Definition
The combined use of flight controls during takeoff, approach, and landing to compensate for a wind blowing across the runway, keeping the airplane aligned with the runway centerline and preventing sideways drift at touchdown. The two standard methods are the crab method (pointing the nose into the wind to track straight) and the wing-low or sideslip method (lowering the upwind wing while opposite rudder keeps the nose aligned with the runway). Most pilots transition from a crab to a wing-low position before touchdown so the wheels meet the runway without side-loading the landing gear.
Plain English
The way a pilot uses the controls to handle a wind blowing across the runway, so the airplane stays straight, doesn't drift sideways, and lands cleanly on the wheels.
Context Anchor
Used during final approach, flare, touchdown, and the first part of the landing roll when the wind is not straight down the runway.
Derivation
Crosswind comes from a wind that crosses the runway rather than blowing along it. Technique is from the Greek tekhne, meaning skill or craft -- so it's the skilled handling required when the wind isn't cooperating with the runway direction.
Why Pilots Care
Correct use prevents runway excursions, loss of directional control, and structural stress on the landing gear during crosswind operations.
Grounding Statement
Picture the wind trying to slide the airplane sideways while you are aiming for the runway; crosswind technique is the control method that keeps the airplane going straight where it should.
Intuition Check
Do not think of crosswind technique as simply pointing the nose into the wind. The key is controlling both the airplane’s path over the ground and its alignment with the runway at touchdown.
Example Sentence 1
With a steady wind from the left, the student practiced crosswind technique by crabbing on final and transitioning to a wing-low slip just before touchdown.
Example Sentence 2
After practicing the crosswind technique on a gusty day, the student pilot landed without drifting off the runway edge.