Early in my tailwheel instruction, my instructor was trying to teach me wheel landings in a Citabria during a Southern California full-blown Santa Ana. Winds were approximately 45 degrees to the runway, blowing 20 knots, gusting to 35+ knots. After about 20 attempts, with about 20 saves from my instructor (lots of crow-hopping, bounces, you name it, using all of a 150-foot-wide runway), I decided I was done:
Citabria 123: Tower, we’ve had enough. Citabria 123 requests northbound departure.
Tower: Citabria 123, northbound departure approved. Sorry to see you boys leave — sure has been entertaining!
Short Final…
Key Takeaways:
- A student pilot struggled to learn wheel landings in a Citabria under severe crosswind conditions (20-35+ knots gusts) during a Santa Ana event.
- Despite about 20 attempts, the student couldn't manage a successful landing, requiring constant saves from the instructor and using the entire runway width.
- The student decided to give up on the lesson, prompting the control tower to humorously comment that their attempts had been "entertaining."
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