Pilot Institute

MARCH 7, 2025

Here are the areas you should read up on: Landing irregularities : Information on crosswind landings will help you escape a tight situation and get back on the ground safely. At these heights, you could get into turbulence and gusty crosswinds. Well, it typically goes the same way your checkride does.

Pilot

Air Facts

JULY 7, 2025

From then until my checkride, I would stick strictly to what I needed to know to pass the FAA’s standards. On checkride day, I faked the language well enough to pass the oral exam. Another memorable chapter is “Wind Drift,” which corrects the common misunderstanding that a crosswind is “blowing against” the side of the airplane.

Rudder

AV Web

JANUARY 22, 2025

Twenty-five percent of stalls during go-arounds, 40 percent of those during takeoff or climb to pattern altitude, and 54 percent of those on all legs of the pattern between the crosswind turn and final approach were fatal, according to the AOPA/ASI report. A little more than half of these rare stalls were fatal.

Final Approach

Air Facts

MARCH 10, 2025

Its true that the Private Pilot ACS now allows EFBs to be used on checkrides, but show up to a checkride with your nav log on an EFB, and you’ll get the same questions you’ll get with paper. Its a must for the checkride. When I hear their complaints about paper nav logs, I hear something else. But theres more.

Checkride

Northstar VFR

MARCH 23, 2025

The go-around is a maneuver tested during your private pilot checkride. The standards set for the private pilot checkride are found in the Airman Certification Standards , Area of Operation IV: Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds, Task N: Go-Around/Rejected Landing. Wind shear can create landing hazards for all sizes of aircraft.

Pilot

Flight Training Central

JUNE 23, 2025

Here we’ll highlight the various maneuvers you’ll practice during your flight training and be expected to demonstrate during your Private Pilot checkride. One of the most valuable skills a pilot can develop, crosswind landings demand precise control and sound technique.

Crosswind

Air Facts

JULY 15, 2024

I did a checkride in 30 knot winds in the flatlands of Kansas, almost straight down the runway. It felt like pushing it for that airplane, but checkrides are so hard to schedule I went. Several times I’ve landed smoothly in a strong crosswind, then had trouble keeping the airplane on the runway. More likely it’s random.

Crosswind

Air Facts

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

These maneuvers include an engine failure on takeoff, loss of lift on the wing during departure, en route, and approach, crosswind landings, wind shear scenarios, engine inoperative landings, low visibility landings, crash landings and evacuation. Checkrides are serious business, and failures can results in termination.

Pilot

Northstar VFR

APRIL 21, 2024

So, knock out that Commercial checkride, and hopefully in a relatively fast timeline, start on the CFI prep. I know many students who did a simple 10 hours or so in the right seat and went into their checkride. Remember, once you take your checkride and pass, you can legally start instructing right away. Pretty straightforward.

Checkride

Air Facts

MAY 15, 2024

A related point is that flight training isn’t something you can fake; there are real checkrides and real consequences for not meeting standards. Good luck cheating on the crosswind landing portion of your Private checkride, much less a type rating checkride.

Checkride

CFI Academy

JANUARY 26, 2024

From crosswinds to thunderstorms, Certified Flight Instructors impart valuable skills that enable pilots to handle challenges with confidence. Balancing Theory and Practice Finding the equilibrium between theoretical knowledge and practical application is an ongoing challenge for CFIs.

Crosswind

Northstar VFR

JULY 2, 2023

Remember when your CFI taught you to turn crosswind around 500-700 feet? Section 4-3-3 states “If remaining in the traffic pattern , commence turn to crosswind leg beyond the departure end of the runway within 300 feet of pattern altitude.” Check the AIM. It’s in there. So checkout our website to purchase a pre-tabbed FAR/AIM.

Federal Aviation Regulations

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

They are also one of the most feared maneuvers during the private pilot checkride. Will you need a crosswind correction? If conducting a checkride, you might blow past the stopping point, which could result in a failure. Crosswind Landings Short-field landings teach you to fly slowly and precisely. Full flaps, 1.3

Weight-Shift-Control

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

Lazy eights sound like the least challenging commercial checkride maneuver to learn. What standards does the commercial checkride require? A strong, gusty crosswind will push your stick and rudder skills to the limit. Check out our latest article on crosswind landings here. Perform the maneuver no lower than 1,500ft AGL.

Rudder

Inflight Pilot Training

MAY 30, 2025

Features: Wind correction angle and ground speed calculator Time-speed-distance and fuel burn tools Density altitude, pressure altitude, and true airspeed calculators Crosswind component calculator Unit conversions for altitude, distance, speed, temperature, and pressure Night-time calculator for determining official night flight time Use Case : Best (..)

Pilot

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

Going into a checkride (or a grass strip) without solid soft field skills is asking for trouble. A faster, reduced-flaps approach improves aircraft control during strong crosswinds or gusts. Private Pilot and Commercial ACS Standards Are you preparing for your Private or Commercial Pilot checkride? Well, not exactly.

NOTAMs

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 27, 2025

Improve your stick and rudder skills as a private pilot go beyond the instrument checkride with these advanced courses. Spin-a-Wind This app makes it a breeze to calculate headwind/crosswind components, temperature conversions, pressure/density altitude and true airspeed computations, using a pilot-friendly interface.

Weather

Air Facts

DECEMBER 6, 2024

Is that crosswind too strong? Tell that to the examiner on your next checkride. Consider a scud-running pilot, who is probably focusing on the one good METAR while ignoring all the bad ones. There are many other aviation questionsAm I proficient? Can I get on top of those clouds?that that should be approached with the scout mindset.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

For instance, if an aircraft is on the crosswind leg, they’ll ask you to extend the upwind If you don’t have the time, that’s okay. Private and Commercial Pilot ACS Standards During a checkride, you must perform a go-around. Radio Calls When you perform a go-around, you must inform ATC. The order is aviate, navigate, then communicate.

Wind Shear

Air Facts

AUGUST 26, 2024

In fact, I believe most pilots need fewer stalls and more slow flight in their training diet (at least after the Private checkride). Of course wind can be a challenge, and crosswind landings often top the list of pilots’ least favorite maneuver, but that’s no excuse.

Knot

Inflight Pilot Training

MAY 22, 2025

These skills are indispensable not just for checkride success but for future flights into busier airports and controlled environments. Adaptability to prevailing winds for crosswind training. That means student pilots learn to communicate with Air Traffic Control (ATC) from day one.

Runway