What are Katabatic Winds?
For those who don’t know, Katabatic winds are winds that flow down mountain sides sometimes at high speeds. How fast can the winds get? Most of the times they are pretty slow, around 10 kts and not too serious. But the Sky Polaris flight is in the Antarctic where EVERYTHING gets serious. Real fast.
Read more about these winds here
Michel texted to Sky Polaris HQ that the winds he and his tiny RV-8 aircraft are experiencing right now are gusting to over 80 knots. When the winds started Michel and other staff rushed to the RV-8 that was tied down on the ice, totally exposed to the full effect of the wind. The RV was in danger of being blown away!
The RV-8’s ailerons, rudder and elevator were being slammed from stop to stop. This is enough to cause damage. After securing the rudder and ailerons, the station personnel drove a huge tractor next to the aircraft, shielding it from the wind.
Michel will look the plane over carefully for damage when the winds die down.
Katabatic Winds are here – Hang On!
Michel has also been checking the weather carefully. He now is planning departure from Mario Station on November 9, but of course that is subject to change according to the weather reports he is getting hourly.
We will post news as soon as we get any from Michel.
2 Comments
Keep warm Michael. Hopefully, the great RV-8 ER will resist.
(Thank you Sky Polaris team for the great coverage of the news from Antarctica)
Many places where such winds occur. In the Adriatic it is calle “Bora” and it easily reaches the same strenght in winter. I encountered only 40-50 knots when I was sailing there many times…but that’s enough. Hopefully the RV is unharmed!
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