When landing on water or on a field where no metar etc exists, it would be great to have current wind. Let the user input heading and airspeed - and calculate windspeed/direction!

Could be good when landing on grass fields without met as well. Input heading and IAS and skydemon will calculate wind based on track and GS.

That's a good idea in principle but I have my doubts in practice. Winds can change in direction and speed over the last 100 feet of altitude. If you really want to know surface winds, are you going to input heading and airspeed on short final, just tens seconds before you touch down? This is a dangerous distraction. Onthe other hand, there are so many clues to windspeed and direction (smoke, dust, trees, waves, etc.) that it is probably better to use these.

--Chris.

Although the calculation of windspeed and direction for landing has several problems and is not really the best use of a pilot's time and focus during a critical flight phase, I can see merit in the ability to calculate windspeed and direction during the en-route phase of a flight.  Currently wind vectors are based upon forecast winds aloft. It would be useful to calculate the actual wind vector during flight.  The pilot could input indicated airspeed and Heading, and SD could then calculate windspeed and direction since groundspeed and Track are known from the GPS.  The revised windspeed could then be used to update the plog.  Would others find such a facility useful?

George E A Reid

Ipad Mini 5,  IOS 14.4,  SD 3.15.0.288
PC(Win 10, Version 19041.804)  SD 3.15.0.0

In my aircraft I have an EFIS which calculates actual winds aloft. Comparing this to the forecast winds aloft given by SD, I find that most of the time they are in good agreement. Errors in heading and airspeed when you input these values manually into SD will probably obviate any benefit of the real-time calculation.

-- Chris.

If the forecast winds are fairly accurate then I agree there is little to be gained in updating the wind vector using imperfect ASI and DI readings.




George E A Reid

Ipad Mini 5,  IOS 14.4,  SD 3.15.0.288
PC(Win 10, Version 19041.804)  SD 3.15.0.0