When a plane lands the pilot has to quickly do two things to keep the plane going straight: get ALL the wheels tight on the ground, and use the rudder and to steer the plane straight. If there is a strong crosswind, it can be quite tricky to do this in a small plane.

Pilots use a combination of visual cues, radio navigation technology, and coordinated flight controls to land an aircraft perfectly aligned with the runway centerline. The primary tool for modern commercial jets is the Instrument Landing System (ILS), which sends out two radio beams: the "localizer" for horizontal alignment and the "glideslope" for the vertical path. Inside the cockpit, these beams are represented by needles or "bugs" on the flight display; the pilot's goal is to keep these centered. During the final approach, pilots also look for the PAPI lights (Precision Approach Path Indicator) on the side of the runway to verify their angle. If there is a crosswind, pilots must perform a "crab" maneuver, where they point the nose of the plane into the wind while the momentum keeps the aircraft moving straight toward the runway. Just before touchdown, they "kick the rudder" to straighten the nose and dip a wing to counteract the wind, ensuring the landing gear hits the tarmac parallel to the lines. It is a high-stakes dance of physics and manual dexterity.