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Wind Correction Angle Calculator

Work out wind correction angle instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Wind Correction Angle Calculator

Wind correction angle is the crab angle needed to hold a track: arcsin of the crosswind component divided by true airspeed. For small angles the handy approximation is WCA in degrees equals 60 x crosswind / TAS, which is why a crosswind of one tenth of TAS needs about 6 degrees of crab.

Formula

Wind correction angle

WCA = asin(crosswind / TAS); GS = TAS x cos(WCA) - headwind

Worked example

With the default values below, Wind Correction Angle Calculator returns Wind correction angle of 10.48. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

True airspeed
110 kt
Crosswind component
20 kt
Headwind component
12 kt

Results

Wind correction angle
10.48 °
Resulting ground speed
96.17 kt
Drift if uncorrected
0.333 nm/min
Crosswind as share of TAS
18.2% %

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Wind correction angle
  3. 3Wind correction angle= 10.48 °
  4. 4Resulting ground speed= 96.17 kt
  5. 5Drift if uncorrected= 0.333 nm/min
  6. 6Crosswind as share of TAS= 18.2 %

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Aviation results are planning estimates only. Always verify take-off, landing, fuel, weight and balance figures against the certified Aircraft Flight Manual, current performance charts and applicable aviation regulations before flight.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Aviation results are planning estimates only. Always verify take-off, landing, fuel, weight and balance figures against the certified Aircraft Flight Manual, current performance charts and applicable aviation regulations before flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 1-in-60 rule version?

WCA is roughly 60 x crosswind / TAS degrees. It is accurate to within a degree for crosswinds under about a third of TAS.

Does correcting for drift cost ground speed?

Slightly. Crabbing means only TAS x cos(WCA) is directed along the course, so a large crab angle trims a little from ground speed.

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Wind Correction Angle Calculator | Calcrivo