Pilot Student's Challenge: Crosswind
135 views · Published 31 May 2013 · 3:51 · Indexed 4 November 2026
Channel: Eric Vyncke · 2013 · Travel & Events
Most of the take-offs/landings I have done (more than 100!) were with headwind. I made perhaps max 10 landings with crosswinds (runways are often oriented to the 'normal' wind = 230° in Belgium)... and this time it was really cross 90° and a speed of 10 to 15kt and some gusty wind (rapidely changing winds). An important thing to do is to avoid to be flipped over by the cross wind, so, we put the stick into the wind (when airborne the aircraft has a bank to the right). Take-off a little faster than 50 kt to be able to climb to a low altitude where banking is possible. Landing... listen to the noise of the wheel... nothing broken, landed on the runway, but I am afraid that the runway has a trail of my wheels now :-( As people say: a good landing is when the pilot can walk away, an excellent landing is when the plane is not broken. A very challenging flight for me: turbulent air and crosswinds.
