Cross Wind Indicator

The Cross Wind Indicator is not an instrument you can find in a plane (boy it would be nice!).   It displays  both a digital and graphic representation of the:

1. Plane airspeed (green circle)
2. "Wind component" (yellow segment).
3. Ground track speed (blue).

The "green circle" shows the plane's airspeed relative to the maximum ground track speed.  The maximum ground track speed is the sum of the plane's airspeed and wind speed.  For example in the following graphcis:

• Tail wind - this shows  the "wind component" extending beyond the airspeed circle.  This indicates that the ground speed is faster  than the airspeed.
• Head wind - this shows the "wind component" inside of the airspeed circle.  This indicates that the ground speed is slower that the airspeed.
• Cross wind - these specific graphics show the ground track speed to be the same as airspeed - as expected going at right angles to the wind's direction.  The ground track line shows that the ground track is about 20 degrees from the airplane's heading.

As the airplane's heading changes from being and right angles to the wind's direction, the blue ground track line shows amount of  "drift" and and relative direction from the airplane's heading of the actual ground track.

The "wind component" is a headwind, crosswind or tailwind.

	Head wind
Cross wind		Cross wind
	Tail wind

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