Crosswind component
Weather
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The crosswind component is the part of the wind blowing across the runway. It equals wind speed × sine of the angle between wind and runway direction.
- German term
- Seitenwindkomponente
Example: wind 270° at 20 kt, runway 24 (240°): angle 30°, sin 30° = 0.5, so the crosswind is 10 kt. Compare it with the maximum demonstrated crosswind in your aircraft's POH/AFM and with your own experience.
In practice
Use gust values, not the mean wind, when they are reported — a 15 kt wind gusting 25 kt is a different landing.
Related in Altimate Pilot
Weather & Flyability ScoreRelated terms
Official sources
Content reviewed: 2026-11
For general information only. Always use official sources, your aircraft's flight manual and current national rules for flight decisions.