Flightline Aerial Services LLC

Master crosswind landings without risking accident!
Announcing the arrival of the Xwind 200 Crosswind Landing Simulator!

All pilots benefit from a technical understanding of correct crosswind landing procedures and crosswind landing practice. In the Xwind simulator, you do not sit idly and stare at a computer screen. Instead, you strap into a cockpit while powerful motors provide roll, yaw and drift that respond to your flight controls - fully simulating the look and feel of a real crosswind landing.

Traditional flight training provides a pilot with only seconds of actual crosswind landings - those few seconds before and during touchdown. A two-hour session in the Xwind simulator provides 100% crosswind landing-specific instruction and practice. During this intense training, you will gain stronger rudder skills and muscle memory necessary for landing safely in crosswind turbulence. You will also strengthen your peripheral visual skills so that you better recognize alignment, bank angle and lateral position over the centerline of the runway. Each element of the crosswind landing can be reviewed over and over by pausing and discussing the forces in play. Most pilots find that their skill level and confidence improve in j xwind200 ust one session.

The Xwind 200 can actually simulate:

crab technique
sideslip technique
forward slip technique
crab to slip final approach
crosswind touchdowns and landing roll
sideslip rotation to lift off
slip to crab for climb out
crab kick technique

Crosswind landings can be fun and challenging when you recognize your own limitations and the limitations of your airplane!

Crosswind landing attempt caught on video

Crosswinds are the number one cause of weather-related general aviation accidents every year!

According to the NTSB, there were 2,684 GA accidents from 1995 through 2001 attributed to weather. Crosswinds and gusts of less than 15 knots make up 45% of weather-related accidents! In comparison, low ceilings account for 7% and icing just 2%.

Crosswind landings are the number one "real world" emergency that pilots will experience. As a student or a licensed pilot, this "real world" emergency might occur within the first few hours after receiving solo status or their pilot's license.

snow

Why are there so many crosswind
and gust accidents?

Low Experience - The hard part of flying in windy conditions is that 5-10 second window where the aircraft is just above the runway. Count the times in your logbook that you landed with over 10 knots of crosswind component and multiply that by 10 seconds. This is your real crosswind experience!

Low Currency - Only 3 takeoffs and landings are required to stay current. But there is no requirement for the crosswind landing. For many pilots, it has been a year or more since they landed in a crosswind component over 10 knots. Cost

Limited Testing - Most checkrides occur during good weather days. Typically, student pilots are not required every 90 days to demonstrate crosswind landings; they only have to give an oral explanation on how to accomplish one. It is very conceivable that a pilot can earn multiple ratings without ever demonstrating crosswind skill. By the time a pilot applies for a professional pilot position, it is assumed that they have the necessary crosswind landing experience and once again, it is not emphasized.

Hard to Practice - Actually finding the right weather to practice crosswinds when an aircraft and instructor are available can be challenging. And with each landing lasting only 5 seconds, 10 good landings can become very costly.

Instruction is Weak - Many flight instructors are weak in crosswind landings themselves. It is possible that your flight instructor has little more crosswind experience than you (a pilot can earn his/her CFI with less than 300 hours)! There is little incentive for a CFI to teach crosswinds when weighed against the risk of damaging the aircraft and consequently losing their license.

Embarrassment - The more time and experience a pilot accrues, the harder it is to admit that he/she is uncomfortable with crosswind landings.