Headwind Final
The turn into the head wind is not as likely to create a problem since the reaction is to lower the nose. These perceived speeds become critical in landing. A strong headwind to the runway will, however, cause a relatively steep and unfamiliar glide angle. Do not let this steeper approach cause you to raise the nose. Maintain normal indicated airspeed and do not be concerned about being too high, on a short runway, or even landing long. Keep the normal approach speed regardless of the approach angle.

Winds of 15 kts or greater will give very steep full flap approaches. Barring gusts, this is no problem as long as the correct approach speed is maintained into the roundout and flare. The angle of the approach angle gives the illusion that the descent is actually faster. Such is not the case. If the nose is raised to slow the descent it can actually increase the rate of descent while decreasing the airspeed. Under such conditions, a stall can occur unexpectedly without the exaggerated nose-up attitude of the typical stall. By maintaining the proper approach airspeed we will have the ground effect cushion required during flare. Under gusty conditions it is well to add 5-10 kts to approach speed, use less than full flaps, and maintain power into the flare.

Very strong winds 18 kts up require special attention. The crosswind turn made after takeoff may not be 90 degrees to the runway. Rather a heading must be selected to give a 90-degree ground track allowing for the wind. The same procedure must be followed on downwind and base. It is not necessary to worry about being too high in strong winds even with no flaps. To avoid being carried too far away from the runway on your downwind, you should proceed with minimum delay to your base with a crab toward the runway.

The stronger the headwind wind, the steeper the approach

90 Degree Crosswind
At the multiple runway airport, a 90-degree crosswind is a relatively unusual wind. For this reason some pilots may lack sufficient experience to deal with 90-degree crosswinds of any velocity. If the crosswind is blowing so as to move you closer to the runway, double your downwind distance from the runway. Choose a heading that will make the desired correction and fly the heading. With a longer base leg you can start your turn early and allow the wind to blow you over to the final approach course. You will already have the proper wing low so all that is needed is to punch in opposite rudder and lower the nose for approach speed. You should draw this out in both left and right patterns around a runway until you understand what safety requires.  You can always ask tower to use a crosswind runway if it does not conflict with traffic.

45 Degree Crosswind
When the crosswind is less than 90, each one of the pattern legs requires a heading /course adjustment. Prior to takeoff you should make a tentative heading selection and flight lines that will give the desired crosswind ground track for each leg. Allow an extra 30 seconds or so of time when flying against the crosswind. If the wind is a partial tail wind you might turn downwind sooner than usual. It is more likely that you will unintentionally stay too close to an airport in windy conditions. By staying further away and keeping a somewhat longer final, you allow yourself more time to make adjustments. Draw a pattern around an airport in both left and right traffic and a wind at 45-degree crosswind.

I fly at a field where a local FBO has traditionally limited all student flights to 6-knot 90 degree crosswind landing conditions. Such instructional restrictions, I feel, unduly inhibits the student's opportunity to gain the needed experience in the real world of flying. Just the last two days, I had a student out in the practice area and at two different airports in 22-knot winds. We did ground reference and landings. We did full flap, no flap and slips to landings in direct-down the runway winds and crosswinds. The student learned to enjoy the slips and the sense of control that a smoothly performed forward slip gives. We side slipped to each side of the runway and worked on getting on the centerline down low. My only regret is that the winds were not stronger and more variable. She takes the checkride tomorrow. The windy conditions are expected to continue. She will not fail because of non-exposure to the test flight conditions. Draw a runway and pattern with small aircraft on the lines angled to illustrate the crab angles required to fly the pattern. Place the words where appropriate.

Turn to final requires
right bank to runway reversed
to left bank and right rudder
wind direction extended crosswind leg
wind direction
Since wind is blowing
you away from runway,
Stay closer than usual

Nearly 180 degree turn
to make downwind to
Shallow turn base turn. Nose held
early 180 degree turn from straight with left
crabbed upwind to the rudder and right wing
correction angle required low.
for the crosswind

Crosswind Procedures
The crosswind landing requires crossing the controls, not what you have normally striving for. It feels funny (read bad) You fight the effects on crosswind, downwind, and base by turning the aircraft into the wind in coordinated flight. On final, the rules change and the effect of the wind is corrected with wing low and opposite rudder. 1/2 of a Dutch-roll.

Winds are not usually steady and stable. They will vary in direction, velocity and change with altitude. A constant adjustment of rudder and wing is required to compensate for these changes. If the pilot persists in holding a tight grip on the yoke he will be unable to sense the corrections required.

When you first fly downwind you must start making your adjustment for the wind. The wind is never exactly as given on the ATIS or the AWOS. The wind be it calm, blowing a gale, 90 degrees cross, down the runway or any combination thereof, will require the pilot to adjust, plan, re-adjust and re-plan the pattern required for a given wind. Failure to anticipate and make the required corrections in a timely manner can lead to an accident. If you have not made a pattern that allows a smooth transition to final, go around.

The base to final (key position) turn is the critical point in the pattern. You can correct for being high or low by correcting the angle and by flap application. You need practice to make this determination of being high or low. Regardless of the wind you should fly a constant airspeed since this will give a relatively constant angle on the approach. Learning to judge the angle commensurate to the wind direction and velocity takes practice and experience at a wide variety to airports.

Problems with crosswinds are directly related to basic flying skills. Ground reference, trim, airspeed, Dutch rolls, and light touch come immediately to mind. You must be able to make the required runway alignment adjustment to counter any unexpected wind change instinctively. There is no time for complex thought processes close to the ground. You must practice the Dutch roll until it occurs automatically.  The need for drift correction can occur even in "calm" conditions.

Every aircraft is certified has having a demonstrated crosswind capability. This is determined by the winds available at the time of certification. An average pilot should be capable of landing in such conditions. As crosswinds exceed this demonstrated minimum a pilot should minimize flaps and increase approach speed. The maxim aircraf/pilot t capability is exceeded when full control input is not capable of maintaining directional control even at increased speeds.

The cross-control slip method of crosswind landings utilizes the lift forces of the wings to counteract the drift effects of the wind. The wind is countered by varying the bank (read lift-turn) effects of the wing. Any turn is countered by opposite rudder. A crosswind landing is possible as long as there is sufficient rudder power to keep the nose aligned with the runway. Additional rudder power may be obtained by increasing airspeed.

Properly performed, a crosswind landing will touchdown on the upwind main wheel first. On touchdown the yoke should be moved into the wind to keep the downwind wheel off the ground until the aileron ceases to be effective. This means that full deflection of the aileron will be required as the aircraft slows.  If the aircraft is kept rolling straight  with the rudder the lowered wing will not be able to touch the ground because of ground effect.. As in other landings the nosewheel should be the last to touch. In this configuration you now have the yoke correctly positioned for taxiing.

Extreme Crosswinds
Poor crosswind landings more than from any other single cause damage aircraft. Ability to land in a crosswind depends upon the aircraft capability and the pilot's ability to use that capability. Crosswind landing skills require constant rejuvenation. The complexity of skills used in making crosswind landings are not exceeded by any normal flight maneuver.

Regardless of ATISs or windsocks, the only wind that counts is the one when you touch down. In strong winds the further out you confirm your ability to remain in line with the runway and the nose in line with the centerline, the better you can control your touch down. Once in the sideslip, you have good drift control while in the flare. How much slip and rudder you will need in the flare is a variable. You do whatever it takes.

The crab alternative is perhaps better for aircraft like the Skipper which tends to be squirrelly.  In the crab arrival you wait until you are in the roundout before lowering the wind and aligning the nose with the centerline.

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