Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

5 Answers

cross wind landing at non-tower airport

Asked by: 1515 views
FAA Regulations

When landing at a non-tower airport with non-intersecting N-S and E-W runways, with wind from 200 degrees, and runway 18 in use by other traffic, is it acceptable to land on runway 27 if not interfering with other traffic?  

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

5 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on May 21, 2019

    There is no regulation that would prohibit it.

    See Advisory Circular 90-66B – Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations.

    The following excerpt addresses your situation:

    “Runway Preference. Landing and takeoff should be accomplished on the operating runway most nearly aligned into the wind. However, if a secondary runway is used (e.g., for length limitations), pilots using the secondary runway should avoid the flow of traffic to the runway most nearly aligned into the wind.”

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Russ MacDonald on May 21, 2019

    I agree with Kris, but I would like to expand it a bit to add that in the case of uncontrolled airports the FARs leave the choice of runway exclusively to the pilot. There is no ‘active runway’ at an uncontrolled field. The term ‘active runway’ is defined by the FAA to be a runway that is specified by an official controller. At an uncontrolled field, the unicom operator is not a controller and cannot assign an active runway. He can only tell you the winds and which runway is ‘in use’, but that doesn’t mean you must use that runway. The pilot must choose which runway he will land on, and then observe right of way rules and coordinate with any pilot who has chosen a different runway.

    I often take my students to a field with multiple runways to practice crosswind landings on the runway that is the most non-aligned with the wind.

    I also demonstrate to my students the the extremely long landings and take-offs that result by using the downwind direction on the runway. This can happen by making a mistake and choosing the exactly wrong runway based on the winds.

    And, I always coordinate with all other pilots using the field and give right of way to any pilot landing on the best runway based on the winds.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. KDS on May 21, 2019

    I’ve seen that done, and while it’s commendable that an instructor wants to give crosswind training, it also can make for unpleasant or even unsafe situations no matter how careful everyone is. It’s best if the opportunity for crosswind training is found in a different situation.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  4. Warren Webb Jr on May 21, 2019

    You said to land on runway 27. What if you have to go around? Will that be a conflict? Just saying maintain situational awareness and carefully plan for all possible circumstances.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  5. Mark Kolber on May 22, 2019

    Of course it is acceptable “if not interfering with other traffic.”

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.