Tailwheel

Crosswind Sideslip

A tailwheel crosswind landing is a wheel landing with the upwind wing down. The bank cancels the drift so you track the centerline, top rudder holds the nose straight, and you touch down on the upwind main first. Too little bank and you drift downwind; too much and you slide into the wind. Find the amount a given crosswind actually needs.

Looking down the runway · wind from the left

upwind wheel (touches first)—

Crosswind component10 ktApproach speed65 ktFaster over the fence = smaller drift angle = less bank neededWing-down bank6°Lower the upwind wing until the drift stops

Bank needed

0°

to cancel drift

Residual drift

on centerline

Reading the slip

Wing-down technique

Keep the wing down all the way to the ground and land on the one wheel; hold it there until the downwind wing quits flying and settles. Then pin the stick back and into the wind, and be ready to stutter-step to stay on the centerline. Below about 7 knots you can get away without much of this — above it, the technique is what keeps you on the runway.