We all know it is important to land with your airplane pointed straight down the runway and traveling in the same direction. (Touching down sideways is bad on the tires, wheels, passengers, etc.)

Sometimes it’s a challenge to determine what “pointed straight” looks like, especially if you fly different airplanes or have a particularly challenging crosswind. This tip from one of my CAP instructor friends can help.

If you’re flying most small airplanes, the control yokes on the left and right sides are connected to tubes that point straight ahead. To decide which way you’re pointed, take a quick glance at the control tube. Imagine it’s a machine gun, and point it at the imaginary bad guy at the opposite end of the runway. There you go!