Landing crosswind on a dry runway with all flaps?

• A. 30 knots
• B. 25 knots
• C. 40 knots
• D. 35 knots

Answer: (D)

Crosswind landing limits are about what sideways wind component you can safely manage during the final and touchdown with a given landing configuration. When all flaps are set for landing, you have maximum lift at low speed but still rely on rudder authority and braking to maintain the runway centerline. On a dry runway, the friction is good, so a higher crosswind component can be handled, but there’s still a published upper limit to keep you within safe control margins.

The correct value is 35 knots because that is the published maximum crosswind component for landing with all flaps on a dry runway. It represents the point at which you still have adequate control to align with and touch down on the centerline. A crosswind of 40 knots would exceed what the aircraft and pilot can reliably manage in this configuration, increasing the risk of a loss of directional control. The lower speeds (25 and 30 knots) are within safe operating bounds but are not the maximum limit, and thus are not the best choice when the question asks for the limit for this setup.