"Harry Gordon" wrote in message ...

When I or others have announced a wind change, there has never been an issue
about switching to another runway. Communications are brief and contain the
relative information: "Podunk traffic, Cessna 1234, new wind direction 250,
perferred runway now 27, Podunk."

Hi Harry,

No, I'm not trying to challenge or criticize what you do, just to
understand it and how it applies to situations I'm thinking about.

I can't personally imagine that I would approach an airport where
other planes are already landing in the pattern, listen to AWOS or
look at the wind sock and decide that the wind favors a different
runway, and then make an announcement about "preferred runway now
so and so". I'm not trying to criticize what you say you do, just
to understand it. Personally for me making an announcement about
which runway is preferred to other pilots, would seem like hubris,
especially if I'm the one approaching the airport and they're
already there. I might query which runway the wind favors or
overfly to have a look for myself if there seems to be a discrepency
and I'm not willing to "go with the flow".

I've seen aircraft change which way they're taxiing on the ground.
Done it myself. It's changing direction in the pattern which is
the 'big deal' IMO, especially if the airport is R traffic one way
and L traffic the other (very common around here). If several planes
are established in the pattern for one runway, I'm not sure it's the
safest course of action for them all to switch.

OK, now I'm curious here again. How do you see broadcasting your
reasons for choosing the runway you are using as "avoiding a potential
problem"?

Remember, you broadcast your position, intentions, etc., regardless of
whether or not there are other aircraft in the pattern. The reason I
broadcast my message is to eliminate the possible confusion (maybe I should
have used that word rather than "problem") over an airplane approaching the
field who has listened to AWOS, obtained the wind direction and determined
what runway they will be using. And then when they switch to CTAF have them
hear me using a different runway. It also gives them the ability to contact
me if they so desire.

Well, any communication gives them the ability to contact you so that
seems a moot point wrt broadcasting an explanation of what you're
doing
(do you do this on each leg, or just once per circuit?) vs simply
making standard pattern calls.

But thank you, I think I understand your concern now; you're worried
that
someone will think the AWOS is wrong and the wind favors the runway
you're
using? I'll consider that -- it may be a valid point worth a couple
words. OTOH, I really feel there are a number of valid reasons to
choose the runway which is not aligned with the wind and not all
of them lend themselves to two-word radio calls.

And be assured that I NEVER us a non-preferred runway
for x-wind practice when other aircraft are using the field

OK, so this answers the question I asked you earlier. You said
you would never do x-wind practice when the airport is "busy".
I asked "what do you consider busy?".

Now it looks like your answer is, you would never do crosswind
practice when there is one other aircraft in the pattern or
approaching
the airport to land. If I understand you correctly, if you're already
in the pattern, and someone else approaches the airport and
announces "wind from 300 preferred runway now 270" you would
break off your pattern and join the pattern for the other runway
and land there.

I'm not trying to criticize at all; if that's what you feel
comfortable
with, go for it. But I hope you can understand that for other people,
that may not seem too practical or even too desireable, and their
idea of what's "busy" may differ from yours.

When I fly, I fly with other pilots in the sky.
I will not do anything that jeperdizes either their safety nor
mine - at least intentionally :-).

Well, I would say the same. But clearly I do some things differently
and see some things differently. And there are other pilots who do
and see things still differently from both of us.

I think the problem arises when some people take the attitude
that they have the book on safety and anyone who sees things
differently is "jeopardizing their safety or mine". Please note
I'm not saying I see this attitude from you in what you're writing
here, just that I see this attitude as a problem in and of itself.

Cheers,
Sydney