What is wind correction angle?

Wind correction angle (WCA) is the angular offset between the direction you want to travel (your desired course) and the heading you actually point the aircraft. By crabbing into the wind, wind drift is canceled and you track your intended course over the ground.

What is the difference between course and heading?

Course is the direction you wish to move over the ground. Heading is the direction the nose of the aircraft points through the air. In a crosswind, these differ by the wind correction angle.

What does "wind from 270°" mean?

Wind direction is reported as the direction FROM which the wind blows. A 270° wind blows from the west, pushing the aircraft toward the east. This follows the aviation and meteorological convention.

What happens when wind speed equals or exceeds true airspeed?

If the crosswind component meets or exceeds your true airspeed, no heading exists that can maintain the desired course — the aircraft would be blown sideways faster than it can fly forward. The calculator detects this and shows an error.

Does this give magnetic heading?

No. This calculator works in true degrees throughout. To convert the true heading to magnetic heading, subtract the local magnetic variation (easterly variation is subtracted; westerly is added).

How accurate is this calculator?

It uses the exact trigonometric sine-rule wind triangle formula, giving results accurate to 0.1°. Real-world accuracy depends on the accuracy of your wind speed and direction inputs.

Heading Correction Calculator

Enter your desired course, true airspeed, wind speed, and wind direction to get your wind correction angle and true heading to fly.

Flight Parameters

Desired True Course (°)

Direction you want to track over the ground (0–360).

True Airspeed (knots)

Speed of the aircraft through the air mass.

Wind Direction (° true, from)

Direction the wind is blowing FROM (0–360). E.g., 270 = wind from the west.

Wind Speed (knots)

Speed of the wind in knots.

Fill in the parameters and press Calculate Heading.

Summary

The Heading Correction Calculator determines the wind correction angle (WCA) — the angular difference between your desired course and the true heading you must fly — so that wind drift does not push you off track. Input your desired true course, true airspeed, and the wind's speed and direction (the direction FROM which the wind blows), and the calculator returns your true heading to fly along with your actual ground speed. This tool uses the standard vector triangle method taught in FAA ground school and ICAO navigation curricula.

How it works

Enter your desired true course (0–360°) — the direction you want to track over the ground.
Enter your true airspeed (TAS) in knots.
Enter the wind direction (the direction the wind is blowing FROM, in degrees true).
Enter the wind speed in knots.
The calculator applies the wind triangle formula to find the wind correction angle (WCA).
Your true heading to fly equals your desired course plus (or minus) the WCA, and your ground speed is also shown.

Use cases

Pre-flight planning to determine the heading needed to track a desired course.
Cross-country flight planning when winds aloft forecasts are available.
Student pilot ground school practice with wind triangle problems.
Flight simulator navigation training and route planning.
Aviation exam preparation (FAA written, ATPL theory).
Checking in-flight heading corrections when winds differ from the forecast.
Teaching aviation navigation concepts in ground school or online courses.
Validating E6B flight computer results for wind correction calculations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu

Heading Correction Calculator

Flight Parameters

Results

Wind Triangle Diagram

Summary

How it works

Use cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Heading Correction Calculator

Use the Heading Correction Calculator

Flight Parameters

Results

Wind Triangle Diagram

Summary

How it works

Use cases

Frequently Asked Questions