Depending on the phase of flight, a stiff headwind can hurt or it can really help. In cruise, you’re hoping and praying that the wind doesn’t fight you too much. You get too much headwind and you might as well be flying backward (maybe you are). That same wind on final approach is a completely different story.
Why exactly is it that we want to land into the wind? Why not land straight-in with a tailwind instead of going all the way around the pattern? Well, truthfully, sometimes you can’t avoid a tailwind. In those situations you make do with what you have to work with and try your hardest to hit the numbers. In the rest of the situations, take the long way. the tailwind on downwind will help you get there anyway.
With enough head-wind you can land anywhere.
Now, what’s the point? For those of you shouting, “lower ground speed,” at your computer right now, gold star for you. When you are landing into the wind, your ground-speed (e.g., the speed limit on a highway) is lower which means you touch down at a slower speed and, thus, you will have a shorter roll-out. The greater the head wind, the slower you can go.
If you have a good straight head-wind of about 35 knots and a J-3, you can essentially perform a vertical takeoff and landing, much like the Lazair in the featured video above. You absolutely have to be on top of everything to cope with any fluctuations in the wind, but it is technically possible for aviators with the right skills. Don’t get any ideas now, I’m not telling you to run out and kite a J-3 the next time you get a chance.
What I am saying is use any head-wind to your advantage. Even if you have 9000 feet of runway, go around and make the landing into the wind. Practice. If you feel so compelled, find a competent instructor who you trust can handle it and go out on a big wind day. You might just turn your landing into a real spot landing like this:
Fly safe, keep learning.