You may feel some jostling in the skies, but don't fret: Your pilot (usually) knows what he's doing.
Those bumps and jolts were especially intense last week for a group of United Express passengers who experienced the landing of a lifetime in strong winds at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma. Watch as the seesawing plane nears the runway at a 45-degree angle:
Trans States Airlines operated the United Express flight, a spokesperson for Trans States told HuffPost.
Its pilot made what's known as a crosswinds landing, and while the touchdown may look dramatic, the maneuver is actually a routine part of pilot training.
"All of our pilots are trained to land in heavy cross winds... this pilot did a great job of executing his training," the spokesperson said.
Commercial pilot Patrick Smith, who does not represent either of the airlines involved, explained to The Huffington Post that planes are meant to land at an angle in heavy winds, so that they can stay upright despite gusty conditions.
"The correct technique in a crosswind is a skewed alignment," Smith said. "The pilots will 'crab' during the approach, with the jet pointed into the wind, in order to maintain a straight track."
He's previously commented on videos like these, which tend to worry nervous fliers but are actually quite typical fare for pilots every day.
Hats off to pilots for keeping their cool, even when we don't notice.
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