In flying an S-Turn, where does the greatest amount of crab occur?

During an S-Turn maneuver, the airplane is transitioning through various wind conditions as it moves from one side of the turn to the other. The greatest amount of crab, which is the angle at which the aircraft is pointed into the wind to maintain a straight path, occurs at the point where the airplane is directly crosswind.

When the aircraft is directly crosswind, the wind has the most significant effect on its flight path. To counter the wind's influence and maintain a desired track over the ground, the pilot needs to apply the most amount of crab. This is due to the fact that the airplane must work harder to keep its intended path straight as the crosswind seeks to push it off course.

At the apex of the S-Turn, when the aircraft is turning back into the wind, the crab angle decreases because the wind is more aligned with the aircraft's nose. Similarly, on final approach, the aircraft typically aligns with the runway heading and is often directly into the wind, leading to little to no crab as the aircraft stabilizes for landing. Thus, the most significant maneuvering is required when the airplane is precisely crosswind, necessitating the largest crab angle to maintain a straight line.