Crosswind Landings: Tips from the Pros

Airfields in the first third of the twentieth century were literally open fields, sometimes with a windsock or tetrahedron in the middle. Pilots would simply note the wind direction and then take off or land into it. It was the invention of actual runways that created crosswinds—and they’ve cursed and confounded pilots ever since.

During crosswind takeoffs and landings, pilots must overcome their airplanes’ natural tendencies to weathervane into the wind, raise the upwind wing, or get pushed downwind. Those things are much easier said than done, especially when the crosswind is gusty or varies in direction.