Impressive Cross Wind Landings by 777s and 747s

I bet the two guys in the foreground who are taking pictures thought they were going to witness a crash.

At least three of those landings are Boeing test flights for aircraft certification of the 777, not commercial flights. Specifically, the one with the picture taking is a test flight. The 777 can land at ridiculous crab angles, I forget the exact limits.

Yes, I love crabbing into the wind, too, both as a passenger and a pilot. I really like to get the aircraft low to the ground and just before contact you snap the nose straight.

I fly sailplanes, what do you fly, Irving?

I fly Cessna's and Piper's as part of a flying club that has 5 different planes. I'm still not quite comfortable with the idea of airplanes without engines so I've never been in a sailplane. Although I bet the graceful soaring and aerobatics of a sailplane is just a terrific feeling. I did get some aerobatic training once and I loved that but I had a skilled instructor and an engine so I didn't have much to worry about and could just enjoy the flight. Yes, eventhough I love flying I tend to obsess about the getting back home safely part. I only have about 150 hours flying so maybe that goes away after a while. What's that old saying? There are old pilots and bold pilots but not many old bold pilots. So how did you get into sailpanes and how long did it take you before you soloed?

It has been one of those things I wanted to do since a kid. However, that was 30 years ago. The good news is that the kid never left me inside! ;-)

Cost is much less than power. I started cold and soloed in about 30-35 flights. Total cost to fly was about $2,500, but most of that is membership dues!

The biggest hurdle for power pilots is learning to actually use the rudders! They actually do something on a sailplane and they are critical to coordinated flight and preventing stalls. That is why you find that yarn taped to the canopy, which is called a yaw string.

I have had semi-aerobatic flights in a sailplane, but my friend has a T-34 which is a blast to fly aerobatic. That plane is enough to make me want to learn power!

Next time you land in a cross wind line the aircraft up with the runway, keep the wings level and account tor the cross wind with a side slip. Its a bit trickier but the interisting part is watching all your mates behind you trying to figure out why the keep missing the runway. PS Your airspeed indicator wont work properly in a side slip so keep the nose down!!!

I use both the keep the nose lined up with the runway and wing low towards the wind which side slips you into the wind conteracting its push and the flying crabbed sideways like the videos. Often I use them both in an approach just for practice and fun (passengers tend to freak out though) but I always go with the wing low for final touch down to save the equipment. Here is another cross wind landing that wasn't so smooth http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2367849993 821094040

I must admit that I do keep the into wind wing low when I fly power, but a glider can have +12 meters (38 feet) of wing sticking out each side along with a low mounting so droping a wing can prove to be undesirable. I have seen sombody land wingtip first and the results ar less than satisfactory!

As a student pilot, I can remember landing a Cessna
on one wheel, from a slip, in a strong cross-wind.
The transition 'woke me right on up!
Lucky I was only playing with about 1200 lb.s G.A.W.

This is all very nice and interesting, and sure to watch an aircraft land with a huge crab angle that's for sure is a great spectacle.As seen on the link these all seem to be test fligths for cross wind capabilies certification, since there is a limitation on this matter due to that a very strong wind may get the vessel off the runway, it does not have to be at 90 degrees to the runway,but the wind compounent cannot excedd the aircraft cross wind limitation that's why the ATIS give you the wind condition before approach and landing.

All this discussion of flying is nice, but the burning question is ... what's the soundtrack playing in the background?

The song is Return to Innocence, by the band Enigma.

I'm not a fan, I just chronicle pop culture.

yes The background soundtrack robs all the thrill of crabing and seems the cross wind landing bland.

I started with airplanes, then went hang gliding. Haven't flown with a motor for 31 years now. For me, powered flight is boring. Thought of sailplanes, but for me an enclosed cockpit is almost as bad as a motor. I love to fly, just for the simple joy of it.