When Wind Blows When the wind blows, the risks increase for light aircraft operations. The single leading cause of accidents involves loss of directional control during takeoff or landing. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation's General Aviation Weather Accident Safety Review shows that over an 11-year period the National Transportation Safety Board identified wind as a primary cause of more than 2,800 accidents. These occurred primarily on landings, with takeoff being the second most likely phase of …showed first 75 words of 1144 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1144 total…it's a serious encounter, go around and perhaps look for someplace else to land. If you'd like to sharpen your skills, go out to the airport some Saturday morning when a front has just gone through, and watch for a while. Do some Saturday-morning quarterbacking and then go fly with a CFI. With some practice and a little help from the resident pro, you'll be handling the Zephyrs, Chinooks, and Santa Anas in no time.