Mastering Crosswind Landings: Light Sport and GA Aircraft

This disussion deals with Crosswind Technique in nosewheel type LSA and the Lighter End of Recreational General Aviation Single Engine Aircraft. Taildragger operations are slightly different. Lots of Aeroclub members are flying Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) types these days.

Due to light wing loadings and low stall speeds, being 'up to speed or current' with the best landing technique to minimise risk on a crosswind is paramount. The technique of 'kick it straight with rudder just prior to touchdown' will, in close to maximum X-W, likely lead to damage to your plane and the strong possibility of an accident.

Let's Go through the Cross Wind Landing Technique

On final, initially you will crab the plane to keep your flight path down the runway (ball in middle). No Rudder, No Aileron. At some stage we need to straighten the plane up for landing. Straightening up involves 'slipping the plane'. Basically you point the plane straight with rudder and use opposite stick/aileron into the wind to control drift.

In Setting up this slip, it is easier to lead with stick/aileron into wind and follow through with rudder to point straight. (Aileron drag partly straightens the plane up)

Your wing will NOT be level, you are 'holding in' rudder (to point straight) and stick/aileron into wind (to control drift) These may need to be independantly adjusted to suit any changes.

When do we do this 'straightening up'?

Some do it early and all the way down final they are having one 'wing low' or slipping all the way down.

Some do it late in the landing. For those still polishing their skills, straightening up a few seconds prior to starting pitch control changes is less busy and less cluttered. So by the time you are starting to 'Roundout', you should be straight and not drifting.

Now you need to NOT RUSH the plane onto the ground. For nose wheel aircraft it is important we dissipate our energy and touch down with the nose fairly high (75% toward the stall). As the plane tries to settle we raise the nose in increments until it reaches the 'landing attitude' (in the A22LS Foxbat this is the 'cowl' on the horizon). If this is done correctly the plane will touch onto the main wheel that is into the wind. The plane should be straight and there should be no drift. The into wind wing will be low.

Now things change. As we have one wheel on the ground the C of G immediately tries to push the other main wheel onto the ground AND the nosewheel onto the ground.

Both of these things are BAD. When the into wind wheel touches the pilot should try to immediately maintain the attitude, adding aileron into wind to keep it on 1 wheel AND BACK STICK to keep your nose off the ground. As the plane slows and the controls lose their authority, more and more stick into wind is needed until its FULL, it now stays FULL into wind. The nosewheel should be kept off the ground until the elevators start to lose authority and once the nosewheel settles the stick to be kept back to keep the nosewheel light.

The into wind aileron post touchdown is keeping the wing down, and the aileron assists in balancing the weather cocking force via aileron drag.

If these post touchdown actions are not taken and the wing gets picked up - full aileron now may not work. You want to keep the wing loaded lower.

The nosewheel is the weakest part of a trike undercarriage and you should try to look after it.

Secondly, avoiding loss of control from wheelbarrowing is a major objective. If you rush your nosewheel onto the ground, and 'push it on' it now becomes the pivot, and you have created an unstable situation. Even if your main wheels are on the ground, if weight has transferred to the Nosewheel because the pilot is pushing it on, the mains will skid and as the plane weathercocks/weathervanes around the nosewheel. 

The rudder will not correct this situation and wing strikes, propellor strikes are common.In any crosswind you should use this technique so that when you need to do it properly due to a strong crosswind - it is second nature.

When I occassionally fly heavier GA Aircraft I use the same technique as described here. The idea of this article is to promote discussion amongst Pilots. If you want clarrification on anything - or have any comments to make, please don't hesitate to post a comment below. Anyone can comment!

Safe and Happy Flying!

Peter Reed
SkyFlyte (CFI/ Pilot Examiner) 

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