If the surface wind is 010° at 18 knots, what is the crosswind component for a Rwy 08 landing?

To determine the crosswind component for landing on Runway 08 with a wind coming from 010° at 18 knots, it is crucial to understand how to calculate the crosswind component relative to the runway heading.

Runway 08 has a magnetic heading of 080°. The angle between the wind direction and the runway heading is calculated by finding the difference between these two angles. The wind is coming from 010°, so the angle difference is 80° - 10° = 70°.

The formula to calculate the crosswind component is:

Crosswind Component = Wind Speed x sin(angle difference)

In this case, the wind speed is 18 knots, and the angle difference is 70°.

Using the sine function:

Crosswind Component = 18 knots x sin(70°)

Calculating the sine of 70° gives approximately 0.9397. Therefore:

Crosswind Component = 18 knots x 0.9397 ≈ 16.88 knots

When rounded appropriately, this value is close to 17 knots, making it the correct answer. Therefore, the crosswind component when landing on Runway 08 under these wind conditions is approximately 17 knots.