The pilot of an Airbus A340 has performed a perfect cross-wind landing captured on the video below.
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Plane lands sideways ✈️#plane #landing pic.twitter.com/QcsdKm6Vgh
— AircraftYTube ✈️ (@AircraftYTube) December 7, 2021
Crosswind landings can be a major challenge for pilots and occur when the wind is across the runway, not head-on.
Typically aircraft land and take off into the wind to decrease the landing or take-off distance.
In some cases aircraft land with a slight downwind component – typically associated with noise-sensitive airports where one runway is preferred over another.
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Where a pilot faces a crosswind landing they need to point the aircraft in the direction of the wind while maintaining a straight course toward the runway.
This is called crabbing or yawing.
In strong crosswinds, the pilot may also dip the wing – sideslip – into the direction of the wind.
Just before touchdown pilots apply rudder to bring the plane – and its undercarriage – back so it is aligned straight down the centerline of the runway.
