Flight Parameters
E6B Wind TriangleTo maintain a 045° course against a 090°/25KT wind at 120 KT TAS, steer a True Heading of 056° (+11.2° WCA). Groundspeed will be 104 KTS.
Wind Triangle Calculator: Operational Architecture
Solve the classic E6B aviation wind triangle. Compute True Heading (TH), Wind Correction Angle (WCA), and Groundspeed (GS) from True Airspeed and wind vectors.
Active Runway Alignment
Directly decomposes current surface wind vectors against active runway headings with instant magnetic variation and reciprocal runway telemetry.
Orthogonal Trigonometry
Computes true lateral crosswind components and longitudinal headwind/tailwind velocities following FAA AC 91-79A certified trigonometry.
Zero Ground-Risk Operations
Provides real-time safety margins against manufacturer demonstrated limits, tailwind hazards, and contaminated runway braking codes.
Pilot Operating Handbook Briefing: Wind Triangle Calculator
The Wind Triangle is formed by: (1) Air Vector (True Heading + True Airspeed), (2) Wind Vector (Wind Direction + Speed), and (3) Ground Vector (True Course + Groundspeed).
The Wind Correction Angle is derived using the Law of Sines: sin(WCA) / Wind Speed = sin(Wind Angle) / True Airspeed.
Groundspeed equals True Airspeed minus headwind component, or plus tailwind component, corrected for the crab angle cosine reduction.
How AeroWind Pro Works
Surface wind is broken down using vector decomposition into longitudinal (headwind/tailwind) and lateral (crosswind) components.
Runway & Wind Alignment
Enter runway identifier (e.g. 03) or exact magnetic heading, and wind from METAR or AWOS.
Trigonometric Calculations
Instant calculation of V·sin(θ) for crosswind and V·cos(θ) for headwind/tailwind.
Safety Telemetry & Reciprocal
Verifies conditions against aircraft demonstrated limits and assesses reciprocal runway safety.
Crosswind Component Reference Table
Calculated crosswind values (in knots) based on wind speed and angular differential from the runway centerline.
| WIND SPEED | 15° DIFF | 30° DIFF | 45° DIFF | 60° DIFF | 75° DIFF | 90° DIFF (DIRECT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 KTS | 2.6 KT | 5.0 KT | 7.1 KT | 8.7 KT | 9.7 KT | 10.0 KT |
| 15 KTS | 3.9 KT | 7.5 KT | 10.6 KT | 13.0 KT | 14.5 KT | 15.0 KT |
| 20 KTS | 5.2 KT | 10.0 KT | 14.1 KT | 17.3 KT | 19.3 KT | 20.0 KT |
| 25 KTS | 6.5 KT | 12.5 KT | 17.7 KT | 21.7 KT | 24.1 KT | 25.0 KT |
| 30 KTS | 7.8 KT | 15.0 KT | 21.2 KT | 26.0 KT | 29.0 KT | 30.0 KT |
Specialized Flight Computers & Calculators
Explore all 10 certified flight computation instruments engineered for specific aerodynamic scenarios, from wing-low crab corrections to raw METAR decoding.
Crosswind Correction Calculator
Calculate the precise heading crab angle and wing-low sideslip control deflections required to arrest lateral runway drift and achieve centerline alignment on final approach.
Crosswind Drift Calculator
Calculate lateral crosswind drift rate, cross-track error per nautical mile, and heading adjustments required to maintain your flight path over the runway extended centerline.
Crosswind Limit Calculator
Evaluate crosswind operating limits against aircraft certified Maximum Demonstrated Crosswind values and Runway Condition Codes (RWYCC 1 to 6).
Max Crosswind Calculator
Solve the maximum allowable total surface wind speed and gust velocity that keeps your aircraft within its certified crosswind envelope at any wind angle.
Wind Triangle Calculator
Solve the classic E6B aviation wind triangle. Compute True Heading (TH), Wind Correction Angle (WCA), and Groundspeed (GS) from True Airspeed and wind vectors.
Aviation Groundspeed Calculator
Calculate True Airspeed (TAS) and actual Groundspeed (GS) across the runway threshold, factoring density altitude, headwind compression, and landing roll distance.
Drift Angle Calculator
Calculate pilot drift angle and track error angles using the classic 1-in-60 rule. Determine heading corrections required to regain your desired flight course.
Crosswind Magnetic Variation Calculator
Convert True wind reports from METARs and TAFs into Magnetic directions for active runway crosswind resolution using local magnetic variation (isogonic lines).
Crosswind Tailwind Calculator
Evaluate critical tailwind components during crosswind approaches. Computes landing roll distance expansion, float tendencies, and FAA regulatory tailwind limits.
METAR Wind Calculator
Paste or type raw METAR strings to decode wind direction, sustained speed, gusts, and variable wind groups with automatic crosswind decomposition.
Frequently Asked Questions: Wind Triangle Calculator
What are the three sides of an aviation wind triangle?
The three sides are: the Air Vector (heading and True Airspeed), the Wind Vector (direction and speed of wind), and the Ground Vector (ground track and groundspeed).
How does an E6B calculate the wind triangle?
The mechanical E6B uses a rotating azimuth ring and sliding grid to resolve vector addition graphically, matching True Airspeed and wind velocity to find Groundspeed and WCA.
What is the formula for Wind Correction Angle (WCA)?
WCA = arcsin((Wind Speed / True Airspeed) × sin(Wind Direction - Desired Course)). The result is added or subtracted from True Course to get True Heading.
Why is Groundspeed different from True Airspeed?
Groundspeed is the aircraft speed relative to the earth surface. A headwind reduces groundspeed below True Airspeed, while a tailwind increases groundspeed above True Airspeed.
Can crosswind decrease your groundspeed even without a headwind?
Yes! When crabbed into a pure 90° crosswind, part of your True Airspeed is spent countering drift, resulting in Groundspeed = TAS × cos(WCA), which is slightly lower than TAS.