An airplane is said to be cross-controlled when the ailerons are held one way and the rudder is held opposite; for example, turn the yoke left and a push the right rudder pedal. I think that too many pilots have been trained to fear cross-controlling an airplane because of the infamous skidding base to final turn where the pilot uses in-turn rudder and out-turn aileron. In that scenario, the airplane is set up for a classic skidding spin, and the incorrect lesson learned by many pilots is that crossing controls is always dangerous. And so, many pilots never learn the valuable technique of the skidding turn, a variation on slipping an airplane.
Instructors know that airplanes do not stall. Pilots cause airplanes to stall by holding back pressure on the elevator control. Elevator deflection causes the wing to exceed its critical angle of attack — and stall. No airplane has ever stalled because of crossed aileron and rudder inputs. The base to final spin accident is a direct result of the pilot pulling back on the yoke, not the crossed controls. Perhaps the deadly pull is the pilot’s reaction to being startled by overbank and the nose falling to preserve angle of attack; or maybe the pilot pulled because it is his habit to pull the elevator every time he uses aileron. I have observed that automatic back pressure with every use of aileron is a commonly held bad habit of too many pilots.
I suggest that a prudent pilot will focus on developing skills that recognize and avoid stalls. Freed from the worry of stalls and spins, a pilot can master the use of crossed controls to slip or skid an airplane in a multitude of aerial maneuvers.
One of my favorite cross-control maneuvers is the wings level, skidding turn. When you learn this skill, please do not ignore my three rules for safety: altitude, altitude, altitude. Begin the maneuver from level flight at Vy airspeed. (Later you can learn the skidding turn while climbing.) Keep the wings level as you apply heavy in-turn rudder to skid the airplane through a 180-degree turn. The cross-control derives from the out-turn aileron pressure you need to keep the wings level.
A far less aggressive example of the skidding turn is useful after lift-off in a strong crosswind. This maneuver should be in every pilot’s skill set. Holding wings level with out-turn aileron pressure, use in-turn rudder to establish a crabbing flight path that keeps the airplane on the runway heading. The wings stay level, providing maximum lift throughout the maneuver, and you avoid dropping a wing near the ground.
- Jim Alsip
Jim has much more to say about this subject. His book, Artistry of the Great Flyer, deals with slips and other maneuvers. Also, Jim has many great stick and rudder videos in his Hangar Talk video series on YouTube. Jim’s video titled Side Slip vs Forward Slip is one of the most popular (http://youtu.be/G0DTjWlafkw).
