Gust Crosswind Calculator (Steady vs Gust)
Compute crosswind and headwind twice — at the steady wind and at the gust — plus the gust increment for your approach-speed additive.
Certification crosswind demos and your personal limits should be compared against the gust crosswind. The half-gust-factor speed additive is the convention most POHs and airline SOPs use.
Formula
⚠️ For flight planning and education only — always verify against your aircraft's POH/AFM, official weather sources and certified instruments. Not for primary navigation or airworthiness decisions.
Compute crosswind and headwind twice — at the steady wind and at the gust — plus the gust increment for your approach-speed additive.
About Gust Crosswind Calculator (Steady vs Gust)
‘Wind 290 at 16 gusting 28’ is really two winds, and the dangerous one is the second. This calculator resolves both the steady wind and the gust into runway components, shows how much extra crosswind arrives in each gust, and computes the conventional half-gust-factor airspeed additive — so the approach is briefed around the atmosphere's worst momentary offer rather than its average mood.
How to use Gust Crosswind Calculator (Steady vs Gust)
- 1Enter — sensible defaults are pre-filled so you see a worked result immediately.
- 2Read the live results: .
- 3Check the "With your numbers" line to see the formula components at W_steady and W_gust; additive ≈ ½ × (gust − steady), capped ~15 kt substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs (or flip the unit toggle) until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Gust Crosswind Calculator (Steady vs Gust)?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the published formula components at W_steady and W_gust; additive ≈ ½ × (gust − steady), capped ~15 kt with sources cited on the page
- ✓Certification crosswind demos and your personal limits should be compared against the gust crosswind. The half-gust-factor speed additive is the convention most POHs and airline SOPs use.
- ✓Switch units, tweak any input and watch every result update live
Frequently asked questions
Should I compare my limits against the steady wind or the gust?+
The gust. A 17-knot demonstrated crosswind means little if gusts push the instantaneous component to 21 — the gust is what arrives in the flare with full authority. Conservative operators apply both: steady component for planning legality, gust component for the actual go/no-go and technique decision.
Where does the half-gust additive come from?+
It is the long-standing OEM and airline convention: add half the gust factor (gust minus steady) to the reference approach speed, usually capped at 15 knots. The idea is to keep stall margin when a gust dies suddenly on short final, without carrying so much speed that touchdown floats and landing distance balloons.
Why are gusts more dangerous in a crosswind than on the nose?+
A headwind gust changes airspeed — startling but directly fixed by the additive. A crosswind gust changes the drift solution: the crab angle or slip you carefully trimmed is suddenly wrong, demanding immediate rudder and aileron at the worst possible height. The lateral correction has no equivalent of 'carry extra speed.'
What gust spread should make me consider another runway or airport?+
There's no regulation, but many instructors flag a spread of 10 knots or more as a structural rethink: the touchdown window narrows sharply and bounced/cocked-touchdown risk climbs. If the gust crosswind exceeds your demonstrated value or personal limit even though the steady wind doesn't, treat the limit as exceeded.
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