How To Land an Airplane in a Crosswind

Crosswind landings are not difficult to do.  They just require a lot of experience at landing in a crosswind.  It sounds a little silly to say it that way but it is true.  Even though many understand the requirements of landing an airplane in a crosswind, you will only become good at it by doing it and doing it often.  If you don't become proficient at flying in winds and crosswind landings, the day will come when you left home on a calm wind morning only to find that on your return the winds have picked up, and now you have to land the airplane in a crosswind.

A crosswind landing is any landing where the winds are not aligned with the runway.  The winds could be at any angle to the runway from a direct headwind to ninety degrees to the left or right of the runway heading. 

To land an airplane on the runway in a crosswind, it is important that the airplane longitudinal axis is over the center line of the runway and not drifting left or right when the main gear wheels touchdown.  To accomplish this, there are two common methods, and the difference is usually just personal preference or instructional experience. 

This first method commonly called the Crab method is done on final approach by turning the airplane into the wind so that the longitudinal axis of the aircraft is pointed into the wind, but the flight path of the airplane is maintaining its path along the extended centerline of the runway.  Just as the airplane is then in roundout or flare, the airplane is turned to align the longitudinal axis of the airplane with the centerline of the runway.  It is a little bit tricky in that all of the turning and aligning is happening in the last few seconds before the airplane touches down. 

The second method is commonly referred to as the Wing Low method.  This is also done on the final approach, but the longitudinal axis of the airplane is aligned with the extended centerline of the runway by holding the upwind wing low and maintaining the centerline with the rudder.  This method is a little less hectic in that the airplane is aligned to the runway on final approach and maintaining its position with small corrections with more or less aileron and more or less rudder as the situation dictates.  Either method can be used, but the Wing Low method has an advantage in that the pilot can see on final approach if the wind is too strong for the airplane, because if the wing is low but the rudder cannot maintain the centerline, then there is not enough control input to keep the airplane from drifting off centerline.