Crosswind Component Calculator
Enter wind speed, wind direction, and runway heading to instantly get crosswind and headwind/tailwind components for preflight planning.
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.
Crosswind Component
--
knots (perpendicular to runway)
0% of wind speed
Headwind Component
--
knots (along runway)
0% of wind speed
Calculation Details
Wind Vector Diagram
Summary
Enter wind speed, wind direction, and runway heading to instantly get crosswind and headwind/tailwind components for preflight planning.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: 2026-07-22 ·
Reviewed by Nham Vu