Final answer:
A pilot must compensate for crosswind by adjusting the aircraft's heading to maintain a specific course, using principles of relative velocity to calculate the necessary angle and speed to counteract wind effects.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to fly parallel next to a straight road with a crosswind, a pilot must adjust the aircraft's heading to compensate for the wind drift, which involves calculating the angle at which the plane must be oriented relative to the air mass. This is a fundamental example of relative velocity, where the plane's velocity relative to the air is combined with the velocity of the air mass relative to the ground to determine the plane's ground track and speed. For example, if a pilot must fly due north and a wind is blowing out of the northeast at 90 km/h while the plane can travel at 300 km/h in still air, the pilot needs to adjust the aircraft's heading to the east of north to maintain a course parallel to the road.
In this scenario, the pilot must solve a vector problem where the velocity of the plane relative to the ground is the sum of its velocity through the air and the wind's velocity. The pilot would use vector addition to find the correct heading. Just before landing, the pilot might have to execute last minute maneuvers, known as crabbing or sideslip, to align the aircraft with the runway for a safe touchdown with landing gear pointing down the runway. This ensures a precise and safe landing despite the crosswind challenge.