FSX-MS Wind below 1,000 feet

[Avocet 0]

Hi All,

 

I wanted to learn a bit more about crosswind landings, flying the default A321 and B737.  I flew an approach with the AP on and the aircraft was pointed into the wind, the wind being a direct crosswind but only 8 knots.  The problem is the wind cut out at about 1,000 feet above MSL.  Tried to fix this by pushing Realism sliders to max which kept the wind going, but when I de-crabbed and landed the plane pulled into the wind a lot, ruining the landing!  I know about weathercocking / weathervaning, but how could an 70 ton airliner flying at 150 knots (groundspeed) be pushed around by a light wind?  The pulling into the wind only happens on the ground.  Is there a way of enabling wind below 1,000 feet, with low realism settings?

 

Help really appreciated.

[BeechPapa 32]

If you think of the rudder as a sail - a giant, flat, wind-catching surface capable of exerting tons of force, enough force to alter the yaw of a 70 ton airliner, then it's pretty easy to imagine how even a 10 knot wind could exert enough pressure on the rudder to alter the path of the plane. That definitely includes ground handling. Keeping the plane on the runway center line on takeoff or landing is part of the challenge - as long as the plane is moving, you need to fly it. Sometimes it requires a lot of rudder input to counter the crosswind, even on the ground. Heck, sometimes I find myself struggling to just taxi around if the winds are bad enough.     

 

Having said all that, the degree of accuracy in the default airliners and default weather is kind of low. If you find yourself getting interested in this airliner and weather stuff (and it looks to me like the bug has caught you already) I highly recommend getting an aircaft addon like the PMDG NGX and a weather addon like Active Sky Next. Not trying to sling shot you down a more complicated and costly road, but the questions you are asking indicate you would really enjoy the added realism and challenge of a realistic airliner and weather engine.        

[Avocet 0]

You're right, the "bug" has caught me, I'll look into that!