Crosswind Landing Tips

I will preface this article with the fact that I am not a certified flight instructor (CFI). With that in mind, in my experience, this is what I have found to work.

Flying is not something one can master by reading a book; it must be practiced, and this is especially true of crosswind landings. Crosswind landings can be one of the most challenging maneuvers for new pilots to master.

Crab and Kick

In a high wing aircraft, the proper way to line up to the runway is by putting the aircraft into a side slip. This takes a lot of patience and skill. There is no dead-locked position to rest the controls. What's more, as the aircraft loses airspeed, the ailerons become less effective, which means that the pilot must engage them more heavily to get the same effect. A side slip requires a delicate balance between the ailerons and rudder, and both are dependent on airspeed.

Wing Down

The crab-and-kick method is one way to execute a crosswind landing. However, if you've got a high wing aircraft, you might as well take advantage of it, and utilize the wing-down method. Unlike a low wing aircraft, there is little risk of a wing strike on the runway when you're flying a high wing aircraft, like a Cessna. Also, in direct crosswinds, using the crab-and kick method requires some pretty good guessing. Like guessing exactly how high the plane is at the moment of "kicking."

All good landings start with good pattern work; nice turns, proper control of airspeed, and a steady and controlled descent.

Just like we were all taught during ground school, when you're on downwind, and you get abeam the runway numbers, gently pull the throttle back to around 1500 RPM and put in 10 degrees of flaps. Push the yoke in just a tad to counteract the ballooning effect of the flaps. Try to lose about 250 feet of altitude before you make your turn to the base leg. If you're not losing altitude fast enough, pull the throttle out a little more. Remember, in this type of flight configuration, throttle is for altitude, pitch is for airspeed.

When the runway numbers are at 45 degrees to your  rear, begin making your base turn. You should lose another 50 to 75 feet during your turn, which should be easy, because turning the plane adds drag. After you turn base, add another 10 degrees of flaps. Assuming you began at a standard traffic pattern altitude (TPA) of 1000 feet AGL, you should be right around 625 feet at the midway point of your base leg.

You should calculate your turn to final depending on the wind. For crosswind landings, when you're flying the base leg, you'll either have a (quartering to direct) headwind or a (quartering to direct) tailwind. If you have a headwind on your base leg, you'll want to begin your turn to final a little late, because as you turn, the wind will actually push you backward. If you have a tailwind on your base leg, you'll want to begin your turn to final a little early, because the wind will actually push you forward.

Your altitude should be right around 450 to 500 feet when you begin your turn to final, and you should try to lose another 50 feet during the turn. Now comes the tricky part.

WING DOWN TO TOUCHDOWN: 
The wing down method is difficult to learn, because it puts the controls in exactly the opposite position that a pilot is used to during normal flight. During normal flight, when you want to turn, your ailerons and rudder agree. If you want to turn left, you turn the yoke to the left and apply left rudder, vice versa for turning right. This maintains coordinated flight. However, when you put the plane into a side slip, the controls are crisscrossed. If you've got a crosswind coming from your starboard (right) side, you would turn the yoke to the right, "putting the wing down into the wind" while simultaneously applying left rudder. Vice versa for a crosswind coming from your port (left).

Putting the plane into a side slip allows the pilot to fly a straight path, with the nose of the plane pointing forward. The wings will not be level with the ground, but that should not be a problem in a high wing aircraft.

The pilot must gently work the aileron/rudder combination until the plane flies straight. Remember, the ailerons become increasingly less effective as airspeed decreases, so they will need to be more heavily engaged as you approach the runway.

Unless the crosswind is very light, I personally recommend leaving the flaps at 20 degrees, and to keep your airspeed slightly higher than normal. In a Cessna 172, during a normal landing, you should be right around 65 KIAS on your final leg, pulling the throttle out over the runway numbers and touching down right around 55 KIAS. However, for a crosswind landing, you should be about 70 KIAS on your final leg, and you should touch down right around 60 to 65 KIAS.

CRAB-AND-KICK: 

When you've got a crosswind, if you want to fly straight, you need to crab. This means that the nose of your plane is pointing to the left or right, but you're flying a straight path over the ground. Crabbing is absolutely normal, and in fact, unless you're flying into a direct headwind, or have a direct tailwind, you'll always have to crab a little bit to get the plane to fly straight. Crabbing during normal flight doesn't present any problems, but when you're trying to land, crabbing can really mess with your confidence. If you maintain your crab all the way to touchdown, you'll likely roll right off the runway and into the grass!

The crab-and-kick method is exactly what it sounds like; big planes, and low wing aircraft do it all the time. Crab-and-kick involves crabbing the aircraft on the final leg, to right before the moment of touchdown, and then applying rudder in order to straighten out moments before the aircraft's wheels touch the ground. What's the problem? No problem, if you're good. Just know, that as soon as you straighten out (kick) the nose to line it up with the runway, the crosswind is going to push you to the side, so you'd better be touching down real quick, or you'll be landing off the runway. For the big and heavy jetliners, this isn't a huge deal. Their weight and momentum allow them a little more leeway. A lightweight plane like a Cessna 172 is another story. There's a big difference between "kicking" it when you're 15 feet off the ground and "kicking" it when you're 3 feet off the ground. That's why learning the wing down method is so important.

Above all else, if you find yourself on short final and something isn't going right, never be afraid to initiate a go-around.

Now, just wait for the next time you have crosswind conditions at your favorite airport and go do 785 touch-and-goes. You'll be a master crosswind lander in no time!

Landing Tips

There are many techniques published on how to make better landings. Some techniques will actually conflict with other techniques. The debate, as you can well imagine, can be very heated. The reality is, there is no single correct technique that works for everyone. Who cares what your technique is as long as you can land the plane gently and safely every time. If you have a technique that works for you then stick with it. If your technique does not yield consistently smooth landings then continue reading.

Below is simply my technique for landing a Cessna 172. If you are struggling with your landings and you are training in a small aircraft, such as a Cessna 172, try thinking of the landing in 3 phases and at no time should you force a bad approach, round-out or flare to the conclusion of a landing. Try thinking of all approaches to a landing as really a go-around interrupted by a landing. This mentality will have you focused on going around if the landing does not feel or look right. Do not get so focused on landing a plane at the expense of bending metal.

PHASE ONE:
The approach is the first phase of a landing. Every good landing starts with a good approach. Try to stabilize the aircraft's approach so you do not have to make a lot of corrections close to the runway. This means make sure your airspeed is 1.3 times the stall speed (in a C-172 the speed is approximately 61 knots. Slightly increased depending on the wind conditions. I usually come in this face between 65-70) Your horizontal ground track, which is controlled by your ailerons, should take you over the runway centerline. The nose of your plane should be aimed straight down the runway and any yaw left or right should be promptly but smoothly controlled with rudder. Make sure all these are set ASAP after rolling out on final and adjust them promptly yet smoothly when anything changes. Also, determine the proper amount of power necessary for glide slope control as soon as you turn onto final. In a normal landing, your power should be set to approximately 1,500 RPM in a Cessna 172 with full flaps, but... if you are low you will need to add power and if you are high you will need to reduce power... remember...you are now operating near the region of reverse command where you should power for altitude and pitch for airspeed. If the airplane is not stabilized on approximately a 3 degree glide slope by 200 feet above the runway then a go around should be performed. To recap phase one, you want the plane in a stabilized 3 degree glide slope descent so it will fly itself all the way down to the aiming points (the big fat rectangles) which is where phase two begins.



PHASE TWO:
The round-out is the second phase of a landing. Every aircraft has it's own round-out altitude. For a Cessna 172 you should transition from a stabilized nose low descent, which was established in phase one, to the round-out at approximately 25-40 feet above the runway. The round-out is basically like the bottom of a playground slide. It's the curve at the bottom of a slide. If you look at the profile of a slide you will notice that the bottom curve does not go up at the end, nor does it go down... it goes horizontal. So when you are performing your round-out, transition from a nose low attitude to a nose level attitude (horizontal). In a Cessna 172 I begin the round-out at about 25-40 feet above the runway. Once the nose of my plane is level, I allow the plane's altitude to continue to decrease to approximately 1-5 feet... and no lower. Remember... even though the plane's flight attitude is level at 20-30 feet above the runway, this absolutely does not mean the flight path is level... the plane is still descending... just not as fast as it was in phase one. If you try to hold 25-40 feet of altitude you will end up shedding all your airspeed and eventually you could stall the plane at that height which is definitely NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. Phase one's descent rate should be close to 500 feet per minute and phase two's descent rate is more like 150 feet per minute. During this 2nd phase is also when the power should begin to be slowly and smoothly reduced . About one second after the round-out begins, start to slowly reduce some of the power. So... To recap phase two... At approximately 25-40 feet above the runway, slowly and smoothly begin to level the nose of the plane but continue to let the plane smoothly descend from 25-40 feet down to 1-5 feet of altitude while slowly and smoothly reducing power.



PHASE THREE:
The flare is the final phase of a landing and is undoubtedly the most difficult to master. If the round-out began at 25-40 feet and ended with the plane at 1-5 feet above the runway with the power just above idle, the flare is what settles the plane down on the runway with a nose high attitude. The flare is basically the pilot trying to hold that 1-5 feet of altitude as long as possible with practically no power and an airspeed that is constantly decreasing. As the airspeed decreases, you will need to apply more back pressure on the yoke to maintain 1-5 feet of altitude. The trick is to not loose any altitude and just as importantly, not gain any altitude. If you gain altitude the plane will "balloon" and this will usually require promptly adding power and often will require you to abort the landing and go around. If you loose altitude too quickly you will have a less than smooth landing. So...as you are maintaining 1-5 feet of altitude with the airspeed decreasing you will have to carefully apply more back pressure on the yoke. This combination causes the plane's nose to eventually rise. As the airspeed finally decreases to the point where the wings can no longer generate any lift, the power should now be reduced to idle as the plane slowly descends from 1-3 feet above the runway down to the runway surface where the main wheels should gently touch down with the nose wheel still in a nose high attitude. Continue to carefully pull back on the yoke just enough to keep that nose wheel off the ground, but not so much as to pop the plane back into the air. Keep pulling back on the yoke until the yoke can no longer be pulled back any further. Once the yoke is fully aft, then the nose wheel will eventually make contact with the runway surface.

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