During a crosswind taxi on the A320, how should you maintain runway alignment?

• A. Bank into the wind to correct drift.
• B. Use appropriate rudder inputs, maintain centerline with crosswind corrections, and adjust speed to maintain control.
• C. Slow to a crawl and wait for the wind to subside.
• D. Rely solely on the autopilot to hold alignment.

Answer: (B)

Crosswind taxi requires actively countering drift to keep the airplane aligned with the runway centerline. The way to do this is by applying the right rudder inputs to point the nose into the wind and use crosswind corrections to keep the fuselage and nose on the centerline as you taxi. You also need to adjust your speed so you maintain good control authority; go too fast and crosswinds can push you off course, go too slow and gusts can make precise control harder. Relying on an autopilot on the ground isn’t appropriate, and banking into the wind during taxi is not a standard or safe technique.