Aviation enthusiasts; Remarkable footage of landings & takeoffs in serious crosswinds

[A HERETIC I AM]

Just posted to YouTube today- 2/11/20

Some serious crabbing going on here!! Incredible piloting skills;

[jeffreyi]

1. Hoe-lee S&t!

Glad I was not on board. Much respect to those pilots.

[pdxflyboy]

2. Way Cool

Thank you for posting this!

[Leghorn21]

3. NO WAY

NO WAY IN HELL

Props to these pilots x one gazillion
I need a drink now

[Stallion]

4. They Ought To Fire Everybody that Played Any Part in Allowing those Planes to Land/Take Off

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. Why?

How many of them crashed?

The video shows how incredibly skilled the vast majority of airline pilots are.

Oh, and as a former airline employee ten years a ticket agent at Washington National Airport, I can assure you that passengers are completely unreasonable and simply do not understand why a flight might get cancelled. Heck, I remember one morning when the fog was so thick that the seagulls were literally walking, and the bus I took almost missed the exit off the GW Parkway to the airport because visibility was so low. Passengers were going up and down the halls, trying to find an airline that was flying. None was, and even though they could see how thick the fog was, they refused to believe us.

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. Luckily, when to land or takeoff is not left up to the misinformed.

All aircraft are subject to these sorts of conditions in the testing phase.

Nothing in the video was outside the envelope of safety, even though it looks dramatic. Also, it is ALWAYS the decision of the pilot-in-command as to whether to land or takeoff. Of course, sooner or later, all planes must land. The list of those that haven’t is very short indeed.,

[Dem2theMax]

5. Non-pilot here. And after watching that, I don't want to be a passenger anymore.

Anyway, why do they call it crabbing?

While I'm waiting for a reply, I'm going to go change my underwear. TMI?

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. The term "Crabbing" is used to refer to how various machines, and vehicles move to the side....

For example, 4-wheel steer forklifts, wheeled cranes and other multi wheel machines and even vessels can move to the side while the centerline of the vehicle stays parallel to the edge of the travel lane.


The B-52 bomber as an example, has landing gear that will swivel so that the centerline of the fuselage is pointed closer to the wind, but the wheels are headed straight down the runway. When this is put into use it is called “Crabbing”.

This short video shows that effect;

[BigmanPigman]

11. I was trying to describe this to someone on Sunday.

I said it is like trying to go in a straight line while the rest of you wants to go at a 45 degree angle. "Crabbing" is a great description. I didn't know that about the wheels vs. fuselage.

[Dem2theMax]

15. That's sort of like when I have vertigo.

I know which way I'm trying to go, but the fluid in my ears is telling my body something totally different.

Ever fall into a wall? Sideways? And you didn't even know that's where you were going until it happened?

Getting old. It's so much fun!

[Dem2theMax]

14. You learn something new every day.

Thank you, not only for the description, but for the video that shows it in action.

And as I picture a crab in my mind, it makes perfect sense.

DU, the place you can go for anything.

[BigmanPigman]

18. I always learn tons here....

and not just about politics either. Thanks !!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. the 3rd plane

you can clearly see the wings moving up and down. First time I have noticed something like that.

It's a good way to see and understand how air can hold up a plane, also.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. The next time you fly, get a window seat near the wing....

And watch it on takeoff. If at all possible, when the takeoff roll begins, position your line of sight so that the tip of the wing is an inch or so below the top of the window you are looking out of.

As the plane rolls down the runway and the wings begin to load, if you hold your head steady and maintain that perspective, you will see the tip of the wing bend upward very noticeably, and when the plane lifts off, you should see that the wingtip is considerably higher than the one inch distance I mentioned.

This is particularly noticeable in larger aircraft with very long wingspans, like the 747-400.

[BigmanPigman]

10. If I saw these videos while waiting to take off

I would have made a U-turn and rescheduled my flight.

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. LOL!

You’ll be fine!!

Makes you feel alive!!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. "fixed wing" my ass! Some of 'em are flapping more than seagulls. ...

Do the pilots have to steer the landing gear before contact? Or does the gear force the whole thing into alignment as soon as the weight is on them?

They really do have to fly it all the way in. And then comes another gust.

[bluedigger]

17. I learned to fly in Piper PA-16 Clipper, a taildragger.

Unless there was no wind or it was blowing straight down the runway, every landing was crabby. Not as dramatic as those shown, though. Only having brakes on the pilot in command side made it extra fun. Only ground looped it once!

[cwydro]

19. My cousin landed in Dublin during that storm the other day.

Her description of it scared me; both of us are seasoned fliers, but yikes.