Comments on: One that didn’t work

By: Matthew Kent

Matthew Kent — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:23:53 +0000

I flight instructed for almost 3 years in Michigan, between 2008 and 2011, and now I’m working in the airlines. Here’s a few things I learned about different airplanes in crosswinds:
1. A cessna 152 has enough rudder authority to take a 25 knot crosswind with full flaps (30 degrees flaps)
2. A 172 has can only take up to about 20 knots direct crosswind with full flaps (30 degrees)
3. A Piper arrow seems to be able to handle just under 20 knots crosswind with full flaps

In a 172, I found that just raising the flaps from 30 to 20 degrees added a significant amount of rudder authority, and made it a bit easier to land
Another technique I played around with was to raise the flaps in the flare. This gives you all the rudder you could possibly need, and it allows the plane to stop flying and stick on the ground.

By: Jim Dulin

Jim Dulin — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:33:28 +0000

A technique we use out West, where this situation comes up most afternoons in summer, is to make our base leg into the wind so that our groundspeed is the lowest possible. Rather than use the center line we use full flaps and make the centerline a 1,000 foot line between the extreme downwind corner of the runway and the upwind large airplane touchdown zone marking. At the lower groundspeed and using the apparent rate of closure approach with full flaps we can easily put a 172 down on the altered runway available without using brakes. With faster airplanes like yours that do not have Fowler flaps you could choose to use brakes or just turn down the upwind side of the runway at the large airplane touchdown zone marking.

The apparent brisk walk rate of closure approach and landing technique are covered in my book, “Contact Flying,” by Jim Dulin. It is available on Lulu.com.

By: Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:11:16 +0000

And is this the place where the famous “Crabby Patties” from Sponge Bob were developed?

By: Pete Bedell

Pete Bedell — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:40:28 +0000

I remember that day! One advantage of a twin is “extra rudder” with thrust. My friend Tommy won’t ever forget that day either. He felt sick for days and was seriously considering taking the ferry off that island.