Crosswind Component Calculator

About this calculator

This calculator resolves a reported wind into two components relative to the runway heading: crosswind = wind speed × sin(angle) and headwind = wind speed × cos(angle), where the angle is the difference between the wind direction and the runway's magnetic heading — simple vector trigonometry applied to the angle between wind and runway.

Pilots calculate this before takeoff and landing to check the crosswind component against their aircraft's demonstrated crosswind limit, a certified maximum beyond which the manufacturer hasn't tested safe control on the runway. Flight instructors use the same breakdown to teach crosswind landing technique, and dispatchers and air traffic controllers reference it when advising which runway to use as wind direction shifts through the day.