Its our windy season now.
Many times crosswinds.
I have been trying some landings with one wheel against the wind, the first time worked perfect, (lucky I guess) flew the plane in , hardly no flare
Second one I tried doing the flare and land on my left wing and dint work quite good.

So for this technique you just fly the plane down or flare it?

This will probably attract different opinions.
I was always taught to "fly it on" in the round-out, because a flare would allow the plane to start drifting across the runway. I've had success with that technique in quite strong winds. Obviously wheel landing to keep the rudder in clear air, limiting flaps to minimum required.
As always, YMMV

What I did to practice crosswind control was fly repeated patterns where I would do a touch and go landing, and the landing itself was only a one wheel landing. The upwind tire would touch and roll, and I would keep it directly aligned as it rolled, and take back off without letting any other tire touch down. It makes you ensure you can hold the airplane directly aligned down the runway with the wind correction applied.

And in relation to Battson's comment...I assume you are still flying the 182...so the wheel versus three-point part of the crosswind discussion won't be particularly germane to you.

The part that sometimes takes a bit of extra attention is the increasing control pressures needed as you slow down. At slower airspeeds, the ailerons have less authority, so you have to hold more upwind aileron as you get slower, basically right before landing.

You can practice by just rolling the upwind wheel all alone right down the runway on purpose, then going around for another run. It is the smoothest, most capable way of handling high crosswinds IMHO. The "crab and pray" method will only take you so far.

A Skylane can be very well behaved with 25+ direct crosswinds, and a bit higher is fine without even coming close to running out of rudder travel. The landing itself is straightforward, but staying pointed down the runway in a crosswind that high after you start to slow down can get pretty sporting, using throttle and braking to keep going straight even on pavement. I don't need to flare much at the higher airspeed, and the nose is on the ground at more or less the same time the downwind tire touches.

Troy Hamon wrote:And in relation to Battson's comment...I assume you are still flying the 182...so the wheel versus three-point part of the crosswind discussion won't be particularly germane to you.

But it does make for an interesting point -

One of the most experienced tail-wheel pilots I know told me that he prefers a TD over a trike in strong x-winds. He said that because he can literally "fly it on" and hold it on with forward elevator, whereas with his C206 he has to land on the main undercarriage, so some kind of hold-off is required to keep the nose-wheel from ploughing down the airstrip, and you end up drifting sideways or at least directional control is more of a balancing act.
Does anyone share that point of view? I think I feel more confident in a trike, at this stage at least...

Personally I always preferred the "crab" method in trikes, instead of the "wing-low" method. But I don't know if one works better than the other in really strong crosswinds?

I have had that conversation with one gentleman who is a strong tailwheel proponent. He does not prefer the tailwheel for crosswinds though. In fact, given space and opportunity, he will land across a runway or taxiway or ramp rather than working a crosswind landing of more than 20 kts in a tailwheel plane.

Battson wrote:Personally I always preferred the "crab" method in trikes, instead of the "wing-low" method. But I don't know if one works better than the other in really strong crosswinds?

To each their own. The crab and pray method never worked nearly as well for me in stronger winds. I always feel a lot more in control in high winds in a slip- very little change is required all the way down the approach to touchdown. Unless you fly where the winds are cranky at times, I don't think there will be a big difference between the two methods. I remember being taught only the slip method, because I was told the crab method wasn't as effective for big blows, and I agree. I do tend to crab when things are mild, and slip when the sock is standing straight across the runway.

With a crosswind, I land in a slip, but I may or may not crab on my way down to short final. And if I'm landing on a big runway I may use the width of the runway instead of just the centerline to alleviate the crosswind component if wind is over 20 kts. In my PA-22 I have no problem with crosswind components up to 25 kts, but if the runway is big, I use it. Haven't tried a landing with x-wind over 25, so not sure what the practical limit of the airplane is.

Crab if low as it's more efficient, slip if high as it's more draggy. I'll typically crab and if the wind is strong, do a quick slip or two just to see how much cross wind component there is and if I have enough correction available to get parallel to the runway. My Mooney runs out of rudder first, but there's always the kick-the-rudder at the last moment in the flare method, which works well if done right on a nosedragger. This results in both mains on the ground at about the same time, and the Mooney is low enough that wind gradient seems to help it track true as the wind is slowest down low - mostly.

Like others have posted, I'll diagonal across the runway when X-wind is strong. Have even landed the tow plane (Pawnee) across the glider staging area at Minden, just gotta miss the tall sage brush on short final. Whatever it takes.

We've found that ground handling the Pawnee gets sporty when it gets much above 32 knots or so, especially taxiing downwind. Wind wants to blow you faster and faster, brakes want to tip you over on your nose. Lots of brake, back stick and throttle may or may not save you - - could easily make it worse - I've always been afraid to try that. Couple of years ago, a young tow pilot put one of the Pawnees up on it's nose in front of the Taildragger restaurant. Said a gust got him. Letting her round up into the wind is the safe choice and then yelp for the ground crew to hold the tail down.

Good practice is high speed taxi down the runway first on one wheel then the other - - observers who don't understand may think your nuts or a showoff. Dutch rolls at altitude are good for developing coordination too.

bumper

I crab down final and then convert to a slip when I have the runway made.

In my Champ I three-pointed no matter what. Always figured that if I was going to prang it then I wanted to be going as slow as possible when that happened. But in the S6 I can't three point it to save my life so I always wheel land. I've had no problem landing in windy conditions in either plane.

On big wind days, you can fly down the runway a foot or so off the ground, and make sure you can keep it going straight before trying to land. Make sure your going to have enough rudder.

Motoadve,

On every landing, we can best maintain the center line by separating the controls in our mind. We use aileron reactively to either keep the wing level or banked sufficiently to prevent drifting downwind in a crosswind. We use the rudder proactively and dynamically to maintain the center line or desired angle across a wide runway (to take out some of the crosswind.) We use flaps to decrease groundspeed and improve visibility. We use throttle reactively to maintain a stabilized glide angle that puts us just over any obstructions while allowing us to see the desired touchdown spot. In gusts we may have to use the throttle a lot. If we sink significantly, we put the throttle in all the way and then adjust. If we balloon a lot, we close the throttle and then adjust. We use the elevator reactively to maintain an apparent brisk walk rate of closure or a desired airspeed for those who use that instrument.

All these controls are manipulated in response to various needs in different planes. It is like rubbing your tummy while patting your head and balancing a broom on your chin. Coordinated turns, whether crabbing to short final or side slipping all the way down final, will be very disruptive.

Arriving at the desired touchdown point with airspeed near stall and groundspeed quite slow, in a significant headwind or crosswind with some headwind component, and with the upwind wing down to control drift, the upwind wheel will touch down first. We may now level the airplane to stay on the upwind main (tailwheel airplane) or pitch up just a bit to protect the nose gear and then pull the wheel back to the stop on touchdown to stay on the upwind main wheel while maintaining proactive dynamic rudder control to keep going straight on the upwind main. If we hold just enough back on the control wheel to protect the nosegear and don't pull all the way back on touchdown, the nose wheel will immediately come down into contact with the surface. In this case we change to nosewheel steering. The nose will jink downwind if we do not immediately change from cross controlled rudder (against the wings attempt to turn upwind) to nosewheel control.

It is important to sight between our legs for longitudinal alignment in side by side seating airplanes. Using the middle of the cowl as the nose will put us on the left side of the runway in a crab to the right, messing up every landing.

Tom wrote:On big wind days, you can fly down the runway a foot or so off the ground, and make sure you can keep it going straight before trying to land. Make sure your going to have enough rudder.

This would be true if you overfly the runway at or near landing speed. Flying much faster would skew the results towards having more aerodynamic control than you'll really have when slower.

"Big wind days" where I base at Minden, NV (in the lee of the Sierra) can mean gust components sometimes double winds speed and more, along with near instant changes in wind direction as mountain wave rotor touches down or a summer thermal kicks off nearby causing in-rush winds that can overwhelm even brave "he's a good stick" pilots. At it's strongest, we obviously don't fly or go somewhere else to land. Though returning back home in a glider to romping conditions does severely limit ones appealing options - - one chance at it is all you get.

In a power plane, I don't see much advantage in doing a low pass over simply slipping a couple of times on final to gauge control input effectiveness at keeping it straight. One can always go around if it looks to be too much for plane or pilot. In my Husky, or most any bush plane with adequate short field performance, I'll simply find an acceptable spot and land into the wind . . . that could be 90 degrees to the runway at a taxiway intersection and with an approach path that might be mistaken for a helicopter.

One's biggest problem may be ground handling. Calling for the fuel truck to taxi upwind and block the wind for you may help. As will finding things to taxi in the lee of such as tied down aircraft, buildings etc.

Back when I was at Napa, CA , usually smooth air but sometimes 30+ knots, I wouldn't even take the little 7AC Champ I had then out of the hangar if it was blowing more than 22 knots. Had so much dihedral, and was so light on its feet that 25 knots at 90* would smartly pick up a wing on you. So all this is obviously based on individual aircraft limitations as much as pilot ability. Better to leave it in the hangar than have to fix tube and fabric.

bumper

Battson wrote:
[/quote]One of the most experienced tail-wheel pilots I know told me that he prefers a TD over a trike in strong x-winds. He said that because he can literally "fly it on" and hold it on with forward elevator, whereas with his C206 he has to land on the main undercarriage, so some kind of hold-off is required to keep the nose-wheel from ploughing down the airstrip, and you end up drifting sideways or at least directional control is more of a balancing act.
Does anyone share that point of view? [/quote]

No!

Weather vane effect is more pronounced on the taildragger.
Groundloop waiting to happen.
If you look at a side view and how much surface area is behind the mains compared to the mains on a trike you can see a big difference.

I'll take a C185 over a C206 in a big crosswind any day of the week. Especially on gravel or snow. And for really big crosswind, give me a C207.

Gump

One thing to watch for on paved runways is the crown. Most paved runways have a significant crown so rain water will drain off the sides quickly. If you land on the down wind side of the centerline in a cross wind, you'll end up with the upwind wing high with both mains planted. I learned quickly to stay on the upwind side of the centerline, to keep the upwind wing a little lower.

And even more so on roads.

Gump

After a lifetime of sitting at the end of the runway waiting for a 737 to land I'm convinced most new airline pilots use the "oh Jesus" method of landing. Starting at about 30 feet the Captain retards the throttles to idle, pulls back on the yoke 3 inches and closes his/her eyes. When the Co-pilot yells "oh Jesus" pull the yoke back another 3 inches. Other exclamations may be used in lieu of "oh Jesus".

I use that method all the time.

Gump