Pilots use the rudder and ailerons to angle the nose of the aircraft into a crosswind while flying toward a runway or waypoint. This sideways alignment offsets the drift caused by the wind, keeping the actual flight path perfectly straight relative to the ground. Just before touchdown, the pilot kicks out the crab angle to align the wheels with the runway centerline.
Heard on the job
You need to crab a bit more to the left, the wind is pushing us right of the localizer.
Insider tip
Forgetting to kick out the crab right before the wheels touch down puts massive side loads on the landing gear.
Also heard as
- crabbing