terrifying moment world's largest passenger plane lurches to one side as it battles high winds

Daily Mail ^ | 25 Sept 2015 | J. Huchinson

[central_va]

Here is an interesting thread on this very subject. Most of the pilots feel it is to much for the rudder to handle and the engines may overheat in a slip. I still don't really buy it. Face it crabbing takes zero skill, until the very end then it is a panic filled 3 seconds when you do everything at once.

Wisdom of side-slipping a large jet?

[SgtBob]

I only read the first of the link you sent, but it was very interesting. Swept wings require large aileron input, and small rudder input to slip, and fly-by-wire appears to not allow it. MD 83 v some FBW bird.

I love the slip. I love high approaches so I can do some extreme forward slips. Heck, it’s the closest I can get to flying a knife edge pass!

[central_va]

Seems to me once you get the slip going it is more like driving a car than a plane. I find the crab a bit weird flying at an angle to the center line. I guess it is just preference.

[BwanaNdege]

Didn’t appear to be that difficult a landing.

Look at these for comparison :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P9OAng32F0 Crosswind difficulties - winter 2013/14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shQpiTooLZ4 Crosswind Landings 2015 - Ultimate Compilation

[Tzfat]

Because the Airbus side stick commands roll rate instead of roll angle, you never slip an Airbus in a crosswind except at the last possible moment in the flare. Not only that, but a slip is a very inefficient method. Crab until flare is best.

[az_gila]

IMO a side slip is less scary and easier than crabbing. For some reason the jet Jockies always crab.

---

Yes, but a sideslip can drag a wing tip or a low slung pylon engine if the cross wind gets to a high enough level.

Landing a sailplane with long wings demands a crabbed final approach.

For any non-pilots reading -

[OldNewYork]

Wow.

[Crazy Jim]

My sentiments [from a comment to the original article with British spelling ;-)]:

Philip, London, United Kingdom, about 5 hours ago

Mail Makes SENSATIONAL Headline Over Perfectly Normal Aircraft Manoeuvre! Move along, folks - nothing to see here.

[CFIIIMEIATP737]

We jet jockies crab because they are swept wing airplanes.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Are they controlled or do they ‘swivel caster’?

[DUMBGRUNT]

I sometimes suspect they watch Youtube for what’s hot, than start writing?

[Regulator]

OK. You’re right.

The side force on the wheel is identical whether it hits the runway pointing 15 deg off centerline or 0 deg off centerline.

Trigonometry doesn’t exist, and friction is a fiction.

Got it. You’re right.

[Joe 6-pack]

Reminds me of an old joke:

Co-Pilot: Jeeze, this has to be the shortest runway in the world!

Pilot: Yeah, but look how wide it is!!!