We spent this day practicing crosswind landings in my Cessna 140 at a small grass strip in South Jersey. The conditions were tough, but I was handling the airplane well—and it turned out to be a big confidence boost for my tailwheel flying.

At the end of the video, my instructor asked if I wanted to try a solo. We ended up holding off for a few reasons: the winds were expected to pick up, some birds were lingering around the pattern, and I’m still figuring out how much the plane’s behavior will change without a passenger on board. Still, I’m feeling good.