Crosswind Calculator
Wind direction and speed versus your runway → exact crosswind and headwind components. Know it before you line up.
How crosswind components are calculated
The wind's angle to the runway splits it into two parts: the headwind component (along the runway) and the crosswind component (across it). With the angle between wind and runway heading:
- Crosswind = wind speed × sin(angle)
- Headwind = wind speed × cos(angle), negative means a tailwind
Enter your runway number (e.g. 24) and the tool uses its heading (240°). Compare the crosswind result against your aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind and your own personal minimums.
FAQ
Is the maximum demonstrated crosswind a limit?
For most light aircraft it's not a regulatory limit, but it's the most that was demonstrated during certification, a strong reference point. Your personal minimum should usually be at or below it.
Can it pull live wind and runways automatically?
That's coming soon: a version that fills in live wind and your airport's real runways from current weather. For now, enter them manually.
Every runway on your route, live
The SkyReady app runs this same crosswind math live across every airport on your route from the current wind — part of a one-tap Go/No-Go readiness brief.