On another thread, I heard all of these words and several others in reference to wind direction or is it which way the person is heading relative to wind direction??
As a beginner, can someone give a rundown on what each of these mean and others I haven’t mentioned?
Tailwind
Headwind
Downwind
Wind Direction
Headwind and Tailwind describe that part of a plane that is first hit by the wind. If you are flying into the direction that the wind comes from then it’s a headwind. If flying away from the direction that the same wind is coming from then it’s a tailwind
Upwind is moving or positioned towards the direction that wind is coming from. Downwind is moving or positioned away from the direction the wind is coming from.
A beamwind hits you from the side. A quartering wind hits you from amy of the angles not previously described (45° to the left or right and from the front or rear).
FYI Winds are named according to the direction from which they come (a cold north wind, a warm southwesterly, etc). But since winds never move in a straight line (they actually move in a net circular pattern) , people in different locations experience winds from different directions and so name them differently.
Have fun!
except…
when you are talking onshore/ offshore winds. Then it’s the direction they are blowing TOWARDS, not from.
velly confussssssing.
steve