3 Tips For Better Crosswind Landings

On day 13 of our 31 Day Safer Pilot Challenge, I will share with you my 3 tips for a better crosswind landing.

Comment below if you are 13 for 13 in our 31 Day SPC!

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[HiTechRob]

I typically crab until I am over the threshold, then transition to a sideslip. I also pay attention to needing more rudder and aileron authority as the energy bleeds off. Thankfully, vortex generators on my plane keep control authority at low speeds pretty good so it is not too dramatic. ANother great video Jason and MZeroA team!!!

[garyscholder]

Great instruction Jason👍🏼. Big planes, little planes, we fly them very similar. I recently transitioned from B-767 to B-747. We fly these heavies the same way. Even the auto-pilots fly them with a crab into the wind and then transition wing down/top rudder in the round-out and flare. With that big wing on the B747, you really need to fly it all the way to the parking spot. So it’s true, what we learn early on really does help us all the way through our flying experience and journey. Thanks again for putting out these instructional videos👍🏼✈️

[theheatedveststoreaustrali]

Mate I’m doing my licence down here in Australia and you’re tips are ripper! A great extension to my classes.

[jeeberlewis]

Got my checkride tomorrow…wish me luck. Never been more nervous in my life.

[tlgibson]

I'm a hybrid too. Crab most of the way then straighten up and lower upwind wing before touchdown to prevent side loading. I think it is the best way to do it after you learn how to do side slips. If you aren't proficient in side slips then it's a good way to mess everything up right before touchdown. Side slipping all the way only makes sense when learning because it always felt like I was fighting the plane all the way down. Especially in gusty winds.

[aviatordiego]

THIS IS LITERALLY EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED Mann, going to my flight school in an hour and a half and crosswind landings always turn a bit tricky.

[DavidMiller-rwgj]

13 for 13. I'm a hybrid. I crab during final, but unlike Jason, I don't wait until I'm in ground effect I switch to sideslip on very short final. For me, this allows me to get the right amount of aileron and rudder before my mains touch the runway. Sometimes I feel like I am walking the airplane in because my feet are dancing on the rudders while making small adjustments to hold the nose on centerline. My transition to sideslip differs based on the severity of the crosswind. I like to have enough time to make sure my sideslip is holding centerline, so the more steep the crosswind the sooner I transition.

[nodaysoff]

13/13 thanks Jason! Love the check ride audiobook. I love listening to it when I do Ubereats/doordash to fund my flight training. I listen to it first before I get into reading the actual PHAK chapters, it helps lay the foundation to what I’m about to read. The subjects click in my head so much easier because I heard it first on the audiobook, it really helps and saves me so much time and $$$. Your content combined with Microsoft flight Sim has really helped my progress. I knew nothing about aviation and started this journey not too long ago. My instructor said he is very impress with my flying as a new student, and especially since I’m only taking flying lessons once a week(that’s all I can budget for now), I was told at 10 hrs, Im technically ready to solo since I fly good even after long breaks, but I wanted to achieved more the “Art of Mastery” so I told him I don’t want to move on until my landings are butter. As of today I now feel very confident on the controls, comms, and smooth landings. I’m at 16 hours now and about to solo next week! Thank you and the whole team. - Tony, training out of Torrance, California. KTOA

[draudecif]

What do you mean by crabbing with rudder on final? You don’t need to. Let it naturally go nose into the wind if you want to track the runway centreline.

[KoMaksAdventures]

13/13 I side slip during crosswind. I fly a tailwheel so it's always been easier for me to line up my nose on center line, and keeping it there. Makes the whole landing event much easier for me.

[charleskroll]

13 for 13 today. Finished/expired the 2-week GSA trial and signed up for the Gold package. Resumed in Lesson 8 - Take Offs and Landings.

[marsgal]

Crab on final, slip on short final. My plane can be a handful in crosswind rollouts, something I need to work on.

[josephsener]

13:13 I like the wing low method. U get a good feel during that downwind leg to determine the crab needed.

[dzurisintube]

I struggled with crosswinds for a long time as I was appying the crab method and struggling with sideload and touchdown directionality. I recently swapped to the sideslip method and it has really changed things. I concur that being uncoordinated for a long time at a low altitude is not optimal but I would also argue that a stable approach is a good and safe approach so blending from one to the other at the last moment with so many variables changing just doesn't work well for me in mastering the technique. Maybe as I feel more comfortable I will try to work it into my toolkit.

[christopherd.]

Thank you for all your videos. You’ve helped me to review through CPL, and now moving on to CFI.

[ssairshows]

Good video series. The crosswind crab on final needs to be killed, boiled, and served with butter and garlic. Teaching pilots to slip all the way to the runway and land on the upwind main in a tricycle gear plane solves several problems all at once: enhanced crosswind directional control, floating due to headwinds - need to descend...add more rudder and increase bank as needed, no side loading on landing. As a bonus, if the pilot ever does a tailwheel transition they don't have to "unlearn" nosedragger techniques that are dangerous in a taildraggger.

[johndean]

Thank you...great way to remember, "Dive away from tailwinds". Appreciate all your

[evanhansen]

13/13, headed to 31/31. As a tail wheel pilot I’m a side slipper. Come over the fence about 5 mph faster to land the upwind wheel first. Fly it till it’s tied down. Any loss of attentiveness during roll out or taxi means “Ground Loop”. While quite exciting, these unintended maneuvers really SUCK! Great lesson, respect crosswinds, but be not afraid.

[jonathanjohnson]

I’ve struggled with executing a consistently good cross wind landing until recently. I’m excited to try this hybrid technique and hope to make them even better! 13/13

[bryant]

13 4 13 Yes I agree with you I am of the hybrid allotment. I trained on a 172 and transitioned over to a Cherokee 180 . I wasn’t really that great on the 172 but it was manageable and yes there were a few tire scuffs. Transitioning into the low wing I admit there were a few more tire scuffs not to mention some side loading and holding Centre line certainly was nothing to talk about. So I promised myself ; now that I was the owner of the Cherokee 180 that I would do all I could to stop the abuse to my aircraft and constantly worked at Crosswinds landings.

Everything you say in dealing with the enemy is so absolutely true and now I look forward to any hint of a crosswind landing. Where they were once feared they are sometimes now the best part of the flight ; and yes you’re not finished until you bring it all the way back to the hanger✅✅✅ with the rubber still on the tires.