Crosswind Landings (forwarded to me by Tom Patterson)
The following video shows the Boeing factory test pilots determining the demonstrated crosswind landing limits on the 777 and the 747SP. The engineers make educated guesses, but then the test crews have to go actually prove the numbers.
They sneak off to Brazil to do these tests at a certain remote BAF airbase famous for its continual atrocious crosswinds. Should the gear sideloads be excessive and fold one up, there is nobody there to take nasty pix for the Airbus guys to wave around in the press.
You think they might need a tire change after one of these landings?
(And maybe a seat cushion change too!)
Click here to see video 
