Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

Landing an airplane is not easy, even for experienced pilots. In this article, we’ll cover all you need to know to confidently master crosswind landings. Key Takeaways Manage crosswind landing challenges using the crab and sideslip techniques. Plan for crosswind conditions with step-by-step procedures.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Longitudinal Axis Aileron Rudder 52

Air Facts

JULY 15, 2024

It felt like pushing it for that airplane, but checkrides are so hard to schedule I went. Several times I’ve landed smoothly in a strong crosswind, then had trouble keeping the airplane on the runway. I approach using the wing low method in a crosswind. Which brings up a point about gusty crosswinds.

Crosswind 98

Crosswind Knot Rudder Turbulence 98

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 7, 2025

All of which makes picking 10 airplanes for your fly-before-you-die list more than just a bit subjective. Meanwhile, Marc Cook, Plane & Pilot editor in chief, has 43 years in the left seat and had the good fortune to work a decade for AOPA and fly a bunch of interesting airplanes. A time capsule, indeed.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Tail Pilot Jet 98

Plane and Pilot

JULY 9, 2024

The unique H-tail reduces the left-turning tendencies during takeoff while also minimizing the weathervaning effect prevalent in crosswinds. While the original Ercoupes lacked a rudder and rudder pedals entirely, this example has had them installed as an aftermarket kit, making the airplane a bit more familiar for newcomers to fly.

Rudder 93

Rudder Airplanes Crosswind Tail 93

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

It can also be dangerous when the learner drops the airplane to fly the checklist or radio, so practice in the ATD is often a good way to learn procedures, as the ATD is a CFI-controlled environment. To get the most out of the scenario, the learner should use the same procedures in the airplane. It’s an ATD.

Crosswind 105

Crosswind Airplanes VOR Runway 105

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Fussing with the avionics to keep tabs on the weather gave many more knob touches than the airplane itself. Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. And on short final at Knoxville, I got chirps from a flock of unrecognized electronic birds, telling me something but not in airplane-speak.

Weather 80

Weather Runway Knot Rudder 80

Air Facts

MAY 24, 2024

As I went through the preflight inspection, my wife strapped my daughter into the car seat and climbed into the airplane herself. With a little forward pressure on the yoke, I was able to keep the airplane on the runway to continue picking up airspeed as we arrived at my target of 60 knots for takeoff. Approach switched me to Tower.

Aileron 98

Aileron Crosswind Knot Runway 98

AV Web

JANUARY 22, 2025

The airplane came to rest about 1600 feet from the Runway 31 threshold and about 250 feet right of the extended centerline. The accident airplane was the last one among a group of five, and two landings had been performed without incident. The private pilot was fatally injured. Subsequently, its pitch attitude increased.

Final Approach 52

Final Approach Airplanes Drag Crosswind 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Landing an airplane can be one of the most nerve-wracking tasks for a student pilot. Getting an airplane to fly is easy. If there is a crosswind at the airport, you should mention this in your brief. Discuss your nominated crosswind technique. For example, the crosswind is from left to right. Safe flying!

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Descent Approach Crosswind 52

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 27, 2025

From misjudging the flare to battling crosswinds, these mistakes can challenge pilots of all experience levels. 1) High Roundout Sometimes when the airplane appears to temporarily stop moving downward, the roundout has been made too rapidly and the airplane is flying level, too high above the runway.

Airplanes 89

Airplanes Runway Accelerated Stall Lift 89

Flight Training Central

MARCH 4, 2024

The airplane will be flown at 1,000’ AGL parallel to and at an equal distance from the field boundaries – about ½ – ¾ miles from the boundary as you would fly a traffic pattern. As the airplane turns onto the following base leg, the tailwind will decrease and becomes a crosswind.

Groundspeed 52

Groundspeed Crosswind Aileron Rudder 52

Inflight Pilot Training

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Your instructor will introduce you to the basic components of the aircraft, including the fuselage, wings, ailerons, rudder, elevator, and landing gear. For a deeper understanding of stall behavior and recovery techniques, the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook provides an excellent resource.

Approach 52

Approach Aileron Visual Flight Rules Rudder 52

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 23, 2025

It had been over 15 years since I was last in a small airplane, and to say I was excited is quite the understatement. Taxiing procedures: Moving the aircraft to the runway involves steering with your feet using the rudder pedals. Postflight, youll learn how to properly shut down the airplane safely.

Rudder 98

Rudder Descent Pilot Runway 98

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

How did any given airplane sell? In order to be flown by a sport pilot, the resulting airplane must still meet the current regulations—1,320 pounds maximum gross weight, 120 knots max cruise speed, for example—but how it gets there is up to the builder. But successful? Not at all. Was it profitable for the company?

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 98

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The many analyses and videos on these topics have been done in what can best be described as laboratory conditions—carefully selected ideal conditions of pilot, airplane, and environment. NTSB ERA22LA169 describes a funny engine noise that prompted an earlier than planned turn to crosswind for an anticipated return to the airport.

Gross Weight 98

Gross Weight Runway Airplanes Pilot 98

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

I watched the stick flutter to and fro in sync with the rudder pedals as Wilkins fought to maintain the centerline, all the while pushing in the throttle. Once there, he put us in a slight right turn toward our first fuel stop 60 miles ahead, continuously fighting the stick as the gusting left crosswind did its best to push us off course.

Runway 98

Runway Crosswind Rudder Pilot 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Beyond that, likely with an instructor, you can learn fun, new skills in the same airplane. If you have access to both low- and high-wing airplanes, you can practice till you’re really good in both. I was telling him how I had just made a whole series of beautiful, one-wheel, crosswind landings. He looked puzzled. Hopefully not.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Aileron Runway Gross Weight 52

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 1, 2024

Personally, I have made two resolutions: 1) I am not going to eat any olives (I hate olives and haven’t eaten one since I was a kid and figured out I hate olives) and 2) not to kill myself (or anyone else) with an airplane. Sometimes things happen that are completely out of our control. It requires us to change everything. No Problem!

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Approach Rudder Airplanes 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

The higher speed creates extra lift, causing the airplane to bank further into the turn. The pilot’s job is to prevent the airplane from banking too quickly or too far. In our example, the right wing has more lift, and thus more drag, than the left wing as the airplane rolls. Let’s look at why this happens.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

You’ll have to determine the correct point for your particular airplane, but once you do, you can set up your downwind leg perfectly for any runway. Flying the Base Leg All aircraft land into the wind, so the base leg usually involves some crosswind. The crosswind can push you out and mess up your glidepath if you’re not careful.

Descent 52

Descent Weight-Shift-Control Crosswind Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

When I had the endurance to drive 20 miles to an appointment, had good situational awareness of all the cars around me on the freeway, and when driving didn’t take 100 percent concentration, I had passed the first challenge before getting in the airplane. A week later it was off into the blue with new Garmin radios in the elderly airframe.

Pitot Tube 86

Pitot Tube Approach Aileron Instrument Landing System 86

Flight Training Central

DECEMBER 4, 2023

A pilot needs to control the airplane in a manner that the wings support the weight of the airplane as long as practical to minimize stresses imposed on the landing gear by a rough surface or to prevent sinking into a soft surface. The approach for the soft-field landing is similar to the normal approach.

Approach 52

Approach Ground Effect Final Approach Airplanes 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 13, 2024

The wheels touch down too hard, and before you know it, the airplane is bouncing right back into the air. Common Aircraft Types Bounced landings can occur in different airplane models, including the popular Cessna 172. You should use the rudder to do this. What do you do? The real challenge comes down to how you handle it.

Descent 52

Descent Runway Rudder Pilot 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

If you’ve ever been on a flight and felt the airplane swaying side to side, you might’ve experienced a taste of what’s known as a Dutch roll. Learning about the Dutch roll can make your next flight feel a little more grounded, even when the airplane isn’t. Once the yaw dampens, gradually reduce rudder input to neutral.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Or how do modern airplanes reduce dangerous effects like aileron flutter or adverse yaw? Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. Unstable aircraft designs are better suited for high-maneuverability aircraft like aerobatic stunt airplanes or military fighters. This is where the rudder comes in.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. By doing so, a recognizable, firm input demonstrates that using all the aileron travel wasn’t the answer—those rudder pedals are not footrests. Who Has the Airplane? 1 priority.

Runway 52

Runway Wind Shear Crosswind Ceiling 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. By doing so, a recognizable, firm input demonstrates that using all the aileron travel wasn’t the answer—those rudder pedals are not footrests. Who Has the Airplane? 1 priority.

Runway 52

Runway Wind Shear Crosswind Ceiling 52

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 27, 2025

Airbus FlySmart Airbus offers a collection of apps for pilots to assistwith performance planning, maintenance and other operational guidance when flying these airplanes. Bombardier Aerospace This collection of apps provides eLearning, operating procedures and maintenance utilities for operators of Bombardier jet airplanes.

Weather 91

Weather Pilot Flight Plan Airplanes 91

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Will you need a crosswind correction? Airplanes with higher wing loading may need power all the way until the flare. Not Applying Crosswind Controls Directional control becomes difficult when proper technique isn’t applied during crosswind conditions. These stick and rudder skills will help you with crosswind landings.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Density Altitude 52

Northstar VFR

APRIL 21, 2024

Step Two: FOI and FIA Written Exam Your CFI ticket is going to require two written exams : the Fundamentals of Instructing exam (FOI) and the Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) exam. The Flight Instructor Airplane exam is essentially a more in depth Commercial written exam. I ask them to teach me how an airplane flies.

Checkride 56

Checkride Airplanes Pilot Crosswind 56

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

At the airport, there was ice and snow to remove from in front of the hangar door, fuel to add to the Warrior now resting on three fully inflated tires (the left main had a new tube), and then there was the moment when I slipped on ice while pulling the airplane from the hangar and landed flat on my back. 164 airplanes.)

Runway 89

Runway Knot Weather Turbulence 89

Air Facts

JANUARY 31, 2025

Being a good systems engineer, I looked at the data from 551 RV-series airplane events over the past 25 years. This kind of spin entry is also known as a spin over the top, because when entering the spin from a turn, the airplane will spin towards the higher wing. Recorded data says no spin. To keep the turn going, add back pressure.

Turbulence 52

Turbulence Airplanes Crosswind Pilot 52

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

In 1998, I joined a venerable flying club, Stick and Rudder Flying Club of Waukegan National Airport (KUGN). About halfway to our destination, with the airplane trimmed out nicely for cruise, I had Diane again at the controls, but with a bit more instruction. Hopefully you can acquire that experience without injury or damage.

Pilot 98

Pilot Descent Runway Crosswind 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Fussing with the avionics to keep tabs on the weather gave many more knob touches than the airplane itself. Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. And on short final at Knoxville, I got chirps from a flock of unrecognized electronic birds, telling me something but not in airplane-speak.

Weather 52

Weather Runway Knot Rudder 52

Air Facts

JUNE 21, 2024

This school owned no airplanes—all the aircraft were “lease-backs,” by owners. On my one and only flight with the young flight school co-founder, he suddenly slammed the airplane into a 60-degree left bank and pulled aggressively, saying “What do you think of this ?’’ I don’t think he knew what the ailerons or rudder did.

Rudder 75

Rudder Crosswind Knot Airplanes 75

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Since then, the team has advanced the airplane into a kit, one made out of carbon fiber and incorporating more than 1400 hours of the prototype’s operation. But now they are, and as no other Experimental—or certified airplane for that matter—can do what the Gweduck can, it’s time to take a good look at the program.

Airplanes 80

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 80

Air Facts

AUGUST 26, 2024

Now it’s time to look at VFR pilots, and to spare you the suspense, the answer is similarly prosaic: loss of control on landing damages more airplanes than any other accident scenario. That means every day in the summer somewhere between two and five airplanes are damaged—just on landing! What can be done? First, some perspective.

Knot 98

Knot Runway Airplanes Pilot 98