First Flight, first Jitters

[Mike]

as a helicopter pilot, crosswind landings in a stuck-wing scare the crap out of me!
but I will slowly get back into the game with the new Chicken Wings plane, although I will hire an instructor for the first few....

[meganite]

Yeah, I still haven't perfected crosswind landings, so you're not alone
Well, the first time I tried crosswind landings was at night x_x it was scary enough to not be able to see the runway... I resolved to do more crosswind practice during the day before I attempted that again!

All those beautiful clear days with no wind were a curse in disguise... no opportunity to practice!

As far as tips go, for gusts... you just need practice, to reduce the reaction time. Stay focused, get in the "zone", take into account all the parameters... be observant. All that good stuff.
Also, I blame everything on the wind that I can! "why are we off course?" "must've been the wind!" Well, it's the only thing the pilot can't control, right?

My first landings I felt like I was WAY too close to the runway when my instructor told me to flare, so maybe it's all a matter of getting used to the right height.

[Mike]

ok, only a few more days and I'll be back in this thread talking about my own new (old/new since I've done them ok 12 years ago) crosswind landing experiences!
I hope they didn't change any aerodynamic laws in the last 12 years!
have a hard time with learning new tricks.....

[Artoo]

meganite, if you want some crosswind experience ABI just opened 4/22 and this time of year you are almost guaranteed enough wind to make you wish you hadn't gone up in the first place.

Fu, make sure you are looking outside the aircraft, those 150 foot runways will make you sloppy.  You don't have to ILS approach yet, so trim your speed for glideslope and look outside.  I fly off of a similar runway, 8000x150 and if I feel I'm getting sloppy with my centerline approach, I go visit our satellite airport.  Elmdale airport, the Confederate Air Force Base  2900x25  there's a pucker factor for ya.  Like landing on a sidewalk.

[tundra_flier]

Landing 1: came in high felt like i was flying a golf ball in a washingmachine.

Landing 2: came in fast and almost landed on the taxi way O.o

Landing 3: dropped the plane from 10ft almost sideways...decided to call it a day

HA!  Well, that sounds like every time I go flying -- your point being...??...??..!!  Hee heee.

Yeah, but your passengers all jump out rather than land with you mom.  :p

[tundra_flier]

Crosswind landings are the most precise, complicated manuver you'll ever have to do.  Once you master them, the rest is easy by comparison.   

[Kelpex]

Crosswind landings are fun, but don't forget the crosswind takeoffs!
Today the conditions were... sub optimal, the wind was gusting perpendicular to the runway (I forgot what it was on the ground but at 1,000 ft my gps indicated that it was at 40knots) but the instructor thought it'd be a good learning oppertunity. I agreed... at the time.
We only weighed about 570kg and as soon as I took the weight off the nose wheel we were bloody all over the place! Maintain runway heading he says, yeah... right...

I know you probably hear this all the time I personally find that the best thing that helps me manage crosswinds (and just about everything) is just to stay calm, focused and to think positively. Stress is my worst enemy, I let the forementioned awful takeoff get to me and a couple of the proceeding circuts turned out a bit too triangular for my liking...

[TheSoccerMom]

Hey Tundra, GOOD point!  Ha haa!

(Good to see you, BTW!)

And remember, if it was too simple, we'd never have to learn..  or train..  or practice.... 

and wouldn't THAT be boring!?!!?