Max. Demonstrated Crosswind Compoent

[MSU Flyguy]

What is everyone's opinion on the maximum demonstrated crosswind component, limitation or recommendation?

 

[CrewDawg]

I would say recommendation, just depends on how comfortable you are with the aircraft. I would try to stick as close to that number as possible though.

 

[pilotman2105]

maximum demonstrated crosswind component

It is just what it says it is. The maximum crosswind component that was DEMONSTRATED during flight testing/certification (or some other similar phase).

It's just a recommendation.

 

[midlifeflyer]

If it doesn't show up in the "limitations" section of the POH, it's not a limitation.

(The appearance of an informational placard in the limitations section is a requirement that the placard appear, not necessarily that the information in the placard is a limitation)

 

[Lead Sled]

What is everyone's opinion on the maximum demonstrated crosswind component, limitation or recommendation?

Opinion? I don't mean to be a pain, but on things like this opinions have nothing to do with it. It is what it is. Simply put, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is nothing more than a weather report. That's how strong the wind happened to be blowing on the day that they happened to be doing the crosswind certification tests.

 

[Ralgha]

Yeah if we followed that demonstrated crosswind limit, we wouldn't have flown at all last summer since our crosswind runway was closed for most of it.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Re: Re: Max. Demonstrated Crosswind Comp

That's how strong the wind happened to be blowing on the day that they happened to be doing the crosswind certification tests.

In reality, it's probably more like

They waited until a day when a wind with the crosswind component they wanted to put in the POH happened to be blowing.

 

[Lead Sled]

Re: Re: Re: Max. Demonstrated Crosswind Comp

In reality, it's probably more like
They waited until a day when a wind with the crosswind component they wanted to put in the POH happened to be blowing.

Mark...
You give those guys more credit than they deserve. When it comes to flight test schedules you usually have to take what you get.

Lead Sled

 

[JediNein]

Max demonstrated crosswind? It's a goal not a limit!

Keep in mind the maximum demonstrated crosswind component was that wind where the test pilot gave up.

It took a direct 30 knot (gusting to something in the 35+ range) crosswind component for one of my students to figure out how to keep the nose of the airplane straight on final.

The tower was ready to roll the crash trucks after our first request for the runway with the worst crosswind. He probably had half of SoCal plugged in placing bets by our third approach. The fifth approach he'd caught on, we wanted to fly down the runway, not land, and definitely weren't stopping.

On the tenth approach, the student touched down at last, and promptly headed for the side of the runway.

On the twelfth approach, the student touched down and kept the plane on the centerline for a few hundred feet, then lifted off again without letting the wind snatch the controls.

On the way back we discussed how much the wife and kids would be bugging him to sell his newly aquired airplane after a flight that ended in a turbulent approach and landing at even half of the winds we had encountered.

On landing at the home airport, we encountered a 5 knot direct crosswind component. He handled it just fine.

Fly SAFE!

 

[midlifeflyer]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Max. Demonstrated Crossw

You give those guys more credit than they deserve. When it comes to flight test schedules you usually have to take what you get.

The consistency of 15 -20 among so many light airplanes and the lack of airplanes with maximum demonstrated crosswind components of 13 or 8 or 3 suggests to me that there is some target in mind.

Waiting to meet it isn't a big deal unless you're assuming that of the many many test flights taking place during the certification process there is only one "crosswind test day".