That’s the one. And you are correct that he had been taught to use vigorous rudder inputs. Both Airbus and Boeing had written to American Airlines before the crash to state that this was very much incorrect technique. Training has indeed been updated.

If you look at how large airliners land, they do tend to decrab at the last minute and not dip a wing. The gear can take rather dramatic side loads. Check out this video. The wings are pretty much level all the way to touchdown. In contrast, if you watch a high and straight wing turboprop like a Dash-8, you’ll see…

You would use the rudder when decrabbing (straightening out) the plane in a crosswind, right on touchdown and not before. Also you input rudder in an engine out situation. That’s about it.

Fair point.

Even among light pistons different planes have different characteristics. A Cessna 172 is different from a Piper Warrior, and they’re both different from a light twin like a Duchess. Not so different as to be a problem going from one light piston to another but they are different.

If you look at the pitch and bank angles they aren’t really that large, with the exception of the last wing drop. The fact that pitch and bank are changing rapidly doesn’t make the approach unstable unless the angles go outside limits.

Apples and oranges. I don’t think one is better than the other but for sure the initial training of European and American pilots differs drastically. In the US, you are expected to do at least 1500 hours before you can right seat an eggbeater at a regional (or more likely fly solo night freight in a Caravan). Before…

Regulators and operators have strict guidelines for weather limits. The pilots would not have started the approach unless the weather was within limits. If at any point the approach becomes destabilized, that would mean a mandatory go around.

It is impossible to tell that from the video. Gusting winds are variable by definition. The planes before and after had similar but not identical conditions.

The wing low and opposite rudder method is not used in swept wing jets. If nothing else, with underslung engines it can cause a nacelle strike. Big jets crab into the wind until just before or at touchdown, then decrab. Only aileron and elevator used except for decrabbing with rudder.

In swept wing jets you almost never use the rudder. The exception is an engine out situation. The rudder does move but without pilot input. It is controlled by the yaw damper so that turns are coordinated.

It’s Western Europe. All neighbouring countries apart from the UK are in the Schengen Area, meaning there are no border controls and a common visa requirement.

When it comes to aviation safety, things like visas take a backseat. And even so, apart from the UK, all countries in the vicinity are in the Schenghen Area so there are no border restrictions or controls.

The attitude changes are not really due to crosswind. They are due to windshear. A steady crosswind is not a problem. You just control into the wind and crab out on touchdown. However when the wind is very variable in direction and/or velocity, it is impossible to know exactly what changes are coming up. It makes life…

The good thing about really crap movies is that they lead to awesome reviews like this one.

The seat liners are indeed custom molded. However the liners can be removed and replaced in orbit, so it is an easy operation for a crew member to use another Soyuz. This has happened on many occasions, for example when the “space tourists” were up for only a week or two. They’d arrive on station in the “new” capsule,…

Non-permanent.

As a pilot, I’d say you don’t understand the danger posed by a medium sized bird to a small aircraft like your typical helicopter.

It has even been done for wings.