the wind (as reported at CYOW) was 15G25 knots
directly across our little runway. Cold front, ya know.
So I went through the choice with the student: take
the crosswind from the left or from the right? No
one else was flying, so it was up to us to make the
choice.
In my experience, most pilots take the crosswind
from the left, because it "feels good" to turn left
onto final, then drop the left wing for the landing.
And it's the wrong choice.
With standard left traffic, no one compensates for
the crosswind on downwind, and there's a howling
tailwind on base, so you're really high on final and
overshooting. You're screwed up before you even
join final, which is not a great way to start a difficult
(for most people) approach. But that's what they
like to do.
Another (more important) consideration: if you
have a Lycoming or Continental or Frankling engine,
when you add power, the nose goes left, which you
oppose with right rudder on takeoff.
So, if you choose the crosswind from the left, and
you inevitably weathervane (left) and you add power,
the nose swings even further left, and you run out
of right rudder. It's all the way to the floor and you
can't stop the nose from swinging even more to
the left. It's terrifying, but that's what people want
to happen to them.
We took the crosswind from the right. We had lots
of time on base - we didn't get behind the airplane -
and if we weathervaned right, all we had to do was
add power and the nose would naturally swing left
without us having to do anything brilliant with the
rudder.
I emphasized the requirement for full aileron into
wind as we slowed down (why?)
Anyways, we had a good flight. A bit bumpy as
expected, but we kept it slow - well below Va, we
were nowhere near max gross - and with our lap
belts done up tight, the main concern is smashing
your head against the aircraft.
Now, I have typed in the above many times here,
and I would hope that most of the above is common
knowledge. Hell, it's in FTGU.
But as I was taxiing in, I saw an 8k TT pilot taxiing
out .... choosing to take the crosswind from the left.
Sigh.
Sometimes the windsock swings back and forth,
and pilots panic, and take the crosswind from the
left even if there is perhaps one knot of headwind
component with the wind on the left. They want
to avoid the horrendous one knot of tailwind
component, if they take the wind from the right.
It seems to be common knowledge amongst
the pilot population that one or two knots of
tailwind component is fatal - first time, every
time.
For example, sometimes I will take a one knot
tailwind component so I don't have to land to
the west, squinting into the blinding, setting sun.
I have received horrible screeching and honking
on the radio concerning this practice from pilots
that are convinced that one knot of tailwind
component WILL KILL THEM.
This kind of annoys me. The runway is many
thousands of feet long. You should be approaching
at 65 knots. I land jets on this runway with Vref
of 125 knots. so, 65 +1 = 66 knots probably won't
kill you.
The irony, of course, is that these pilot approach
much too fast anyways, and carry another 10 knots
of speed on approach, even though one knot of
tailwind component will kill them
