A gusty approach
Runway 270°, wind from 320° at 18 kt gusting 26: 13.8 kt crosswind from the right, 11.6 kt headwind, and 19.9 kt gust crosswind.
WIND & RUNWAY
Crosswind calculator
Use this aviation wind calculator to resolve steady and gust wind into crosswind and headwind or tailwind.
Crosswind component13.8 ktFrom the right
Runway & wind
Live calculationSpeed units
Choose an actual runway
Type a country or airport code. An exact code selects its airport; a runway code such as FAOR 03L also fills the heading.
Runway designators give approximate magnetic headings in 10° steps. Check current official charts.
Runway data and heading reference
A selected runway uses its published designator as an approximate magnetic heading in 10° steps: runway 06 gives 060°, runway 24 gives 240°. No variation is added. OurAirports snapshot loading. Check current official airport information and NOTAMs before flight. Runway data ↗
°
Use the published runway heading°
Direction the wind is coming fromkt
Steady reported windkt
Leave blank if no gusts reportedRunway shortcut & reciprocal
Runway numbers approximate magnetic headings in 10° steps.
Your wind, resolved.
LIVE RESULTSCrosswind component
13.8kt
From the right
Headwind component11.6 kt
Gust crosswind19.9 kt
Wind angle50.0 °
Wind is 50.0° off the runway. Expect a crosswind from the right.
Compare runway headings
Current heading and reciprocal, using the same wind. Additional headings use magnetic north. This compares wind components only—not runway suitability.
| Heading | Crosswind | Gust crosswind | Along runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 270.0° | 13.8 from right | 19.9 | 11.6 headwind |
| 90.0° | 13.8 from left | 19.9 | 11.6 tailwind |
Report a calculation issue
Describe what you expected. This creates a report you can send to the site maintainer; it does not submit anything automatically.
A LITTLE THEORY
Make sense of your result.
Quickly resolve steady and gust wind into crosswind and headwind or tailwind components for a selected runway. Cross wind, x-wind and crosswind all describe the same lateral wind component.
How to use this calculator
Choose an airport runway or enter its heading, then add the wind-from direction, steady speed and optional gust.
The formula
Crosswind = V × sin(θ) · Headwind = V × cos(θ)θ is wind direction minus runway heading or course, normalized to −180° to 180°. V is wind speed. Results round to one decimal; calculations use full precision. Speed units are converted through knots.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE01 02
Worked examples
Across north
Runway 350°, wind from 010° at 15 kt: a 20° angle gives 5.1 kt crosswind from the right and 14.1 kt headwind.
A few common questions
Do “cross wind” and “x-wind” mean crosswind?+
Yes. Pilots and search tools use all three forms for the lateral wind component across a runway.
Is wind direction “from” or “to”?+
Always enter the direction the wind is coming from, as reported in aviation weather.
Can I use a runway number?+
Yes. Choose an actual runway by country or airport code, or expand Runway shortcut & reciprocal to convert 27 to approximately 270° magnetic. Runway headings are rounded to 10° steps.
Which wind direction should I enter?+
Use a wind-from direction in the same magnetic reference as the selected runway. Written METAR winds are usually true; convert them before entering. This calculator does not convert references.
Does the comparison choose a runway for me?+
No. It shows wind components only. Runway length, surface, obstacles, traffic, aircraft performance and operational instructions still matter.
A planning aid. Always use your judgement.
Selected runway headings approximate magnetic directions in 10° steps. Enter wind in the same reference; gust direction is assumed unchanged. This tool does not replace your aircraft operating handbook, official weather, regulations or pilot judgement.