Where's the wind from?

Nov 9, 2026

In cruise, our heading is 360, but the GPS shows our ground track is 021 and our ground speed (84 knots) is below our airspeed (102 knots). Which way is the wind coming from?

ANorthwest

You got it 👍

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BNortheast

If it were Northeast, you'd be crabbed right of ground track, but here we're flying with a left crab. Option A is the answer 🧭

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CSouthwest

Southwest is the correct crab angle, but if you notice -- the ground speed is less than airspeed. We have a headwind. Option A is the answer 🌬️

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DSoutheast

If the wind were from the southeast, we'd have a tailwind, and the ground speed would be faster than airspeed -- it's not. Also, if the wind were from the southeast, we'd be crabbed right of the track, but instead we're crabbed left. Option A is the answer 🗺️

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Pick an answer. You can try as many as you like.

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The explanation

A. Northwest

First we check the panel. The magnetic compass and the DG are roughly 360. The airspeed indicator says we're flying 102 knots IAS. Next, we scan the Garmin 430 and determine the ground speed is 84 and the ground track is roughly 020.

We're headed north, but tracking northeast. That means we're holding a left crab — the wind must be west of our track. We then compare the airspeed to the ground speed and see the ground speed is less — which means we have a headwind. Put this together, and the wind is from the northwest.

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