crab angle

The angle between the aircraft track or flight line and the fore and aft axis of a vertical camera, which is in line with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

References in periodicals archive ?

If you try, I recommend holding a crab angle all the way into the flare and then kicking out the crosswind correction.

Points in space

It's generally an easier maneuver to fly than when using the wing-low, sideslip technique, but doing it well requires us to accurately gauge when we need to straighten out the airplane and align it with the runway centerline, "kicking out" the crab angle, as it's known.

Crosswinds on rails: using both a sideslip and crab until flaring gives us the most control and the smoothest ride

Consider it this way: Due to the crab angle we must fly to get to our destination in a stiff crosswind, the pointy end of the airplane is not pointing in the direction we want to go over the ground (the course).

Wind Triangles Revisited: Crabbing into a crosswind in cruise flight can mean decreased groundspeed, but how much? If you use a CR flight computer instead of an E-6B, you'll know

Overall, this bright road 2400 feet up to the threshold gives the pilot a visual indication of crab angle and helps prepare for the landing.

Approach light secrets: like Rodney Dangerfield, approach lighting gets no respect. Until it's used to descend a bit further, that is. Fly safer and avoid bending the regs by knowing your lights