Learning to crab on takeoff was definitely an "ah ha" moment for me.

Thanks for this video! I am 50 years old with my CSEL and getting ready for my CFI checkride. I have wondered about this very thing of including gusts into the crosswind reported and no one here at this school has ever gave me an answer like this! It just made common sense to me to include it. Thanks so much!

Such a great video! Love your teaching style, wish you were close by. I would definitely take classes from you.

I believe you're wrong about the trim. I have over four years flying the Alaska Bush. The highest crosswind in the 207 was in Kipnuk AK. 32 gusting to 40 by AWOS. In the 208B at Tununak AK. 29 gusting 34. That one was buy the airspeed indicator pointed into the wind. Both was done on the old runways not the new ones they have now. All the village runways we landed at except one was gravel. Gravel runways allow you to land in a much higher crosswind contrary to popular belief. There is a lot of flap manipulation before landing and during takeoff. Now first of all you would never take one of those(the Piper) and land on the village runways even if they were long enough. Low wings sucked with snow berm on the edge of the runways. Especially in crosswind. But the basic technique is the same. I would always put my trim in the normal position for takeoff whether there was a cross wind or it was calm. JMHO.