Crosswind landing control error???
Join Date: May 2000
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Still not good advice in general...
The key is to FLY THE AIRPLANE! Use whatever amount of control input it takes to fly straight down the centerline with the wings level (after both main gear are on the ground). While full aileron input may be appropriate for many small taildraggers, it may not be appropriate for an airplane with powerful ailerons in a crosswind that doesn't approach its limits.
The key is to FLY THE AIRPLANE! Use whatever amount of control input it takes to fly straight down the centerline with the wings level (after both main gear are on the ground). While full aileron input may be appropriate for many small taildraggers, it may not be appropriate for an airplane with powerful ailerons in a crosswind that doesn't approach its limits.
Join Date: May 2004
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Low 'n' slow,
I was taught roll in to a headwind with the column back but roll out of a tailwind with the column forward. The rationale of this is that if you have a quartering tailwind the column turned to the opposite direction and forward would deflect both the into-wind aileron and the elevator downwards presenting the upper control surfaces to the prevailing wind, thus preventing the wind from that side from getting under them.
I was taught roll in to a headwind with the column back but roll out of a tailwind with the column forward. The rationale of this is that if you have a quartering tailwind the column turned to the opposite direction and forward would deflect both the into-wind aileron and the elevator downwards presenting the upper control surfaces to the prevailing wind, thus preventing the wind from that side from getting under them.
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The tailwind correction you advocate is proper ONLY when the tailwind is REALLY a tailwind -- the airplane is moving slower than the tailwind component! It is a proper technique for taxiing a taildragger. However, if you try that right at touchdown with a "quartering tailwind," you'll have a high probability of a big mess on your hands...
Repeat after me one more time: FLY THE AIRPLANE!
Repeat after me one more time: FLY THE AIRPLANE!
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Is it normal then at the point when the nose wheel touches the ground to have a strong yaw tendency?
I believe this tendency is because the nosewheel touches the ground while its turned in an angle and the way to stop this tendency is to centralise rudders just before the touchdown.
I believe this tendency is because the nosewheel touches the ground while its turned in an angle and the way to stop this tendency is to centralise rudders just before the touchdown.
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Hey Champion:
I assume you are speaking of a PA-28, or something that also has nosegear steering that is directly connected to the rudder. I have seen this happen many times, but must reiterate the advice given by others, in that you must fly the airplane all the way to the tiedown.
One thing I might add, however, is the role of ailerons in a crosswind landing. Make sure you keep that aileron pressure in throughout the landing. As a matter of fact, as the speed slows and control effectiveness decreases, aileron deflection should increase.
The aileron pressure might help your problem just a bit, as it keeps firm pressure on the upwind landing gear and also adds a bit of adverse yaw that keeps you from having to use so much rudder.
I think someone else already said it, but some tailwheel time can work miracles for those of us who fly "flying milkstools" predominantly. Tailwheel aircraft tend to make our problems appear miniscule.
And FYI, the swept wing jet I fly is quite the handful in a crosswind landing. Use of controls on crosswind landing is just as critical as it ever was in a light aircraft, except that the ailerons require a lot more exertion on the part of the pilots.
Hope this helps you,
Skywerd
I assume you are speaking of a PA-28, or something that also has nosegear steering that is directly connected to the rudder. I have seen this happen many times, but must reiterate the advice given by others, in that you must fly the airplane all the way to the tiedown.
One thing I might add, however, is the role of ailerons in a crosswind landing. Make sure you keep that aileron pressure in throughout the landing. As a matter of fact, as the speed slows and control effectiveness decreases, aileron deflection should increase.
The aileron pressure might help your problem just a bit, as it keeps firm pressure on the upwind landing gear and also adds a bit of adverse yaw that keeps you from having to use so much rudder.
I think someone else already said it, but some tailwheel time can work miracles for those of us who fly "flying milkstools" predominantly. Tailwheel aircraft tend to make our problems appear miniscule.
And FYI, the swept wing jet I fly is quite the handful in a crosswind landing. Use of controls on crosswind landing is just as critical as it ever was in a light aircraft, except that the ailerons require a lot more exertion on the part of the pilots.
Hope this helps you,
Skywerd
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I've had a whole day of crosswind landings and I kept this thread in mind.
What it comes down to as has been discussed previously is the basic: keep on flying the plane. I missed this several times today, why I've got no idea. It's really easy to act as a charter passenger and clap you hands and cheer as soon as you get on ground. Keep on flying the plane and things should work out. If it still doesnt help, perhaps you're exeeding the crosswind limit?
/LnS
What it comes down to as has been discussed previously is the basic: keep on flying the plane. I missed this several times today, why I've got no idea. It's really easy to act as a charter passenger and clap you hands and cheer as soon as you get on ground. Keep on flying the plane and things should work out. If it still doesnt help, perhaps you're exeeding the crosswind limit?
/LnS
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EU Champ,
you have asked a question a few times now (should the nosewheel be straight on touchdown?) and nobody has really addressed it. Thats because it's not important. However, to get rid of the gremlins you are harbouring I will try address it.
If you taxi in a crosswind you will have to apply a small amount of steering to keep the aircraft straight, because the nosewheel effectively "scubbs". That is, because of sideways pressure the nosewheel has a bit of "drift" on it.
When you touch down you need rudder to compensate for the crosswind, which you are obviously familiar with.
Now this is the bit that you need to understand once, then forget forever: Designers build the aircraft so that the approximate amount of rudder you require at touchdown speed (or lift off speed) is about the same as the amount of nosewheel steering displacement required. Now remember that the rudder still works on the runway (at speed) but the nosewheel doesn't work in the air. The designers use a best compromise for rigging the nose wheel versus the rudder but it will never be perfect.
So IT IS OK to have rudder/nosewheel defection during nosewheel touchdown. But the important point is that before NW touchdown you have the nose pointing at the end of the runway with whatever defelection is required and after NW touchdown you have the nose pointing at the end of the runway with whatever defelection is required.
Another small tech note is that if you fly a standard cessna or piper series aircraft, the nose wheel steering is disengaged from the rudders when the nose is extended (or hanging down because you are in the air). When the nose wheel strut compresses it engages the steering mechanism. It is quite possible if you fly only one aircraft that this engagement process is a bit aggressive. Also, it is possible that the nose wheel is not rigged perfectly.
But this does not matter. You are not an engineer. You are a pilot. You must concentrate on applying whatever rudder is necessary to maintain runway alignment. This is the challenge of flying different and sometime querky aircraft.
I have basically said the same thing as everyone else but approached from a technical point of view. Some people prefer that type of explanation. Some people think it's over the top......anyway thanks for reading if you got this far!!!
you have asked a question a few times now (should the nosewheel be straight on touchdown?) and nobody has really addressed it. Thats because it's not important. However, to get rid of the gremlins you are harbouring I will try address it.
If you taxi in a crosswind you will have to apply a small amount of steering to keep the aircraft straight, because the nosewheel effectively "scubbs". That is, because of sideways pressure the nosewheel has a bit of "drift" on it.
When you touch down you need rudder to compensate for the crosswind, which you are obviously familiar with.
Now this is the bit that you need to understand once, then forget forever: Designers build the aircraft so that the approximate amount of rudder you require at touchdown speed (or lift off speed) is about the same as the amount of nosewheel steering displacement required. Now remember that the rudder still works on the runway (at speed) but the nosewheel doesn't work in the air. The designers use a best compromise for rigging the nose wheel versus the rudder but it will never be perfect.
So IT IS OK to have rudder/nosewheel defection during nosewheel touchdown. But the important point is that before NW touchdown you have the nose pointing at the end of the runway with whatever defelection is required and after NW touchdown you have the nose pointing at the end of the runway with whatever defelection is required.
Another small tech note is that if you fly a standard cessna or piper series aircraft, the nose wheel steering is disengaged from the rudders when the nose is extended (or hanging down because you are in the air). When the nose wheel strut compresses it engages the steering mechanism. It is quite possible if you fly only one aircraft that this engagement process is a bit aggressive. Also, it is possible that the nose wheel is not rigged perfectly.
But this does not matter. You are not an engineer. You are a pilot. You must concentrate on applying whatever rudder is necessary to maintain runway alignment. This is the challenge of flying different and sometime querky aircraft.
I have basically said the same thing as everyone else but approached from a technical point of view. Some people prefer that type of explanation. Some people think it's over the top......anyway thanks for reading if you got this far!!!
Read the above again, (By BomberHarris) with reference to para 6, the nosewheel disengages from the steering when extended. (cessna and piper singles).
It suggests that you are lowering the nosewheel too rapidly, or letting it hit the ground of its own accord.
When it first touches, if done gently enough, it will free-caster, and as the oleo compresses, so the nosewheel steering will engage.
When I did a Beagle pup rating, I found x/winds a bugger at the point of nosewheel touchdown. The aeroplane is extremely controllable, but I couldn't avoid some side-force on the nosegear when it touched in a decent crosswind. My instructor said not to worry about it too much. That said, there is repeated advice above to keep flying the aeroplane. Do it.
Solve the problem once and for all by flyng an AA5.Fully castering nosewheel.
It suggests that you are lowering the nosewheel too rapidly, or letting it hit the ground of its own accord.
When it first touches, if done gently enough, it will free-caster, and as the oleo compresses, so the nosewheel steering will engage.
When I did a Beagle pup rating, I found x/winds a bugger at the point of nosewheel touchdown. The aeroplane is extremely controllable, but I couldn't avoid some side-force on the nosegear when it touched in a decent crosswind. My instructor said not to worry about it too much. That said, there is repeated advice above to keep flying the aeroplane. Do it.
Solve the problem once and for all by flyng an AA5.Fully castering nosewheel.
