Some questions for the pilots

[930addict]

I fly 4 times per month. This last flight the ground was moving at what seemed to be a faster than normal clip. My assumption is that we had a tail wind which got me thinking. How does a tailwind affect lift/aerodynamics and what adjustments do you have to make if any?

Secondly, all of my flights have been either boeing's or crj's with exception of my most recent flight tonight. It was an embraer 175. My initial thoughts are the cabin and seats are more comfortable than the 737 and crj's however it semed under powered. Seems like we were on the runway forever before we lifted off and also seemed like it took longer to get to cruising altitude. So was just curious what the pilots experience, if any, is with this jet.

[cgarr]

Were there a lot of big people on board?

[pavulon]

Wings generate lift by moving through a volume or mass of air. If the volume or mass of air is moving, ground speeds required for lift during takeoff and landing will vary according to the speed and direction which the wind is blowing. Taking off or landing with the wind should have good reason and fully consider the problems and consequences associated with doing that...like this:

[930addict]

Were there a lot of big people on board?

Just me. Lol. The jet was not full. Maybe 60 people on board.

We took off against the wind because i saw the windsock on the runway. The crj's got in the air fairly quickly and with a steep pitch, which has been my experience with both crj's and boeing's.

[Embraer]

I used to be a SME on the 175. the engine core is the same on the ERJ170-175 as the crj 700.

of course, it could have been performance affected by weight, temperature, and certainly a tailwind, but there's a limit for that

were you on republic, skywest, or compass? they're the only operators in the US of the 175's

[930addict]

It was delta/compass.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Usually you want to take off and land into the wind. Occasionally operational considerations will suggest a slight tailwind operation (usually no more than 10 knots, which significantly extends takeoff / landing distances, etc.)

Hot weather and / or high altitude can affect performance pretty significantly too - ditto lots of weight on board the aircraft.

[rattlsnak]

Depends on which CRJ you are comparing it to (certainly not the 50 seater), but the 175 with 60 people on board has plenty of excess power this time of the year.

[930addict]

I'm usually on a crj 700 or boeing 737-800. It was salt lake airport which I believe is around 4500 feet. It was about 50 degrees when i left. Maybe it's just the pilots style. I've had some crj pilots who thought they were in a fighter plane. Haha.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by 930addict

Seems like we were on the runway forever before we lifted off

Flaps down?

[930addict]

Quote de 930addict

Seems like we were on the runway forever before we lifted off

Flaps down?

I'm not sure. I was in front of the wing.

[rattlsnak]

^^ I'm sure they were. The airplane will give you a configuration flashing EICAS message and aural alert if you try to take off without proper flap setting.

[masraum]

For whatever reason, I read the first few posts by the OP as if he was the pilot, and I was thinking "holy carp, if he's flying, he should know all of this stuff." Hahahahah

"I fly 4 times per month", yeah, that doesn't mean that 930addict is the pilot.

As you were.