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Crosswind landing quiz


Ed Cesnalis

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1. When a crosswind is 45 degrees off of the nose during landing, what would be the approximate crosswind component?

  • 25% of the wind speed.
  • 50% of the wind speed.
  • 60% of the wind speed.
  • 70% of the wind speed.

2. When a crosswind is 30 degrees off of the nose during landing, what would be the approximate crosswind component?

  • 25% of the wind speed.
  • 50% of the wind speed.
  • 60% of the wind speed.
  • 70% of the wind speed.

3. Which statement is most correct regarding crosswind landings?

  • The aircraft profile produces drag.
  • Flight instruments must be utilized more.
  • Gentle flight control inputs are required.
  • The pilot must cross-control the airplane.

4. When an aircraft is crabbing into the wind during final approach to a runway in a crosswind, what best describes that condition?

  • Some rudder input will be required.
  • The wind is hitting the side of the aircraft.
  • The aircraft is in normal flight.
  • Induced drag is higher.

5. If the slip is being done properly just prior to touchdown in a crosswind, which would be most correct?

  • The pilot will be turning the yoke in the direction of the rudder being depressed.
  • The pilot will be depressing a rudder pedal, but there will be no yoke deflection from neutral.
  • The ailerons will be deflected away from neutral.
  • The yoke will be fully turned to the right or left.

6. Which would be most correct regarding the slip just inches prior to touchdown in a crosswind?

  • This is a high drag maneuver.
  • This is a low drag maneuver.
  • Drag is the same as normal landings.
  • Ground effect eliminates drag.

7. When landing correctly in a crosswind, which would be most correct?

  • Touchdown on the upwind wheel first.
  • Touchdown on the downwind wheel first.
  • Touch both mains at the same time.
  • Land a bit faster and touch all three wheels at the same time possible.

8. Which control surface provides the pilot with the most positive control over the aircraft position left and right over the centerline?

  • Rudder.
  • Aileron.
  • Flaps.
  • Spoilers.

9. Which statement is most correct when landing in a crosswind? When the yoke is turned...

  • The aircraft immediatley begins to move left or right.
  • The aircraft immediately begins to yaw for alignment.
  • The aircraft bank angle must change before movement left or right can occur.
  • The aircraft will move left or right only after rudder is changed as well.

10. Which control surface provides the pilot with the most positive control over the aircraft alignment or where the nose is pointed just prior to landing?

  • Rudder.
  • Aileron.
  • Flaps.
  • Spoilers.

11. The aircraft alignment is being properly maintained in a slip just prior to touchdown in a crosswind when the crosswind component decreases. What action would be required?</p>

  • Reduce rudder pressure and reduce the bank angle.
  • Change the pitch and increase yoke pressure.
  • Change bank angle only, no rudder change is needed.
  • Change the power setting in order to enhance rudder effectiveness.

12. When the aircraft is being aligned properly just prior to touchdown, which is most correct?

  • Induced roll must be overcome with the yoke.
  • P-factor must be overcome with the rudder.
  • Parasitic drag will spike by proper use of Rudder and Aileron.
  • Induced drag is reduced to its lowest level.

13. When the aircraft is slipping properly just prior to touchdown and the crosswind component increases, what would be required?

  • Rudder pressure must increase.
  • Rudder pressure must decrease.
  • Rudder pressure remains constant and bank angle is changed.
  • Rudder pressure remains constant and bank angle is reduced.

14. Which weather factor causes the most accidents?

  • Continued flight into IMC.
  • Thunderstorms.
  • Icing.
  • Crosswinds.

15. If wind speed remains constant but the wind direction moves from 10 degrees off the nose to 45 degrees off the nose, which is the most correct statement?

  • The crosswind component remains constant because the wind speed is onstant.
  • The headwind component remains constant because the wind speed is constant.
  • This has little effect on the aircraft.
  • The crosswind component is increasing and the headwind decreasing.

16. Which provides the earliest possible detection of downwind drift?

  • Landing upwind of the centerline.
  • Landing downwind of the centerline.
  • Landing with the pilots eyes over the centerline.
  • Landing away from the centerline.

17. What best describes maximum demonstrated crosswind component?

  • The maximum crosswind that will not produce structural damage.
  • The maximum safe crosswind landing speed.
  • The maximum crosswind speed available during testing.
  • The maximum crosswind allowed by law for a given airplane.

18. If an aircraft has just touched down in a crosswind properly aligned and all three wheels are on the ground but the plane is skidding downwind, what would be the best course of action?

  • Press forward on the yoke immediately.
  • Use additional differential braking.
  • Pull back on the yoke and fly on one wheel.
  • Allow the plane to turn into the wind.

19. What should be the position of the yoke after touchdown in a crosswind from the right?

  • Full left.
  • Neutral.
  • Driving away from the wind.
  • Full right.

20. An aircraft touches down on the centerline with the correct alignment and all three wheels are on the ground with a strong crosswind from the left. The plane begins to skid downwind even though alignment and control position is mostly correct. What does this indicate?

  • The aircraft is moving too fast.
  • The landing should have been made at higher speed.
  • The aircraft is too slow to control.
  • Switch forward pressure is needed on the yoke.

21. An aircraft touches down on the centerline with the correct alignment and all three wheels are on the ground with a strong crosswind from the left. All controls are being manipulaed perfectly for a strong crosswind. The plane begins to point toward the upwind side of the runway and full rudder does not stop it. The plane is beginning to depart the runway on the upwind side. What does this indicate?

  • The aircraft is yawing into the wind due to wind pressure on the vertical tabilizer, go around.
  • Ground friction on the upwind wheel is turning the airplane. Reduce the pressure by turning the yoke to the right.
  • Drag on the upwind wing is turning the airplane, aggressively apply brakes.
  • Press forward harder on the yoke to regain control.

22. When approaching in turbulent conditons in a strong crosswind, which is most correct?

  • Approach fast but land slow.
  • Approach fast and land at the fastest possible speed.
  • Approach slow and land fast.
  • Approach slow and land slow to reduce wind loading.

23. If landing on ice or snow in a crosswind which statement is most correct?

  • You can handle more crosswind because there is less stress on the tires.
  • You cannot handle much crosswind because it may be impossible to steer on the ground.
  • Hold the brakes during the flare for maximum drag during touchdown.
  • Land with zero flaps to handle normal crosswinds. This puts more weight on the wheels.

24. Regarding the use of power during crosswind landings, which is most correct.

  • Maintain power during touchdown.
  • Pull power to idle during touchdown.
  • Use maximum power that the touchdown allows.
  • Vary the power to manage gusts.

25. When slipping correctly during a strong crosswind landing from the right, just prior to touchdown, which would be most correct?

  • A person in the right seat will feel a side load toward the right door.
  • It should feel like normal 1G flight.
  • There will be a sense of weightlessness during the flare.
  • All passengers will feel some pressure sideways in the downwind direction.

26. When landing in a gust crosswind, which is most correct about use of the flight controls?

  • Never use full control deflections.
  • Full control deflections should be avoided due to structural concerns.
  • Full control deflections should be used rapidly when needed.
  • The flight controls should not move much.

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21. An aircraft touches down on the centerline with the correct alignment and all three wheels are on the ground with a strong crosswind from the left. All controls are being manipulaed perfectly for a strong crosswind. The plane begins to point toward the upwind side of the runway and full rudder does not stop it. The plane is beginning to depart the runway on the upwind side. What does this indicate?
  • The aircraft is yawing into the wind due to wind pressure on the vertical tabilizer, go around.
  • Ground friction on the upwind wheel is turning the airplane. Reduce the pressure by turning the yoke to the right.
  • Drag on the upwind wing is turning the airplane, aggressively apply brakes.
  • Press forward harder on the yoke to regain control.

 

I find this question interesting because I have had landings that were fine until a gust and then head off of the runway and into the wind. In my Skyhawk my tail came up as well. When small planes depart the runway here gusty south winds and a departure to the south are most common. I believe that when gusts get behind your wing it becomes easy to loose control.

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The quiz is 4 years old and I have not seen results, answers or any feedback, yet. I did find the questions and answers interesting even if the quiz and results are a thing of the past.

 

20. An aircraft touches down on the centerline with the correct alignment and all three wheels are on the ground with a strong crosswind from the left. The plane begins to skid downwind even though alignment and control position is mostly correct. What does this indicate?

  • The aircraft is moving too fast.
  • The landing should have been made at higher speed.
  • The aircraft is too slow to control.
  • Switch forward pressure is needed on the yoke.

 

 

Doesn't this question shed light on the question of landing fast? Once in this condition which could occur as you are slowing you cannot counter drift without getting back up on one wheel.

 

When you land fast for more control authority you have only postponed the vulnerable point where you are supported by both your wing's lift and the gear and you are somewhat at the mercy of gusts. I have never heard this point countered.

 

It used to be common to learn hear that forward stick would give you the steering that you need but in our short coupled CTs we need to respect the roll over axis not challenge it.

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The quiz is 4 years old and I have not seen results, answers or any feedback, yet. I did find the questions and answers interesting even if the quiz and results are a thing of the past.

 

 

 

 

Doesn't this question shed light on the question of landing fast? Once in this condition which could occur as you are slowing you cannot counter drift without getting back up on one wheel.

 

When you land fast for more control authority you have only postponed the vulnerable point where you are supported by both your wing's lift and the gear and you are somewhat at the mercy of gusts. I have never heard this point countered.

 

It used to be common to learn hear that forward stick would give you the steering that you need but in our short coupled CTs we need to respect the roll over axis not challenge it.

If your skidding downwind with "the controls mostly correct" as the question implies then its a matter of adding more Aileron input into the wind which is a function of speed. If all three wheels a firm on the ground and you have full aileron input in and you are still skidding downwind then you made a poor choice to land with that much crosswind to begin with. In our CT we would have the option of raising the flaps to -6 in order to decrease lift adding more weight to the wheels and at the same time allowing greater upward aileron movement for a given stick position. The CT is short coupled so I would be hesitant to add forward pressure. As you stated you are at some point in a position where you are at the mercy of the wheel traction vs control authority but hopefully you would choose not to land in a condition that would put the aircraft or yourself beyond its limitations during that brief time and cause a runway departure. I think most of these incidents could be avoided if pilots stay within their personal limits and that of the aircraft they are piloting.
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Eric,

 

With 26 questions on crosswind landings, 26 different perspectives if you will it seems fair to discuss unwanted skidding and not just leaving it to personal limitations and a bad decision to land. I'm sure you remember Mammoth and how remote and dramatic. The scenery is great but your options are limited and landing with challenging conditions happens.

 

I say the right answer here is 'The aircraft is moving too fast.' or more specifically its too fast to have all 3 wheels on the ground. This can be pilot error or just bad luck with timing the gusts. For me the scenario that skids me downwind begins with landing on both mains because the gradient was there as I approached the ground and drift correction was no longer needed, then during roll-out the crosswind gusts but I'm already on both mains so I can't counter it as I would if I landed and was still on one wheel. Snow on the runway is generally part of the mix.

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some of those questions hinge on whether the front wheel turns with the rudder or is on a swivel (e.g. differential brake steering). If you land in a slip in a CT, your front wheel is pointing downwind, so getting enough weight on the front wheel to gain control of direction is critical.

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