Headwind and Crosswind Calculator
Wind rarely blows straight down a runway. This splits the wind into one part that pushes along the runway and one part that pushes across it.
- Free
- Works offline after your first visit
- Saves on this device
- No sign-up
- Updated
How it works
Find the angle between the wind direction and the runway heading. The headwind is the wind speed times the cosine of that angle, and the crosswind is the wind speed times its sine.
A negative headwind means a tailwind. The crosswind is given as a size, without a direction.
Worked example
On a runway heading of 270 degrees, with wind from 300 degrees at 15 kn, the headwind is 13 kn and the crosswind is 7.5 kn.
Questions
What is runway heading?
It is the compass direction you face when you line up on the runway. Runway 27, for example, has a heading of about 270 degrees.
Which way is wind direction measured?
Wind direction is where the wind comes from, the same way weather reports give it.
Can I use this to plan a flight?
It is a simple estimate of the two parts of the wind. For any flight decision, use current weather reports and your training.
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