Weather & maps / Aviation
Crosswind Calculator: Crosswind and Headwind Components
Enter a runway number or heading and the wind direction and speed to get the crosswind and headwind or tailwind components, including gusts, with a diagram of the wind across the runway. For study and planning only.
Crosswind Calculator: Crosswind and Headwind Components: The crosswind component is wind speed × sin(angle) and the headwind component is wind speed × cos(angle), where the angle is between the wind and the runway. On runway 27 (270°), a wind from 300° at 20 knots is 30° off the runway: a 10-knot crosswind from the right and a 17.3-knot headwind. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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For study and planning only, not for flight decisions: use the official wind and your aircraft's figures. The crosswind component is wind speed × sin(angle between the wind and the runway) and the headwind component is wind speed × cos(angle). A runway's number is its magnetic heading in tens of degrees, so runway 27 points to 270°; wind directions in METARs are true, while tower winds are magnetic.
Quick estimates
Pilots often estimate the crosswind with the clock method: at 15° off the runway take a quarter of the wind, at 30° half, at 45° three quarters, and at 60° or more all of it. The sine values are 0.26, 0.5, 0.71, and 0.87.
Units
Aviation winds are in knots; to compare them with weather forecasts in km/h, use knots to km/h.
How to use it
- Enter the runway number, such as 27, or a heading in degrees.
- Enter the wind direction it blows from, its speed, and any gusts.
- Read the crosswind, headwind or tailwind, and the angle.
Privacy & limitations
Everything is calculated in your browser.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use this for flying?
No: it is for study and practice. Use the official weather, your aircraft's documented crosswind limits, and your training for real decisions.
Why are runways numbered like that?
The number is the runway's magnetic heading rounded to tens of degrees: runway 09 points east, 090°, and the opposite end is 27.
Is the wind direction true or magnetic?
Winds in written reports such as METARs and TAFs are true; winds given by the tower and ATIS are magnetic, matching the runway numbers.
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