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Old February 27th 17, 06:47 AM
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First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Dec 2010
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Yaw string and coordination in big Xwind landings is my question, with a real life experience that happened to me... I still wonder if I did the right thing 3 years ago. Could someone in the know talk about the lack of any coordination in these situations?

After returning to the field at 3500' agl, the wind had turned on final, 90 degrees to the left across the only possible place to land, on a plowed dirt strip. AWOS had the wind solid at 20 gusting to 28. I lingered as long as I could but the massive cell to the east was not moving or letting up. Nothing but rough desert landscape everywhere and altitude winding down.

Field partially disappearing in dust at 800 ft. I set speed at 70 kts, turned base into the wind, then final and into a deep forward slip, windward wing down, way down, but not quite holding my target from drifting away from me to windward. The yaw string was aligned nearly 70 degrees across the canopy which Really got me alarmed. I was calm, pretty smooth and super focused. Out of the slip and into a huge crap, no problem. Yaw string was now about 30-40 degrees out with my wings level crab at maybe 30 degrees to the left. Had control of my target now with partial spoilers. Field length maybe 500 yards long or so. I went to the deck and released rudder and flared, lowered my left wing tip a bit I think. Did a wheel landing at maybe 40, full spoilers and into breaks as the field seemed to be getting short. Wind got under my left wing and put the leeward wing down into the dirt at 15+ kts or so on the roll out. Lost the wing tip skid but held it mostly straight with my big rudder.
I heard conflicting advice and comments about coordination and this landing.
Sorry for the long post.





Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Gregorie[_5_] View Post
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 13:03:59 -0800, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:

Do you crab or forward slip landing in x-winds and why? When I was
taught how to fly an airplane the crab method was used when I
transitioned to gliders my instructor emphasized forward slip over crab.
Years later I have established my procedures, but I thought this might
be a useful discussion for newer pilots.


Standard UK training, at least when I learnt and I haven't heard any
different from our instructors since, is to crab with wings level on
approach and kick the glider straight just before touchdown. Another
point is that we are taught to do fully held-off landings regardless of
the size and surface of the club field on the grounds that its the only
sensible way to land out, so we should be able to do it well. I think the
two are related because this keeps the wings level while speed bleeds off
and its fairly easy to kick the glider straight as it settles. If you
also manage a neat two-pointer you can award yourself brownie points as
well as knowing that this will help to keep the glider running straight
despite any cross-wind.


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martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
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