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A tailwind increases the object's speed and reduces the time required to reach its destination, while a headwind has the opposite effect. The terms are also used metaphorically in business and elsewhere about circumstances where progress is made harder (headwind) or easier (tailwind).
For example, a 10 knot wind coming at 45 degrees from either side will have a crosswind component of 10 knots × sin(45°) and a head/tailwind component of 10 knots × cos(45°), both equals to 7.07 knots. Pilots can use a use a crosswind component chart to calculate the headwind component and the crosswind component.
The unknown quantities are read from the chart using the same tools. Alternatively, the E6B flight computer (a circular slide rule with a translucent "wind face" on which to plot the vectors) can be used to graphically solve the wind triangle equations.
Ground speed can be determined by the vector sum of the aircraft's true airspeed and the current wind speed and direction; a headwind subtracts from the ground speed, while a tailwind adds to it. Winds at other angles to the heading will have components of either headwind or tailwind as well as a crosswind component.
This new airspeed will be faster as the headwind increases, but will result in the greatest distance covered. A general rule of thumb is to add half the headwind component to the best L/D for the maximum distance. For a tailwind, the origin is shifted to the left by the speed of the tailwind, and drawing a new tangent line.
A private pilot planning a flight under VFR will usually use an aeronautical chart of the area which is published specifically for the use of pilots. This map will depict controlled airspace , radio navigation aids and airfields prominently, as well as hazards to flying such as mountains, tall radio masts, etc.
In the presence of a tailwind, ECON airspeed can be reduced to take advantage of the tailwind, whereas in a headwind, ECON speed will be increased to avoid the penalty of the headwind. [12] In the presence of a tailwind, LRC speed may give a higher fuel burn than ECON. [9]
[1] [2] For example, a descent from flight level 350 would require approximately 35x3=105 nautical miles. This would have to be adjusted for headwind or tailwind, [1] and also to allow for deceleration time. Alternatively, David P. Davies gives the rule as 300 feet of descent required for each nautical mile of distance. [3]: 176