Wind Correction Angle Calculator
Solve the wind triangle: wind correction angle, true heading and ground speed from TAS, course and wind.
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About Wind Correction Angle Calculator
A crosswind pushes an aircraft sideways off its intended track, so you point the nose slightly into the wind to stay on course. The angle you turn by is the wind correction angle (WCA). This wind correction angle calculator solves the wind triangle: give it your true airspeed, true course and the wind, and it returns the WCA, the true heading to fly and your ground speed.
It uses the same trigonometry as the wind side of an E6B flight computer. The crosswind part of the wind sets the correction angle, and the headwind or tailwind part changes the ground speed. If the wind is so strong that the course cannot be held, or the headwind is at least your airspeed, the calculator says so instead of giving a misleading number. Everything is calculated in your browser.
How to use
- Enter your planned true airspeed in knots.
- Enter the true course from your chart, in degrees.
- Enter the wind direction it blows from and its speed in knots, as given in the winds aloft forecast (true direction).
- Read the wind correction angle (left or right), the true heading and the ground speed.
- Apply magnetic variation and deviation to the true heading to get the compass heading for your flight log.