Pilot reference

Crosswind component calculator

Type the runway and the wind. The calculator draws the wind against the runway and splits it into the part across it and the part along it, including the gust, and checks it against your own limit.

Written by the FlightWay team. Regulations checked against the eCFR and faa.gov on 11 November 2026. Not a substitute for the regulation itself or your instructor.

Example: runway 18, wind 220° at 15 knots. 40° off the nose gives about 10 knots of crosswind and 11 knots of headwind.

The formula

With the angle between the wind and the runway as θ: crosswind = wind speed × sin θ, headwind = wind speed × cos θ. A negative headwind is a tailwind. Do it for the gust as well as the steady wind; the gust is the number your limit is about.

Rule of thumb: crosswind as a fraction of the wind
Angle off the runway	Crosswind	Exact (sin θ)
10°	about 1/6	0.17
20°	about 1/3	0.34
30°	half	0.50
45°	about 3/4	0.71
60° and beyond	nearly all of it	0.87

What the number is compared against

The maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity in your airplane’s POH is what was shown during certification; it is not a structural or legal limit. What should decide whether you go is your own personal limit, set with your instructor and adjusted for gusts, runway width and how recently you practiced. The calculator above checks against whatever limit you type in.

How do you calculate the crosswind component?

Multiply the wind speed by the sine of the angle between the wind direction and the runway heading. For a 15-knot wind 40° off the runway, 15 × sin 40° ≈ 9.6 knots of crosswind; the headwind is 15 × cos 40° ≈ 11.5 knots.

Is the maximum demonstrated crosswind a limit?

No. It is the highest crosswind demonstrated during certification and published in the POH. It is not an operating limitation, though exceeding it means flying beyond what was tested.

Should I use the METAR wind or the tower wind?

METAR winds are given in degrees true; ATIS and tower winds are magnetic, as runways are. Where magnetic variation is large, use the magnetic value against the runway heading.

Sources

Trigonometry, and the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), chapter on crosswind approaches and landings, for the technique behind the numbers.
Checked on 11 November 2026. If a rule has changed since, the regulation governs; tell us and we will correct the page.

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Last updated 11 November 2026.