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4 Answers

Winds aloft direction

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Weather

I heard a statement from an experienced instructor that winds aloft direction points to, not from the wind direction. 

For example, winds aloft of 2715 would be interpreted as winds blowing to 270 at 15. I’ve always interpreted winds aloft direction as from, so in this example it would be blowing from 270 @ 15. 

Have I been doing it wrong this whole time?

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4 Answers



  1. Jeff Baum on Apr 28, 2024

    The textual winds (2715) would be read as 270 degrees TRUE and 15 knots. Here you are correct.

    On the Winds Aloft Chart, the tail of the wind points to the direction from which the wind is blowing and the “feathers” indicate the velocity. So the winds would be displayed on the chart with the “tail” pointing towards 270 true and there would be one full and one half feather to indicate 15 knots. Here, you CFI is correct.

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  2. Mark Kolber on May 01, 2024

    I’m glad Jeff understood the question enough to answer it.

    Winds aloft 27015 is a wind blowing from west to east at 15 knots. I didn’t understand “points to” at all. If the wind barb graphic is what was meant, yes. It’s basically just an arrow with tail feathers. Like an arrow, the point is where it’s going to and the tail is where it’s coming from.

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  3. Jeff Baum on May 01, 2024

    I agree, my phrasing was a bit poor as I was trying to incorporate his instructors remark about “points to…” I usually teach to think of the the wind indication on a Winds Aloft chart as an arrow moving across the chart, showing how the wind is flowing. And the feathers indicate the velocity.

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  4. lifeasben on May 01, 2024

    Thanks for the comments guys!

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