Crosswind landings
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Crosswind landings
I'm not a pilot yet (starting training in march) but I was wondering if performing a crosswind landing is a hard maneuver? I have flown as a passenger during a few of them and seen some pretty intense videos. So, are they something a pilot dreads having to do, or is it as easy as landing normally, except on an angle?
Takes technique
Hey Damo
Like much of aviation it just takes practice. It's a skill! The thing with crosswind landings is that normally crosswinds aren't normally constant so you have to continually monitor the state of the aircraft and make SMALL changes accordingly. Many pilots have varied techniques I personally prefer crabbing it into the wind until the last say 500ft when I will then put aileron into the wind and opposite rudder to remain straight. Seems to work for me. Initially you will find it difficult....I know I did, all those years ago, but as I say the more you practice the better you will become until one day you're faced with 40kt crosswinds and the technique is just the same!!!
Like much of aviation it just takes practice. It's a skill! The thing with crosswind landings is that normally crosswinds aren't normally constant so you have to continually monitor the state of the aircraft and make SMALL changes accordingly. Many pilots have varied techniques I personally prefer crabbing it into the wind until the last say 500ft when I will then put aileron into the wind and opposite rudder to remain straight. Seems to work for me. Initially you will find it difficult....I know I did, all those years ago, but as I say the more you practice the better you will become until one day you're faced with 40kt crosswinds and the technique is just the same!!!
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Originally Posted by HappyBandit
I personally prefer crabbing it into the wind until the last say 500ft...
As HB said Damo1089, it is merely a matter of practice. The more you do the better you'll get until it is a matter of instinct requiring very little thought, and certainly no stress.
Crosswind landings are the norm except during the early part of training when flight may be deliberately limited to zero or minimal crosswind conditions to facilitate learning fundamental take-off & landing techniques. If there's any wind at all chances are it will have a crosswind component.
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Though a newbie at flying/xwind landings, what I have been taught is to crab into wind till about over the fence, then cross controls for the flare.
Weirdly enough, I find it easier to xwind land well than to do a wind-straight-down-the-runway landing...
I think it because its probably easier getting one wheel down first.
Weirdly enough, I find it easier to xwind land well than to do a wind-straight-down-the-runway landing...
I think it because its probably easier getting one wheel down first.
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I'm with Radiosiagon, crab angle all the way down to about the flare and kick it straight at the touchdown. all happens in the last couple of feet and seconds. It will become second nature after a while and you will do it without thinking about it. all part of learning, and nothing to worry about. eventually it will be as natural as taking off, or any other phase of flight.
Relax damo, the videos on U-tube are generally the extreme end of X-wind Take-Off and Landing specturm.
X-wind TO and landings are just another skill to be learned along the road to becoming a proficient pilot.
In my experience, Wellington in uNZud takes 1st prize for gusting x-winds! However, if gusting x-winds as such were an insurmountable barrier to learning to fly, then there would be few aircraft operating in that country! While that clearly is not the case, it could be the reason the Kiwi gave it away and grounded itself!
Dr
X-wind TO and landings are just another skill to be learned along the road to becoming a proficient pilot.
In my experience, Wellington in uNZud takes 1st prize for gusting x-winds! However, if gusting x-winds as such were an insurmountable barrier to learning to fly, then there would be few aircraft operating in that country! While that clearly is not the case, it could be the reason the Kiwi gave it away and grounded itself!
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 17th Dec 2008 at 03:52.
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I'll 3rd what says RS and WIZ, aileron into wind and boot opposing rudder in just prior to touchdown. Bandit, did you mean 500' agl or 500' distance to touchdown?
When you are shown how to fly the first couple of lessons will examine what is known as 'Effects of Controls'. You will be shown what each of the controls you have available to you do and how to manipulate each one individually and also together to control the flight path of the aircraft.
This main sound boring but knowing exactly what each control is designed for is very important for a crosswind landing. It is with mentioning that the youtube videos you see with large jets landing at right angles is possible because they are designed with landing gears that can take alot of sideways stress and landing it with too much 'one wind down' will end in tears and one engine sitting on the runway.
You will be shown and also land initially in low crosswind amounts to first of all get your confidence up and also learn the correct flare technique and 'picture in the window'. Although everyone has a technique that works for everyone the principals remain the same.
When you go to flare and land the plane you want to keep the plane straight with the nosewheel pointing down the end of the runway. To do this its the rudder you are using. This seems simple but a crosswind will want to drift you across the runway into the grass...so to prevent this you lower the wing with the ailerons into wind. You end up with a cross control which will have to be changed and corrected slightly constantly until you have landed. As you decelerate you should also slowly keep in some aileron into wind to prevent a gust tipping you wing up.
Dont be daunted by all the different suggestions and ideas on this forum, as much as everyone wants to help listen to you flying instructor and most of all enjoy your training.
This main sound boring but knowing exactly what each control is designed for is very important for a crosswind landing. It is with mentioning that the youtube videos you see with large jets landing at right angles is possible because they are designed with landing gears that can take alot of sideways stress and landing it with too much 'one wind down' will end in tears and one engine sitting on the runway.
You will be shown and also land initially in low crosswind amounts to first of all get your confidence up and also learn the correct flare technique and 'picture in the window'. Although everyone has a technique that works for everyone the principals remain the same.
When you go to flare and land the plane you want to keep the plane straight with the nosewheel pointing down the end of the runway. To do this its the rudder you are using. This seems simple but a crosswind will want to drift you across the runway into the grass...so to prevent this you lower the wing with the ailerons into wind. You end up with a cross control which will have to be changed and corrected slightly constantly until you have landed. As you decelerate you should also slowly keep in some aileron into wind to prevent a gust tipping you wing up.
Dont be daunted by all the different suggestions and ideas on this forum, as much as everyone wants to help listen to you flying instructor and most of all enjoy your training.
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I've always been taught to treat every landing as a crosswind landing so that you don't know any difference, and apply the technique automatically. What are people's thoughts on the use of asymmetric thrust to combat a steady crosswind in a piston twin? I have done a bit of reading on this and some people seem convinced that it is perfectly safe and makes it easier?. Sorry for my poor sentence structure and punctuation - am writing this from my phone. Povopilot
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the 15 kt crosswind touchdown was (relatively) easy but it was the crosswind rollout that nearly made my 172 unusable when I stopped flying and eased up on the into wind aileron 
Drunken Sailor
Sorry yeah I meant 500' from touchdown not AGL.... usually just before flaring....to be honest I don't actually think about it anymore so bit difficult for me to quantitate....especially when doing 140kt over the fence!
Happy Landings
Sorry yeah I meant 500' from touchdown not AGL.... usually just before flaring....to be honest I don't actually think about it anymore so bit difficult for me to quantitate....especially when doing 140kt over the fence!
Happy Landings
BPH63
Don't ever stop flying the beast until it is tied down, or in the hangar.
QED
The flight ain't over until the paperwork's done - which will occur after one or other of the above.
Don't ever stop flying the beast until it is tied down, or in the hangar.
QED
The flight ain't over until the paperwork's done - which will occur after one or other of the above.
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Originally Posted by povopilot
What are people's thoughts on the use of asymmetric thrust to combat a steady crosswind in a piston twin?
If you've ever flown a twin, see if you can think of any good reasons not to yourself.
Next thing we'll have the equivalent of boating bow-thrusters for aiding cross wind landing performance.
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Next thing we'll have the equivalent of boating bow-thrusters for aiding cross wind landing performance.
Crab in as far as you wish, then, the golden rule I find helpful, is use your rudder to point the nose straight down the runway, and use the ailerons to position the aircraft laterally over the centreline.
So as you apply the rudder to straighten up, if you follow the golden rule, you then need aileron to keep you over the centreline.
It all becomes second nature with practice, and is nothing to get worried or scared about..
The golden rule applies to into the wind landings too.
So as you apply the rudder to straighten up, if you follow the golden rule, you then need aileron to keep you over the centreline.
It all becomes second nature with practice, and is nothing to get worried or scared about..
The golden rule applies to into the wind landings too.
get into a tailwheel aircraft, that'll really show you how to fly a xwind circuit.
honestly mate, i used to get told stuff like crab it in until your over the fence, then drop you aileron into wind and use rudder to keep it straight etc etc and this only made it worse because i would over think it. Best advice i ever got told was from my current instructors, just fly the damn plane. Look to the end of the runway and do whats needed to keep it centered. no need to over think it then.
You'll get it, like anything in the business, it takes practise
honestly mate, i used to get told stuff like crab it in until your over the fence, then drop you aileron into wind and use rudder to keep it straight etc etc and this only made it worse because i would over think it. Best advice i ever got told was from my current instructors, just fly the damn plane. Look to the end of the runway and do whats needed to keep it centered. no need to over think it then.
You'll get it, like anything in the business, it takes practise
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I'm by no means an expert but as a couple of previous posters have said, its really important to keep that aileron into wind the whole time..from crossing the controls before flaring until clear of the runway. I've seen a few instances where people (myself included) have thought they are down and safe, only to encounter a gust & then things have gotten interesting and the adrenaline starts pumping. A good habit to get into is keeping the aileron into wind whenever on the ground. Just my 2 cents..the rest will become second nature and is not as scary as it sounds when you're a newbie! Have fun P
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