Crosswind Component Calculator
Enter wind speed, wind direction, and runway heading to instantly get crosswind and headwind/tailwind components for preflight planning.
Use the Crosswind Component Calculator
Wind & Runway Inputs
Direction wind is blowing FROM, as shown in METAR/ATIS.
Runway number × 10 — e.g. Runway 27 = 270°.
Leave blank to skip the limit check.
Quick Reference
| Angle off runway | XW % | HW % |
|---|
Enter wind and runway data, then click Calculate.
Results appear here.
Calculation Details
Wind Vector Diagram
Summary
The Crosswind Component Calculator resolves reported wind into two components: the crosswind component (perpendicular to the runway) and the headwind or tailwind component (along the runway). Enter the wind speed in knots, the reported wind direction in degrees magnetic, and your runway heading, and the tool performs the trigonometric resolution instantly in your browser. No server is involved and no data leaves your device.
How it works
- Enter the reported wind speed in knots from the ATIS or METAR.
- Enter the wind direction in degrees magnetic (the direction the wind is coming FROM).
- Enter your runway heading in degrees (e.g. 270 for Runway 27).
- The calculator computes the wind angle relative to the runway heading.
- Crosswind = Wind Speed × sin(wind angle); Headwind = Wind Speed × cos(wind angle).
- A positive headwind value means headwind; a negative value means tailwind.
Use cases
- Check whether crosswind exceeds aircraft or personal limits before takeoff.
- Compare multiple runways to select the most favorable one for current conditions.
- Practice mental crosswind math during preflight training.
- Verify crosswind limits when transitioning to a new aircraft type.
- Use during pattern work when wind shifts to re-evaluate landing runway.
- Prepare for checkride oral questions on crosswind computation.