Sling Pilots Forum

Most of us are taught to have a slight back pressure on the stick when taking off in an airplane. This is usually good practice, especially in a bumpy runway, but it can sometimes be a problem in a TSi. The slightly rear CG causes you to lose steering authority as your speed increases with a quartering or direct crosswind. You can wander or even be pushed entirely off the runway by a left (or right) wind that hits the vertical stabilizer, and with no nose wheel or rudder authority, pushes you to the left.

I’ve found that just a slight forward pressure on the stick will keep that nose wheel authority that allows you to oppose the crosswind vector on take off. Be mindful of bumpy runways!