Weathervaning

As far as the plane is concerned, there is no such thing as wind until the
wheels touch the ground. When you are in a hot air balloon, you don't feel
any wind at all because you are being carried along with it. Same with the
plane in a steady wind. If the wind is changing speed or direction quickly,
the plane will feel it momentarily because its inertial prevents it from
moving instantaneously. In the simple case of a steady crosswind, there is
no wind aerodynamically. The fact that the ground is sailing along sideways
is irrelevant, until the wheels touch that is.

You don't want the wheels to touch while you are moving sideways so you
bank. This angles the lift to the side which pulls the plane in that
direction. You bank until the plane is being pulled sideways by its wings
at the same speed as the wind. There is now a wind blowing sideways on the
rest of the plane, including the rudder. The rudder, having lots of
leverage way back there, tries to turn the plane into the wind. The effect
you are counteracting with the pedals is caused by the bank; not by the
wind.

--
Roger Long