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How can we roughly determine the wind component, without crosswind component chart?

Asked by: 7698 views Aerodynamics, General Aviation

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2 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Mark Kolber on Jan 27, 2014

    There’s a common rule of thumb for a rough calculation.

    1. The 45 degree multiplier is 0.7 for headwind, tailwind & crosswind components.
    2. For every 15 degree variation in wind direction from the 45 degree position, the 0.7 multiplier is adjusted by 0.2

    So, for example, It’s runway 9 and wind is 150 degrees at 14kts. That’s a 60° wind (150-90=60) The crosswind multiplier is .9 (.7+.2), So your Crosswind Component is 13 kts (14*0.9)

    Now, even that is too much math in the cockpit, for me anyway. And winds of any magnitude tend on to be constant. So, it can be simplified a lot for the real world.
    • 30° off the nose is a 50% crosswind component.
    • about 45° off the nose, about 75% of it is crosswind component
    • Any more than that, it’s all crosswind

    That’s of course a rough number, but since it’s only a guide to how much work you’ll probably have to do or whether to go elsewhere, it’ more than enough for many.

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  2. rizwan on Feb 13, 2014

    I follow the same rule but a little different way… it is 9’5 rule..if wind is 11 o clock.. head wind is 90 percent and cross wind half(50 percent). if wind is 10 o clock cross wind is 90 percent and head wind 50 percent(half) …45 degree either side 70 percent is head wind and cross wind

    wind 20 kts 11 o clock HW 20 x 0.9 = 18kts , CW 20 x 0.5 =10 kts
    wind 20 kts 10 o clock HW 20 x 0.5 =10 kts CW 20x 0.9 = 18 kts
    wind 20 kts 45 degree off …. HW 20x 0.7 =14 kts CW 20 x 0.7 =14 kts

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