Tailwheel Crosswind & Groundloop Risk Calculator
Crosswind components with tailwheel-specific thresholds — where the groundloop window opens and why the rollout is the real test.
A taildragger's CG sits behind the main gear: any swerve self-amplifies. The crosswind that was conquered in the flare can still win the bet at 30 knots of rollout — the landing isn't over until taxi speed.
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.
Crosswind components with tailwheel-specific thresholds — where the groundloop window opens and why the rollout is the real test.
About Tailwheel Crosswind & Groundloop Risk Calculator
Tailwheel pilots don't fear the crosswind approach — they fear seconds eight through twenty of the rollout, when the CG behind the main wheels turns every uncorrected swerve into a bid for the weeds. This calculator presents the components the taildragger way: crosswind as a percentage of your Vso, anchored to the 0.2 × Vso certification demonstration point, with verdict thresholds that respect how much earlier conventional gear runs out of patience than the training-fleet nosewheels did.
How to use Tailwheel Crosswind & Groundloop Risk Calculator
- 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 crosswind = W·sin(Δ); certification demo point = 0.2 × Vso; risk scales with XW/Vso substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs (or flip the unit toggle) until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Tailwheel Crosswind & Groundloop Risk Calculator?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the published formula crosswind = W·sin(Δ); certification demo point = 0.2 × Vso; risk scales with XW/Vso with sources cited on the page
- ✓A taildragger's CG sits behind the main gear: any swerve self-amplifies. The crosswind that was conquered in the flare can still win the bet at 30 knots of rollout — the landing isn't over until taxi speed.
- ✓Switch units, tweak any input and watch every result update live
Frequently asked questions
Why are tailwheel aircraft so much more crosswind-sensitive?+
Stability geometry. With the CG aft of the main gear, a yaw during rollout creates a side force that increases the yaw — divergent, where a nosewheel aircraft's geometry is self-straightening. Add the weathervaning moment from the big keel area behind the wheels and a crosswind supplies both the trigger and the energy for a groundloop.
Wheel landing or three-point in a crosswind?+
Most instructors teach wheel landings for serious crosswinds: touchdown is faster, so rudder and aileron keep authority longer and the tail (with its weathervaning surface) stays flying until you lower it on your terms. Three-pointers put the tailwheel down at minimum control authority. Type-specific technique varies — some types three-point beautifully in wind. Your transition instructor's word governs.
What does crosswind as % of Vso tell me?+
It normalizes the wind to your aircraft's control-authority scale. Certification demonstrates 20% of Vso; vintage types with small rudders may be hard work well below that, while a Husky or Maule shrugs above it. Tracking your own comfortable %Vso across types transfers better than a raw knot number when you change airplanes.
When does the groundloop risk actually end?+
When the aircraft is at walking pace with the stick held into the wind — not at touchdown. The danger zone is mid-rollout: slow enough that rudder authority has faded, fast enough that a swing generates real side load. Many groundloops happen after a perfect touchdown, during the relaxation. Fly the airplane until the chocks.
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