3 more Qs

Ramapriya wrote:

1. Like there are crosswind landings, are there crosswind takeoffs too?
If yes, what's the procedure of takeoff?

Yes. The aileron on the upwind wing is raised as if you were banking the
aircraft in that direction. The aircraft is kept straight by use of rudder. The
nosewheel or tailwheel is usually kept down a bit longer for steering. With
light planes, flaps may be retracted so that the plane leaves the ground at a
higher speed than normal. Once the plane leaves the ground, the pilot adjusts
the controls to achieve co-ordinated flight.

2. In crosswind landings, it's recommended that one lands on only the
upwind wheel. Since this would almost always tilt the upwind wing
groundward, would there not be an engine strike? I'm especially
thinking of aircraft like the 737 and A320...

Yes. In aircraft with engines under the wing, the plane is usually landed by
either landing sideways and allowing the gear to kick it straight or (more
usually) coming in at an angle and kicking the aircraft in line with the runway
by using the rudder just before touchdown. This latter method is called the
"crab and kick" method. There are several old videos floating around of 747s
landing at Hong Kong's old airport. In one, the plane obviously touches down at
at least a 20 degree angle to the runway. The amount of smoke from the tires is
impressive. In another, the plane banks just before touching down and loses an
engine when the engine hits the pavement.

3. How to slip an aircraft sideward? I'm visualizing a situation on
final when a draft of air suddenly blows the aircraft a bit off-center
and when it might be a bit late to try and bank the craft to get it
back into proper alignment.

When you bank an aircraft and use the rudder to counter the yaw effect, it will
turn. If, however, you don't counter the yaw, it will slide sideways towards the
low wing. If you actually push the rudder in the opposite direction to enhance
yaw, the plane will fly sideways. This is a slip. One use for a slip is to keep
the plane lined up with the runway when a crosswind is trying to blow the plane
sideways. Another use is to increase the rate of descent if you're too high on
final.

The gusty wind situation you describe is usually handled by normal maneuvers
(such as a small S-turn) while using throttle to keep from touching down. In
extreme cases, the pilot aborts the landing and climbs back up to try again.
Slips are, however, one tool that a pilot can use to handle gusts, so it
wouldn't be unusual for a pilot to do so.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.