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Aircraft Ground Speed with Wind Vector — result sheet
Calculate an aircraft's ground speed and track from airspeed, heading, and meteorological wind direction and speed.
Inputs used
Results
Visual chart
Breakdown
Calculation steps
Returned data table
Formula and methodology
Formula: Vground = Vaircraft + Vwind; east = Vsin(heading) + Wsin(from+180°); north = Vcos(heading) + Wcos(from+180°); ground speed = √(east²+north²).
An aircraft's airspeed is its velocity through the moving air mass, not its velocity over the ground. The handler converts the aircraft heading and the meteorological wind-from direction into east and north vector components, adds them, and returns the resulting ground speed and track. A tailwind therefore increases progress along the track while a crosswind can rotate the track away from the nose.
This result follows the calculator's declared inputs, precision, validation boundaries, and model limits.
Input contract
- True airspeed — m/s; minimum 0; maximum 100000
- Aircraft heading — ° clockwise from north; minimum 0; maximum 360
- Wind speed — m/s; minimum 0; maximum 100000
- Wind direction (from) — ° clockwise from north; minimum 0; maximum 360
Worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| True airspeed | 100 |
| Aircraft heading | 90 |
| Wind speed | 20 |
| Wind direction (from) | 270 |
A 20 m/s wind from 270° is a 20 m/s tailwind for an eastbound aircraft, giving 120 m/s ground speed on a 90° track.
Assumptions and limits
- Airspeed and wind speed use the same units and are treated as horizontal true-velocity magnitudes.
- Wind direction is entered as the direction the wind comes from, while the calculation reverses it to obtain the wind-to vector.
- The model is steady and level; altitude, wind shear, air density, navigation corrections, and flight-control limits are not included.
Calculator note
Source and methodology
Use the official WorldCalculate methodology policy for the source, formula, precision, and boundary standards behind this calculator.
Planning estimate, not financial, medical, legal, or professional advice. © WorldCalculate — reuse with attribution. Built and curated by Hassan ALRowaie.
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