Crank wrote:
I'll defer to the professional pilots here, but "shifting winds" is a different reason than "windy." A plane needs to take off (as best it can) into the wind, and too much of a crosswind makes taking off a no go. If I recall, Charlotte's runways (with the exception of one that's maybe too short for commercial jets) are oriented North/South. Maybe you were taxiing from one end of the runway to the other in an attempt to be in position when the wind finally started blowing "down" the runways. Which end that would eventually be was an educated guess by the tower so as the wind shifted, so did you.
The terms 'Shifting' winds & 'windy' are not really a part of aviation vernacular. I suspect the pilot was trying to simplify for the passengers. Regardless, jets take off in crosswinds as high as 35-40 kts., but it is rarely blowing exactly perpendicular to the runway. Usually there is some sort of oblique angle that makes part of the wind a headwind and part a crosswind. Charlotte has three north/south runways and one older runway that is frequently used as only a taxiway since the third north/south runway was completed a few years ago. The older runway is 5/23 and it can handle just about any of the jet traffic coming into or out of Charlotte even though it is 'only' 7,500' long. The others are 8,900' to 10,000'.
My bet is your delay was either a ground hold due to the acceptance rate of your destination (they didn't have a slot) or you had to be taxiied around a circuitous route due to a couple of taxiways that were closed. There are NOTAMS out for some closed taxiways today. If the pilot mentioned something regarding 'shifting winds', it could have been winds aloft that he was referring to. That would affect flight time and ETA and may have created problems at your arrival airport due to the timing.
Greg
FWIW, I have flown my bug smasher in and out of CLT many times and occasionally, they will taxi you around the world before you get where you want, especially if you are a lightweight single engine prop plane they can't line up too closely behind a jet.
If you are a Canuck that engages in gratuitous bashing of the US, you are probably on my Iggy List. So, save your self a bunch of typing a response unless you also feel the need to gratuitously bash me. If so, have fun.
"Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f___ things up" - Barack Obama, 2020