As I have said many times, all airplanes land the same way: from a level flight attitude. When you throw in a crosswind, nothing changes. You still need to land (i.e., “touch down”) with the airplane tracking down the runway, parallel to the runway centerline, preferably with the centerline between the MLG. Please note that “tracking down the runway” doesn’t mean drifting to the left or right – it means the airplane is moving down the runway, at least parallel with the runway centerline. Here’s my description of a “normal” (i.e., without a crosswind) landing.
(1) Establish the approach and landing configuration appropriate for the runway and meteorological conditions, and adjust the engine controls as required.
(2) Maintain a stabilized approach.
(3) Transition to outside visual references.
(4) Determine that a landing is assured.
(5) Complete a smooth, positively controlled transition from descent flight path to touchdown.
(6) Achieve and maintain the longitudinal axis of the aircraft parallel with the runway centerline and the centerline between the main landing gear.
(7) At the flare initiation point, begin to increase the pitch attitude to that necessary to achieve level flight in the present circumstances (aircraft gross weight and configuration). From the descent attitude to the flare (level flight) attitude should take between 1˝ and 3 seconds.
(8) As the aircraft slows, apply additional backpressure to maintain the level flight attitude but do not increase the pitch attitude, allowing the aircraft to continue a shallow rate of descent and a shallow rate of airspeed reduction.
(9) At either the flare initiation point, or upon reaching the flare attitude, begin to reduce power at a rate to bring the throttle(s) to the idle position as the main landing gear touch the runway.
(10) For transport category aircraft, touchdown must be 500 to 3,000 feet (150 to 900 meters) past the runway threshold, not to exceed one-third of the runway length, with the runway centerline between the main gear. For smaller aircraft, touchdown should be past the runway threshold.
(11) As touchdown occurs, ensure that the throttles are at idle; if appropriate, ensure that the spoilers have deployed; and without delay, fly the nose gear onto the runway.
(12) Use spoilers, propeller reverse or thrust reverse, and/or wheel brakes in a manner that ensures bringing the aircraft to a safe speed considering the point of touchdown, the runway remaining, and as appropriate for the conditions.
(13) Maintain positive directional control of the airplane with aerodynamic controls throughout the landing roll (including crosswind correction if necessary) until the ground speed allows directional control with rudder pedal steering or nose wheel steering, as appropriate.
Probably the most important factor is to find and be able to recognize level flight attitude – the attitude that would allow you to fly down the runway – without climbing, without descending, without accelerating, and without decelerating – and the ideal is to do this just as close to the runway as you can. A regular, normal landing – one that you would use day, dusk, night, rain, fog, crosswind, or anytime – you’ll want to get to that level flight attitude where your airspeed is going to be just below what you held during final approach. How much below? A couple of MPH or KTS. What’s a couple? Oh … 4 to 7 … in that range.
When you land in a crosswind, nothing changes EXCEPT that you have to control the tendency of the airplane to drift toward the downwind side of the runway. You can fly final approach almost any way you wish – you can do it inverted if you desire - although that brings in some additional issues that are probably better kept for another thread. Some airplanes do not like to be “slipped;” and some pilots do not like to “slip” their airplanes. The first method is to keep the wings level during the final approach, tracking across the ground along the extended runway centerline, while watching the runway out of the side of the forward windscreen – or, in large crosswinds, out of the side window (uh … if this is the case, you might want to consider waiting until the winds die down or go someplace else). OR, you can use the second method. You can line up the airplane on the extended runway centerline, keep the airplane fuselage parallel with that centerline, and maintain your position across the ground during the approach by flying with a cross control application - aileron control INTO the wind, and rudder control as necessary (which will be opposite – thereby the name, cross control) to keep the airplane tracking the intended ground track by keeping it in a bank (into the wind) and controlling the direction with the rudder.
A lot of people don’t like this second method; but, to be fair, there are a lot who do like it. Those that don’t like it don’t like it because the airplane is NOT in coordinated flight for the time you keep it this way and often leads to a compromise in the effectiveness of some of the aerodynamic control surfaces. Not a good thing in my humble opinion. Another reason it is not liked is that the little old lady in seat 2D is going to be uncomfortably jammed up against the window all the way down final. Remember, the airplane is banked, but it is not coordinated. As a result, people (and cargo) will tend to “slide down to the bottom of the bank angle.” OK. Maybe a small exaggeration … but you get my point. To me, the first way is much more preferable – I like it (and I taught it) because the airplane stays coordinated until the very last moments. The airplane stays happy, in that all of its control surfaces get all the effectiveness they would like to have. And, it keeps that nice lady in 2D comfortable.
In the second example (the one with 2D’s face scrunched), the flare is initiated just as normal except that you’ll probably have to make an adjustment on the amount of aileron necessary to keep the airplane from drifting downwind as you enter ground effect, which is very likely going to reduce the amount of bank angle you have. You ARE going to have to be aware of the maximum angle of bank you are allowed here, because too much bank and you might wind up dragging the outboard engine pod (usually only applicable to 4-engine airplanes), the wing tip, or the trailing edge of the flaps(all of which are a definite “no-no”). As the airplane fuselage is already aligned with the runway centerline, and you have killed any drift tendencies with the bank angle, all you have to do is to flare to the level flight attitude – which should take between 1˝ and 3 seconds. Stay in the flare attitude for not more than 3 seconds while retarding the throttles to idle as the mains touchdown. Because of the bank angle, you might actually touch the upwind main gear prior to touching the downwind main gear. Not to worry. This is normal. Keep the crosswind controls active (may be required to increase the displacement as the forward speed slows) and do so until taxi speed is reached.
In the first example (my PREFERRED one), you, the airplane, and 2D are all happy. You’re tracking across the ground, following the extended runway centerline, although the nose of the airplane is pointed more into the wind. The trick here is to place the middle of the airplane on the extended runway centerline – which, depending on how big the airplane is, may put YOU more to the upwind side of the runway. That’s fine, as long as the middle of the airplane is where you want it. Here, also, you do exactly as you do in any landing – when you get to the flare initiation point, you begin your flare to the level flight attitude – and that should take between 1˝ and 3 seconds. However, here, as you flare you begin to PRESSURE (not kick!) the downwind rudder to swing the nose around to line up with the runway. Note – the airplane does not have to be aligned completely when the flare (level flight) attitude is reached. AS you flare and pressure the nose around to align with the runway, you’ll probably need a bit of aileron into the wind – just in case the wind is sufficient to displace the momentum of the airplane and start it drifting downwind. The airplane will rotate around the center of the airplane (which should stay on the runway centerline) and allow the airplane to eventually align with the centerline between the MLG. Again, here too, you should stay in the flare for not more than 3 seconds, bringing the throttles to idle as the main gear touches. As long as you have the airplane completely aligned with the runway centerline before you touch down, you’re OK – and the longer you are completely aligned with the runway centerline, the more there will be a tendency to drift toward the downwind side. You may, or you may not have a bank angle – and, of course, if you do, no problem, you might touch the upwind main gear first, and you may not. It all depends on what bank you needed to keep from drifting. Also, you need to be aware of what that maximum bank angle is. Just because you gave 2D a nice ride down final, that is no reason to scare her by dragging the wing on the runway! And, here too, keep the crosswind controls active (you may be required to increase the displacement as the forward speed slows) and do so until taxi speed is reached.