Pilar Wolfsteller

If you've ever looked at an analog clock face (you know, the one with the big hand and the small hand, and numbers around the edge), I have a quick and easy way for you to figure that out. First, grab the pilot's operating handbook for your aircraft type. Somewhere in there (probably in Section 2 or Section 5, or both) you'll find the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for your make and model. The key words here are "maximum demonstrated" That's not a limit.

Recently, I got to check that one off my lifetime to-do list, or so I initially thought. The lesson that day, it turned out later, was about risk management and aeronautical decision making, and not about an actual emergency like an engine failure. I’d planned a day trip to an airport about an hour away. The outbound flight was beautiful; sun above, some puffy clouds below, smooth air, comfortable temperatures.

When I started my aircraft and the avionics powered up, I was met by a big red X on the primary flight display. Over on the multifunction display the worrying message appeared: “ADAHRS hardware fault.” Hmmmm. I’d never seen this before, and no matter how many buttons I pushed, or how often I pushed them, the red X did not go away. My passenger shifted in his seat, nervously. I told him that I wasn’t sure what was going on, but that I’d shut down the aircraft and call a CFI friend.