Wind blows an aircraft (or boat) sideways off its intended track. Pilots crab into the wind by the wind correction angle so the ground track follows the course – the classic wind triangle of navigation.
How to use the Wind Correction Angle Calculator
- True airspeed (TAS)
- Desired course
- Wind speed
- Wind direction (from)
Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.
How it works
Enter the true airspeed, desired true course, wind speed and the direction the wind is blowing from.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| True airspeed (TAS) | Units: knots, km/h, mph, m/s |
| Desired course | Units: °, rad, arcmin, arcsec, mrad |
| Wind speed | Units: knots, km/h, mph, m/s |
| Wind direction (from) | Units: °, rad, arcmin, arcsec, mrad |
What each result means
- Wind correction angle = deg(asin([Wind speed]×sin(rad([Wind direction (from)] – [Desired course]))÷[True airspeed (TAS)]))
- Heading to fly = mod([Desired course] + [Wind correction angle] + 360, 360)
- Ground speed = [True airspeed (TAS)]×cos(rad([Wind correction angle])) – [Wind speed]×cos(rad([Wind direction (from)] – [Desired course]))
- Headwind component (negative = tailwind) = [Wind speed]×cos(rad([Wind direction (from)] – [Desired course]))
Example values
How the main result changes when True airspeed changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| True airspeed (TAS) (knots) | Wind correction angle (°) |
|---|---|
| 60 | -16.779 |
| 90 | -11.096 |
| 120 | -8.299 |
| 150 | -6.631 |
| 180 | -5.522 |
| 240 | -4.139 |
Formula
WCA = asin(V_w·sin(θ_w − θ_c)/TAS), heading = course + WCA, GS = TAS·cos(WCA) − V_w·cos(θ_w − θ_c)
Worked example
Inputs — True airspeed (TAS): 120 knots; Desired course: 90 °; Wind speed: 20 knots; Wind direction (from): 30 °.
Results — Wind correction angle = -8.299 °; Heading to fly = 81.7 °; Ground speed = 108.7434 knots; Headwind component (negative = tailwind) = 10 knots.
Key terms
- Wind triangle
- Vector relation between airspeed, wind and ground speed.
Frequently asked questions
Is wind direction "from" or "to"?
Meteorological winds are given as the direction they blow from.
What is crabbing?
Pointing the nose into the wind so the track stays on course.
Why does a headwind reduce ground speed?
It subtracts from the airspeed along the track.
Can the wind be too strong to correct?
Yes – if the crosswind exceeds the airspeed.