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Wind Correction Angle & Ground Speed Calculator

Solve the wind triangle: the heading to fly and resulting ground speed from course, true airspeed and wind.

About this tool

Wind Correction Angle & Ground Speed Calculator is a free, in-browser tool that solves the wind triangle. Give it the course you want to make good, your true airspeed, and the wind (direction and speed), and it returns the heading to fly to hold that track plus the ground speed you will actually achieve — all computed locally.

The wind angle relative to course is converted to radians (degrees × π ÷ 180) before the trigonometry. The wind correction angle is WCA = arcsin(wind speed × sin(wind − course) ÷ TAS), the heading to fly is course + WCA, and ground speed is GS = TAS × cos(WCA) − wind speed × cos(wind − course). The tool also shows whether the along-track wind is a head- or tailwind. If the crosswind exceeds your true airspeed the course cannot be held and the tool says so instead of returning a bad number.

Use it for cross-country planning to work out the crab angle and time en route for each leg. It is an estimate for planning and study, not for real-world navigation, so verify headings, winds and ground speeds against official sources and your aircraft's instruments in flight.

Frequently asked questions

What is the wind correction angle?
It is how far you must point the aircraft's nose into the wind to track your intended course — the crab angle. The tool computes WCA = arcsin(wind speed × sin(wind − course) ÷ TAS) and adds it to the course to give the heading to fly.
How is ground speed found?
From the wind triangle: GS = TAS × cos(WCA) − wind speed × cos(wind − course). A headwind component reduces ground speed below true airspeed; a tailwind component increases it. The head/tail tile shows which you have.
Why does it say the course cannot be held?
If the crosswind component is greater than your true airspeed, arcsin has no solution — the aircraft simply cannot generate enough drift correction to stay on that course. Increase TAS or choose a course closer to the wind to get a result.
Is this good enough to navigate with?
Treat it as a planning and learning estimate, not for real-world navigation. It assumes steady wind and true airspeed and works in a single reference. Confirm winds aloft, headings and ground speed with official sources and onboard systems in flight.

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