to our wind vector on the primary flight display. Our groundspeed was a meager 72 knots as we descended on the glideslope. The wind was 52 knots at 2,500 feet and decreased to nearly calm at 6,500 feet.

Weather

Air Facts

OCTOBER 14, 2024

The mechanical force is via the wind velocity and direction. Wind velocity of greater than 20 knots with higher gusts, especially flowing over rough terrain, can lead to an unwelcome flight. I looked at the airspeed and it was jumping +/-5-10 knots. Ah, a wind shear and a lot worse was going to mess with our landing.

Turbulence

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 17, 2024

for any of the following: Severe thunderstorm due to: Surface winds greater than or equal to 50 knots. Example : EMBD TS OBS AT 061500Z 60SSE TUS MOV E 30KT TOP FL350 translates to an embedded thunderstorm observed at 15:00 UTC, 60 nautical miles southeast of Tucson, moving east at 30 knots, with a top altitude of 35,000 feet​.

UTC

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

A sudden wind shift, a 10-knot or greater speed increase, a 45-degree or more direction change, or gusts exceeding limits may also cause a SPECI. Wind Information The next thing you will find is wind information. This includes the wind direction in degrees and the wind speed in knots.

Altimeter

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Wind Shear: The Abrupt Shift Wind shear refers to any abrupt divergence in wind characteristics be it speed, direction, or both that unfolds over a minimal distance. And it’s unique in Europe! This rapid change can occur with height or across a horizontal expanse.

Crosswind

Chess In the Air

JULY 4, 2022

Considering the delay in the AWOS reporting, it may also be helpful to proactively use the radio to ask anyone on the ground for the current winds (e.g. Microbursts are not the only source of severe wind-shear close to the ground. Sudden and very powerful surface winds can have various other causes. the local FBO).

Wind Shear

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

I pulled the power back and set a notch of flaps to establish a 90 knot, 500 foot/minute descent. As usual, the field AWOS (automated weather observation system) lied its nonexistent ass off with a declaration of five knot winds. My clever plan was to beat it, but the rain was faster and arrived early.

Approach

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings. Training accidents cost money and can place a blemish on the instructor’s record. How can we prevent these unwanted outcomes?

Wind Shear

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings. Training accidents cost money and can place a blemish on the instructor’s record. How can we prevent these unwanted outcomes?

Wind Shear

Air Facts

APRIL 24, 2024

Seconds later, now within 50 feet of the ground, the turbulence completely vanished, granting us a steady, moderate wind straight down the runway, and allowing us our standard over-the-fence speed of 65 knots, a gentle flair, and a greased on landing like Dad had done countless times on our little airstrip in St. Peter, Wisconsin.

Turbulence

Flying Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

Some gust fronts can be completely harmless or may be a precursor for an encounter with severe turbulence and dangerous low-level convective wind shear. These gust fronts often contain severe or extreme turbulence, strong and gusty straight-line winds, and low-level convective wind shear.

Wind Shear

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Thunderstorms create turbulence, wind shear, and icing risks for aircraft. Squall line thunderstorms have the potential for severe weather conditions, including strong straight-line winds, microbursts, wind shear, and flooding. But, they bring risks like wind shear, microbursts, and hail.

Wind Shear

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

Weather Go-arounds due to weather occur due to wind shear caused by gusting winds or microbursts. When an aircraft encounters horizontal wind shear, it could be blown off centerline. Similarly, if an aircraft encounters vertical wind shear, it reduces or increases the sink rate.

Wind Shear

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

Moderate wind shear in some areas could make some thermals somewhat difficult to work but that, too, is typical. Between 5:10 and 5:34 PM, Rifle’s AWOS system reported light winds out of the west in the range of 4 to 9 kts (see chart below) with no wind gusts. Some passing high clouds were unlikely to be a factor.

Pilot