Crosswind landings...

LoadMasterC141 said:
One time there was a crosswind component of 18kts G 20 down one of the runways. I could have switched runways and gone for an almost all headwind, but this seemed like a good time to practice in NASTY weather. The max demonstrated Xwind for my plane is 15kts, so I had no plan to land, just to practice approaches in gusty conditions. I went around at about 50 feet each time, but it REALLY helped in less wind with real X-wind landings.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about doing that today. I'm scheduled to go up for T&Gs, but winds are forecasted to be 090 at 15G20. KPIE has a both an E/W and N/S runway. I was thinking about requesting the N/S (the longer runway) for a few low passes to practice staying on centerline at 10-20 feet. Does this sound like a good idea, or should I expect to be blow into something? I'll be in a Skyhawk.
 
I always favored the crab method myself.. is that bad? I just always felt it was better to not be doing so much work close to the ground - to just crab down on final, then kick the rudder to align just as you're about to touchdown.

I was wondering - I've heard in taildraggers it's not possible to do that; that you must use the slip method - true or not??
Also, what do other aircraft favor? 767s for example, Doug.. what's the method done in the heavy metal?
And what about light business jets, like Lears or whatever - or is that open for pilot-decision as to what to do?
 
tgrayson said:
A Skyhawk is good to at least 30 knots crosswind. After touchdown, turn the ailerons fully into the wind.
Click to expand...

Of course that is opinion right? The manual for the skyhawk I am flying says 15 knots is the max DEMONSTRATED X-Wind component. I have landed in worse so far, with an instructor, but it was a task.
 
LoadMasterC141 said:
Of course that is opinion right? The manual for the skyhawk I am flying says 15 knots is the max DEMONSTRATED X-Wind component. I have landed in worse so far, with an instructor, but it was a task.
Click to expand...

Not sure by what you mean "opinion." It is experience. I suspect you could set it down safely in higher winds, but I haven't done it.
 
LoadMasterC141 said:
Of course that is opinion right? The manual for the skyhawk I am flying says 15 knots is the max DEMONSTRATED X-Wind component. I have landed in worse so far, with an instructor, but it was a task.
Click to expand...

DEMONSTRATED is not a limitation nor indicative of the full capability of the airplane.

The xwind limit is when you are dragging a wingtip on the runway or you run out of rudder to maintain centerline alignment.
 
Murdoughnut said:
Does anyone do low passes over the runway without touching down? I thought this might be a good way to practice staying lined up with the runway in a X-wind for the length of the runway, but I wasn't sure if the tower would grant such a request. Guess I could go to an uncontrolled field and have onlookers assume I can't land the plane.
Click to expand...
Low passes, or as I call them, low fly-bys, are an excellent way to get the feel of crossing the controls to instinctivly hold the nose aligned with rudder while staying over the centerline with aileron. make an approach holding the nose aligned with rudder and wing down into the wind, and flare and hold it off the runway about 5 feet at 10 to 15 knots above stall all the way down (or about 2/3ds down) the runway. When you can hold it over the centerline with the nose aligned with the centerline then you can ease it down on the low-wing wheel and lower the other wing down to land the upwind wheel.

Best done at a non-towered field, but Tower knows this maneuver as a "low approach".

Don't you worry about "onlookers", this is a very good training exercise which has dropped off the normal routine. It used to be a favorite when instruction was for the purpose of pilot training, but now it seems most "instruction" is only on PTS maneuvers, and since "low fly-by", or "low pass" isn't in the PTS, most instructors either don't know it is a good training tool, or they think anything not in the PTS is wasting time. I don't know what it is, but it isn't about pure pilot proficiency anymore.
 
Certainly I understand demonstrated is not the max, but I would think it is an indication of how much you really want. If dragging a wingtip down the runway, ripping a gear strut off from too much sideload, or floating off the runnway is max, I'll stear on the safe side:)
 
We went up for an hour and did some cross wind landings. They are improving. I can get it down on or close to the centerline now. That is with winds gusting to 22kts. I tried all the suggestions. Thanks everybody, I feel much better about my landings now.:)
 
kiwi lover said:
I always favored the crab method myself.. is that bad? I just always felt it was better to not be doing so much work close to the ground - to just crab down on final, then kick the rudder to align just as you're about to touchdown.

I was wondering - I've heard in taildraggers it's not possible to do that; that you must use the slip method - true or not??
Click to expand...

In taildraggers you can use either method, just like in a tricycle gear aircraft. It's a matter of the pilot's preference.

That being said, I prefer to establish the x-wind correction slip while about 100 or 200 feet off the ground when flying my Cessna 140. It's absolutely critical in tailwheel aircraft to not land with any side loading--land with a side load in a tricycle gear plane and your passengers might complain about a rough landing...land with a side load in a tailwheel aircraft and you might wreck the plane (groundloop).

That's why I prefer to have a little extra time before touchdown to get a feel for the wind and make a perfect correction.
 
LoadMasterC141 said:
Certainly I understand demonstrated is not the max, but I would think it is an indication of how much you really want. If dragging a wingtip down the runway, ripping a gear strut off from too much sideload, or floating off the runnway is max, I'll stear on the safe side:)
Click to expand...

i'll leave the definition and method for determining demonstrated xwind to tgrayson or someone else. with a high wing cessna its going to take a *lot* of wind before you have to worry about the wingtips, you're going to run out of rudder much sooner.

When it comes down to it i dont care how much the wind is blowing when im on final. I can either keep it on the line and straight or i cant, and that determines if i'll land, not what the ATIS is saying.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top