Instrument Approaches in High Winds

Hi folks,

Had a bit of adventure the other night - I was in Stockton, CA on
business. Got back to
the airport in the afternoon, and the winds were up something fierce.
Ground reports from
home in SQL showed pretty nasty winds, too. I think it was 15G22 right
across the
runway. So instead of going home, I went to Fresno, where I had
business to do anyway.
FAT was reporting W290@20 - nasty enough, but not gusting and right
down the runway.
And I figured it would only get better, because the sun - the engine
that drives high afternoon
winds in the Valley - was down. Sure enough, the FAT atis dropped to
16, then 12 knots
as I flew.

However, my actual destination was FCH, a nearby uncontrolled
field. The pattern was
uncomfortable, pitch black, high winds, and turbulence. After
landing, I thought - "Gee,
an ILS would have been nice". Or at least a GPS approach. Not because
of bad visibility - it
was severe clear except for being dark - but rather because instrument
approaches do
not feature much maneuvering at low altitudes. And I personally find
turbulence more
comfortable if I'm not turning..... Next time this happens, I might
just swing over to FAT
and use the ILS.

- Jerry Kaidor (
)