On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 at 13:40:27 in message
, Koopas Ly
wrote:

Next thing I was wondering, which is related to the above: say you're
dead on centerline on landing, and all of a sudden a crosswind from
the left starts blowing. The effect would be that you should only be
displaced to the right of runway centerline. Your airplane nose would
still be parallel to the centerline. Do you agree?

If the cross wind _suddenly_ started blowing then it would be a sideways
gust. An aircraft does not respond instantly to a sharp edged gust ,so
for a short time the aircraft is now yawed. Its natural yaw stability
and its inertia would then cause it to rotate in yaw until it is left
slightly turned and heading in a slightly different direction. So in
that case unless you put in control inputs you will not be just
displaced parallel to your original course. The amount depends on the
size and sharpness of the gust and the aerodynamic and mass
characteristics of the aircraft.

Gusts and flying in a steadily moving mass of air are not the same
thing.
--
David CL Francis