Cross wind landings
Hi Chuck,
I was taught to fly in 1960 on an Auster J1 Autocrat (taildragger) by an ex WWII bomber pilot (Wellingtons). He insisted that I must be able to use both methods equally well, so that I would be in a position to choose which method I preferred to use for any given cross-wind landing depending on the aircraft concerned and the conditions.
At that time, it seemed logical to me that if I was flying a high wing aeroplane, then either method could be used, but if flying a low wing aeroplane, (especially one with a big wing span and a short under carriage relative to span) crabbing would be essential.
When I returned to flying in 2005 after a break of 40 years the only method I recall being taught was the wing down method. And once I returned to flying taildraggers this was combined with the (in my view) grossly inadequate two point landing; (OK for light to moderate crosswinds ONLY). I asked to revise wheeler landings, but this request was brushed off.
In the latter years before giving up in 2008, I tended to use the wing down method all the time, partly because I was flying a Texas Taildragger and considered it safe for that aircraft and partly because my flying was sufficiently infrequent to make me fear that lack of currency would result in my misjudging the crabbing method either by using too much/too little rudder or by applying it too high off the runway.
Regards,
BP.