How to do a crosswind landing
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How to do a crosswind landing
Hi guys,
I have a bit difficulties in crosswind landings, hope you guys can shed some lights on it..
Let say you turned on final, after u aligned with the centerline, assumed the windsock showed the wind is from the left, you found some wind had blown your nose to the right...
1.)crabbing to the right should be correct right?
2.)is there any way that I know I have maintained the right track with the centerline?
3.) While at around 100 ft above the aerodrome, assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing. How will you guys land the plane if the wind kept changing its direction from left to right?
( this is the part where I found its the toughest... transition from left aileron and right rudder to right aileron and left rudder back and forth gives very unstable landing, or most of the times I landed very close to one side of the runway....)
I know these questions are perhaps very stupid ones but I hope someone can help me out with those....
Thanks in advance!
I have a bit difficulties in crosswind landings, hope you guys can shed some lights on it..
Let say you turned on final, after u aligned with the centerline, assumed the windsock showed the wind is from the left, you found some wind had blown your nose to the right...
1.)crabbing to the right should be correct right?
2.)is there any way that I know I have maintained the right track with the centerline?
3.) While at around 100 ft above the aerodrome, assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing. How will you guys land the plane if the wind kept changing its direction from left to right?
( this is the part where I found its the toughest... transition from left aileron and right rudder to right aileron and left rudder back and forth gives very unstable landing, or most of the times I landed very close to one side of the runway....)
I know these questions are perhaps very stupid ones but I hope someone can help me out with those....
Thanks in advance!
I suggest you get your instructor, if you have one, to demonstrate and explain a few things to you.
Look out of the Window!
2.)is there any way that I know I have maintained the right track with the centerline?
As Whopity said: get an instructor to show you. However, for most light aircraft: use the rudder to keep the aircraft fuselage parallel to the landing direction and aileron to adjust bank in order to maintain the centre line.
HFD
HFD
The reason my answer lacked depth is because this post looks like a wind up!
I have seen this happen, but it took about an hour to go from left to right and back to left again!
Two different techniques!
How will you guys land the plane if the wind kept changing its direction from left to right?
1.)crabbing to the right should be correct right?
assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing
assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing
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I know the questions are rather shallow but I really want to prepare more before flying again.
And for
""1.)crabbing to the right should be correct right?
assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing
Two different techniques!""
I do understand these are 2 different methods, but it seems a lot of ppl prefer crabbing on finals then transform to sideslip on the last 100ft( my instructor even tell me to use sideslip on reaching the threshold..)
but after all, what really concerns me is the changing directions of the wind
when the crosswind is from the left, after applying left aileron and right rudder, a sudden blow of wind yaw your nose to the right and u found u are blown to the left side of the centerline. I assume that is the change on wind direction from my left to my right..
It happened to me in real life, and lots of time in flight sim.
Please correct me if there were anything wrong...
Thanks in advance!
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More simply, as said, look out the windshield, and fly the plane well aligned with the runway centerline. Do whatever it takes, without excess control input, to maintain the centerline. If you cannot, it would not be wise to expect to land out of that approach. Similarly, if changing wind conditions make tracking the centerline too difficult, again, don't plan to complete the landing.
As said, crosswind landings are more art than described technique, just practice, and it will come to you. I can remember having to land an Ercoupe in a big crosswind, and it had no rudder pedals. To this day, I don't know what happened, but it all worked fine, and kind of made me look as though I knew how to fly it!
Aside from wearing a little rubber off a mainwheel, don't be afraid to touch the upwind wainwheel down first, and hold it there. As you slow, you can apply more and more into the wind aileron, while holding straight with the rudder.
You'll be surprised how much control is actually available...
As said, crosswind landings are more art than described technique, just practice, and it will come to you. I can remember having to land an Ercoupe in a big crosswind, and it had no rudder pedals. To this day, I don't know what happened, but it all worked fine, and kind of made me look as though I knew how to fly it!
Aside from wearing a little rubber off a mainwheel, don't be afraid to touch the upwind wainwheel down first, and hold it there. As you slow, you can apply more and more into the wind aileron, while holding straight with the rudder.
You'll be surprised how much control is actually available...
when the crosswind is from the left, after applying left aileron and right rudder, a sudden blow of wind yaw your nose to the right and u found u are blown to the left side of the centerline.
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when the crosswind is from the left, after applying left aileron and right rudder, a sudden blow of wind yaw your nose to the right and u found u are blown to the left side of the centerline.
IMnsHO the apparent wind shifts in training are usually caused by the stude mishandling and not correctly compensating for secondary control effects.
I refer the OP to my earlier answer: use whatever bank is needed to maintain the centre line and use whatever rudder is needed to keep parallel with the runway. If any control gets near a limit, or any part of the aircraft (other than the wheels) too near the runway, then it's time to move away from the ground and decide whether to: have another go, try a different runway or divert to somewhere with more benign conditions.
Edited to add: the "best" technique depends on the aircraft characteristics. The problem with the crab technique is judging when to stop crabbing (too early or late and you'll arrive sideways, which will be bad in all aircraft and "interesting" in a tailwheel type), the wing down technique is usually optimum unless you have long low wings or engines hanging off the wings. Crab transition to wing down avoids having everyone flopped onto their sides all the way down the approach but requires a bit of skill to make the transition. In extremis a lot of wing down, a bit of unresolved crab, taking a cut at the runway and a bit of asymm power ... but possibly better to go elsewhere.
HFD
I refer the OP to my earlier answer: use whatever bank is needed to maintain the centre line and use whatever rudder is needed to keep parallel with the runway. If any control gets near a limit, or any part of the aircraft (other than the wheels) too near the runway, then it's time to move away from the ground and decide whether to: have another go, try a different runway or divert to somewhere with more benign conditions.
Edited to add: the "best" technique depends on the aircraft characteristics. The problem with the crab technique is judging when to stop crabbing (too early or late and you'll arrive sideways, which will be bad in all aircraft and "interesting" in a tailwheel type), the wing down technique is usually optimum unless you have long low wings or engines hanging off the wings. Crab transition to wing down avoids having everyone flopped onto their sides all the way down the approach but requires a bit of skill to make the transition. In extremis a lot of wing down, a bit of unresolved crab, taking a cut at the runway and a bit of asymm power ... but possibly better to go elsewhere.
HFD
Last edited by hugh flung_dung; 26th Dec 2016 at 18:20.
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too early or late and you'll arrive sideways, which will be bad in all aircraft
This can also be done in a taildragger, though does require more skill. I have only done it as a wheel landing, but never had a problem doing it.
I use this technique to evaluate an uncertain surface, before committing to a landing. I was training this to a new pilot in the Cessna 305 (L19 or O-1) Bird Dog in October, holding only one mainwheel firmly on the ground, while "feeling" the surface. Holding the upwind wingtip a foot above the surface was no problem, as long as the tail was held off, it's just flying with a wheel in contact with the surface - but the weight of the aircraft is mostly borne by the wings still.
The vast majority of pilots could never reach that skill level, or at least could not maintain it. That is why the crab method is the most widely taught. After all, how often do you see an airliner using the wing down method, whether low wing or high?
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How will you guys land the plane if the wind kept changing its direction from left to right?
If significant crosswinds change sides altogether there is a high probability for major wind shear going on -> in training = NoGo, Go Around.
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Learn to handle a taildragger and be proficient in sideslips.
Taildragger handling will make you feet sensitive and able to anticipate and correct with finesse.
Sideslipping is an exercise not often thought, by learning to sideslip in the air transitioning from full deflection from one side to the other will develop coordination and swift reaction on the controls.
Then apply this technique to the crosswing landing, as even if using crab you will have to transform it in a sideslip at the flare, to track the centerline and avoid drifting sideways.
The main drawbacks in landings in general are holding the controls at the flare without continuing to pull to keep the nose at steady attitude as speed decays, and landing sideways with drift due to either a parallax problem or lack of use of the rudder or both...
This is not to say that tricycle trained pilots are not up to the task, if a tricycle pilot can land at proper speed on the mains letting the nosewheel ease itself on the ground without drift so much the better. But conventional ldg gear allows for errors which often go undetected or and uncorrected and result in terrible landings, just go sit at a terrace by any airfield and you will be surprised. However if you arrive too fast or too slow with drift in a tailwheel at best you will scare yourself and damage will very likely occur if you don't go around...
Taildragger handling will make you feet sensitive and able to anticipate and correct with finesse.
Sideslipping is an exercise not often thought, by learning to sideslip in the air transitioning from full deflection from one side to the other will develop coordination and swift reaction on the controls.
Then apply this technique to the crosswing landing, as even if using crab you will have to transform it in a sideslip at the flare, to track the centerline and avoid drifting sideways.
The main drawbacks in landings in general are holding the controls at the flare without continuing to pull to keep the nose at steady attitude as speed decays, and landing sideways with drift due to either a parallax problem or lack of use of the rudder or both...
This is not to say that tricycle trained pilots are not up to the task, if a tricycle pilot can land at proper speed on the mains letting the nosewheel ease itself on the ground without drift so much the better. But conventional ldg gear allows for errors which often go undetected or and uncorrected and result in terrible landings, just go sit at a terrace by any airfield and you will be surprised. However if you arrive too fast or too slow with drift in a tailwheel at best you will scare yourself and damage will very likely occur if you don't go around...
Last edited by markkal; 27th Dec 2016 at 14:36.
Practice, hinhin, practice.
As in everything you learn (depending on the difficulty), the more you do it, the more second nature it becomes.
Responses above more than adequate; I have little to add to them. I personally crab toward the runway, varying the crab angle with any change in the crosswind component due to strength or direction of the wind, and straighten up with rudder in the flare, while adjusting bank to hold the centreline. Where I've done most of my flying, the crosswind can be rather variable, the gusts quite significant, and windshear is often a feature. It can feel a bit ugly bouncing through the air just above the runway, constantly and frequently correcting for the gusts until the "sweet" spot arrives to let it land. If the sweet spot doesn't arrive ("sweet spot" to mean a window of opportunity during which the wind is relatively constant and a touchdown can be made) the result is either a bit of a rough landing, or an overshoot. (I would prefer the overshoot. Rough landings are not part of the game plan, unless some exigency such as a seriously ill passenger makes landing e̶s̶s̶e̶n̶t̶i̶a̶l important.)
The first few times (maybe the first few dozen times) I did this it was quite horrible. I felt behind the aircraft, behind the wind, at odds with what was going on, and the result sometimes less than perfect. Then it just started to work. Less overthinking it; more reacting to it.
Same with learning to walk. Or bicycle. Or tie shoelaces. Or undo a bra clip. Maybe a bit more involved, but you get the idea, I hope. Practice it. If the winds are severe (according to your own personal definition of what severe is for your experience/ability) do it with an instructor.
As in everything you learn (depending on the difficulty), the more you do it, the more second nature it becomes.
Responses above more than adequate; I have little to add to them. I personally crab toward the runway, varying the crab angle with any change in the crosswind component due to strength or direction of the wind, and straighten up with rudder in the flare, while adjusting bank to hold the centreline. Where I've done most of my flying, the crosswind can be rather variable, the gusts quite significant, and windshear is often a feature. It can feel a bit ugly bouncing through the air just above the runway, constantly and frequently correcting for the gusts until the "sweet" spot arrives to let it land. If the sweet spot doesn't arrive ("sweet spot" to mean a window of opportunity during which the wind is relatively constant and a touchdown can be made) the result is either a bit of a rough landing, or an overshoot. (I would prefer the overshoot. Rough landings are not part of the game plan, unless some exigency such as a seriously ill passenger makes landing e̶s̶s̶e̶n̶t̶i̶a̶l important.)
The first few times (maybe the first few dozen times) I did this it was quite horrible. I felt behind the aircraft, behind the wind, at odds with what was going on, and the result sometimes less than perfect. Then it just started to work. Less overthinking it; more reacting to it.
Same with learning to walk. Or bicycle. Or tie shoelaces. Or undo a bra clip. Maybe a bit more involved, but you get the idea, I hope. Practice it. If the winds are severe (according to your own personal definition of what severe is for your experience/ability) do it with an instructor.
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[one mainwheel held off landing] The vast majority of pilots could never reach that skill level, or at least could not maintain it.
This skill is best practiced on a slippery surface (grass, wet grass, or snow/ice) as some tire squealing will result. But, on the odd occasion, and I did it with a new pilot last fall, you're flying a 'plane which is about to have a tire change anyway, so go for it! We chirped those 6.00-6's something fierce! Check with maintenance, a few more tire abusive circuits before they're changed.
I'm not an airliner pilot, but lots of those crosswind landing videos on Youtube show a wing down landing. Perhaps there is a tendency toward more wings level landings in airliners in consideration of engines hanging from wings, but I see both techniques flown. For me, I would rather touch one wheel down aligned with the runway, than squeal both down crabbed, and side load the landing gear structure needlessly.
The instructors may be able to teach it, (ours certainly can otherwise I wouldn't use them), but I can assure you from experience, a large minority of pilots in the UK are on very tight budgets, perhaps flying less than 15 hours a year. Add to that to a low "natural" ability, the high costs we endure over here and an aversion to flying with instructors, then the situation is exactly as I stated. Spend a day at our airfield when there's just a 10 knot xwind component if you still don't believe me!
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perhaps flying less than 15 hours a year. Add to that to a low "natural" ability, the high costs we endure over here and an aversion to flying with instructors, then the situation is exactly as I stated.
I have no comment of natural ability, and I accept the relative expense of flying. But, a pilot who flies only 15 hours a year should be doing some of that with an instructor. Unless those 15 hours are flown uniformly throughout the year, and nearly all practice of emergencies and circuits, that's not enough flying for most pilots to remain fully competent on any type. Those pilots must overcome an aversion to instructors, and embrace mentored flying as the only way they are going to maintain and grow their piloting skills at that rate.
Since achieving my helicopter license many years ago, I have never managed more than 5 to 10 hours a year flying a helicopter. High cost, low opportunity, so I understand that. So, every hour I do fly is with either an instructor, or very experienced mentor pilot, and it's all doing emergencies, just so I can sort of maintain my basic skills. I have not flown a helicopter solo in many years, and do not aspire to that any year soon - I don't maintain minimum skills in them.
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Good Reading
Hi guys,
I have a bit difficulties in crosswind landings, hope you guys can shed some lights on it..
Let say you turned on final, after u aligned with the centerline, assumed the windsock showed the wind is from the left, you found some wind had blown your nose to the right...
1.)crabbing to the right should be correct right?
2.)is there any way that I know I have maintained the right track with the centerline?
3.) While at around 100 ft above the aerodrome, assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing. How will you guys land the plane if the wind kept changing its direction from left to right?
( this is the part where I found its the toughest... transition from left aileron and right rudder to right aileron and left rudder back and forth gives very unstable landing, or most of the times I landed very close to one side of the runway....)
I know these questions are perhaps very stupid ones but I hope someone can help me out with those....
Thanks in advance!
I have a bit difficulties in crosswind landings, hope you guys can shed some lights on it..
Let say you turned on final, after u aligned with the centerline, assumed the windsock showed the wind is from the left, you found some wind had blown your nose to the right...
1.)crabbing to the right should be correct right?
2.)is there any way that I know I have maintained the right track with the centerline?
3.) While at around 100 ft above the aerodrome, assume I am going to use the sideslip method for landing. How will you guys land the plane if the wind kept changing its direction from left to right?
( this is the part where I found its the toughest... transition from left aileron and right rudder to right aileron and left rudder back and forth gives very unstable landing, or most of the times I landed very close to one side of the runway....)
I know these questions are perhaps very stupid ones but I hope someone can help me out with those....
Thanks in advance!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flight-Brie...ing+for+pilots
Look at pages 96 to 99 “Out of Wind Landings”.
It has helped me since 1964.
Hope this helps.
As in everything you learn (depending on the difficulty), the more you do it, the more second nature it becomes
The advantage of the simulator is the instructor can "freeze" at the moment of flare and discuss what is seen by the pilot and how to plant the aircraft with no drift. I have observed in the simulator on countless occasions experienced 737 pilots land with excess drift and make only feeble and ineffective attempts to straighten the aircraft up before the wheels touch.
For those pilots who seem to be unable to "see" drift angle and thus inevitably hit the runway sideways, the instructor should freeze the simulator at exact moment of touch down impact and have the pilot note the compass heading versus runway heading. That is because more often than not, things happen so quickly between flare and touch down, a student (for want of a better word) refuses to believe he touched down with drift and that is because after touch down the aircraft generally aligns itself with the runway direction. Different of course with a tail wheel type.
One instructional method to sort out cross-wind landing technique is to reposition the simulator on short final - typically 300 feet to save time - and practice the correct technique applicable to the aircraft type. In the early practices freeze the simulator at touch down so the student can see for himself if the aircraft is aligned with the centreline or hitting with drift.
The student will soon "see" the drift rather than blindly bashing the wheels sideways on the runway with accompanying gritting of teeth by the PM and the cries of worried passengers and cabin staff at the back.
Apprehension of the next crosswind landing can often lead to real angst and even a quiet dread of the next one. Been there-done that-in my early military aircraft flying on four engine heavy tail-draggers. No simulators to ease the way in those days. Often the only way to improve skill and therefore self-confidence, is a solid session in the simulator purely on crosswind landings. In my experience it can take up to 20 practice landings before crosswind landings become a routine no sweat issue. Allow for at least 30 minutes of simulator time.
