Computing Winds Aloft

Do you carry and USE an E6B in the cockpit?

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TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

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If you don't have a fancy G1000/G600/G500 with an air data computer or similar showing you the actual winds aloft at your current altitude, what's YOUR current method for figuring it out, for inclusion in PIREPS or simple curiosity?

Are you pulling out the E6B? Something else?
 
Before I had anything that would give me groundspeed readouts, I carried the E6B and went with v=d/t

Personally I don't care about winds aloft directly. I watch my ground speed and figure out if I want to climb higher or descend.
 
I use ForeFlight's computations to get an idea of what to expect. When I did my student XC's, I found them to be quite accurate and less time consuming when interpolating.

When I'm in the plane, I just look at my ground speed to see if I like it or not.
 
Seems like someone should be able to write an app for that.

Input your TAS, align the phone with nose of aircraft and the phone sensors can do the rest...
 
I have both, but I do use the EFB to compute inflight winds if I need to. Mostly to confirm my mental math or to show a student how to compute TAS from IAS and altitude/temperature and then to compute the actual winds aloft and compare to forecast.
 
I use foreflight for everything I feel can better manage the cockpit and and spend more time flying the airplane. I'm good with using the E6B but i can get more information twice as fast with FF.
 
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How does FF know your TAS in order to calculate what winds aloft are vs forecast?
 
Have one in my flight bag. didn't use it inflight. didn't need to use it inflight. Had a loran and DME in my cherokee 140. Kind of did the "close enough" math in my head.
 
I last demonstrated the use of an E6B on my Private checkride in 2010. Haven't touched it since... don't really know how to use it to be honest.

I look at forecasted winds aloft while on the ground and my groundspeed on the GPS. Before I had GPS, I just wondered and guessed. :)
 
Usually poke numbers into an E6B App on the phone in cruise, just to see how things are working out.
 
Wow E6B... Never touched it again after I got my PPL. :lol:
 
TangoWhiskey said:
what's YOUR current method for figuring it out
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WingX has a nice flight planning feature that helps you determine the best altitude for your flight based on the winds aloft. See the attached screen capture.
 

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You don't really give the answer that fits. I don't have a real E6B but I havea simulation of one (in more than one way) on my iPhone which I used to compute TAS and the winds.
 
I carried a CR-5 in my pocket for almost 25 years...used it frequently for both flight planning and inflight verification/changes.
 
Turn the plane into the wind until you go the slowest ground speed. Then do a 180 and note groundspeed. Take the difference and divide by 2. That is the wind!
 
I flew right seat on a Angel Flight a couple of months ago. And, we had some pretty good winds enroute. I decided to use my E6B to compute the winds and before I could get the solution, the pilot and retired airforce/retired airline pilot told me what the winds were within a couple of degrees/knots.

He said that since for every mile-per-minute TAS, 1 degree of drift-correction cancels out 1 knot of cross wind, and a direct cross wind will have only a slight effect on ground speed, he just glance at his G/S & track and did a quick mental guesstimation.

Now, whenever I fly, I try doing this. I can't keep all the variables in my head plus work the required trigonometry problem for the correct solution. Though, we've had some pretty good winds lately and I have to say that this mental exercise, if nothing else has made me much more aware of the winds.
 
I have an old metal cr computer given to me when I finished flight engineer training. Love that little gem. It's always with me flying cross country.
 
I use the Sporty's E6B app for the ipad, not the old metal whiz wheel.
 
The Garmin 496 in the panel of my Sky Arrow has an E6B page.

For the kind of VFR flying I do, it's rarely worth messing with.

I just use a heading that keeps me on the magenta line, and know the headwind or tailwind component by taking the TAS on my Dynon and subtracting or adding the GS as shown on the Garmin.

I do have an E6B in my hangar, but have not used it in at least a decade or two. Pretty sure I still could, though, having taught it for years.
 
I see lots of PLANNING FOR WINDS answers using ForeFlight or other tools. I'm asking, how do you determine ACTUAL winds aloft enroute? If you're making a PIREP, that's one of the items you can tell them: Winds at 9000 are 295 @ 24 knots.

Which electronic E6B apps have it? Jesse's E6B Pro doesn't, as best I can tell. The only "Wind" calculation is crosswind component.
 
EdFred said:
Before I had anything that would give me groundspeed readouts, I carried the E6B and went with v=d/t

Personally I don't care about winds aloft directly. I watch my ground speed and figure out if I want to climb higher or descend.
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Same here.
 
wilkersk said:
He said that since for every mile-per-minute TAS, 1 degree of drift-correction cancels out 1 knot of cross wind, and a direct cross wind will have only a slight effect on ground speed, he just glance at his G/S & track and did a quick mental guesstimation.
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Another great application of the "rule of 60", which is one of the most useful quick calculation methods I've ever found.:yes:
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I see lots of PLANNING FOR WINDS answers using ForeFlight or other tools. I'm asking, how do you determine ACTUAL winds aloft enroute? If you're making a PIREP, that's one of the items you can tell them: Winds at 9000 are 295 @ 24 knots.

Which electronic E6B apps have it? Jesse's E6B Pro doesn't, as best I can tell. The only "Wind" calculation is crosswind component.
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My 430 has a TAS/Winds calculator built in if I want to know the actual winds. Dial in heading, TAS, OAT, Baro, and voila - head/tail/crosswind component is displayed.
 
Have one in the bag but never used it in flight.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I see lots of PLANNING FOR WINDS answers using ForeFlight or other tools. I'm asking, how do you determine ACTUAL winds aloft enroute? If you're making a PIREP, that's one of the items you can tell them: Winds at 9000 are 295 @ 24 knots.
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I'm with EdFred on this one. I don't.

If my TAS is 150, my GS is 120 and I am crabbed 20° right to maintain my 120° course, I have all I need to know for myself.

And I have given PIREPS that say just as much - "winds are generally out of the south in excess of 30 KTS."

Yeah, if I need more than that, I can open up my Sportys E6B app but the only thing I've ever used even that for in flight is if I think a crossing restriction might be a close call even with the mental math shortcut.
 
Before I flew an airplane with a readout I was with the contingent that didn't really care what the actual winds aloft were. The only item of interest was the headwind/tailwind component. The crab angle was whatever it took to stay on course.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Turn the plane into the wind until you go the slowest ground speed. Then do a 180 and note groundspeed. Take the difference and divide by 2. That is the wind!
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No it does not. Let's say I have a true airspeed of 100 knots and a direct crosswind of 20 knots. The ground speed in both directions is going to be the same (~98 knots).

Yes, for most practical considerations, knowing your GS is really all you need to do things like predict time at the next reporting point (actually, I don't even need that as my GPS will give me the ETAs to all the intersections along the airway I'm on), but if you want to know the actual winds (either because you are expecting a significant course change or you're just curious, you'll need to actually compute the TAS and take the heading you are flying to maintain your course into account.
 
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flyingron said:
No it does not. Let's say I have a true airspeed of 100 knots and a direct crosswind of 20 knots. The ground speed in both directions is going to be the same (~98 knots).

Yes, for most practical considerations, knowing your GS is really all you need to do things like predict time at the next reporting point (actually, I don't even need that as my GPS will give me the ETAs to all the intersections along the airway I'm on), but if you want to know the actual winds (either because you are expecting a significant course change or you're just curious, you'll need to actually compute the TAS and take the heading you are flying to maintain your course into account.
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Did you not read his post?
 
flyingron said:
No it does not. Let's say I have a true airspeed of 100 knots and a direct crosswind of 20 knots. The ground speed in both directions is going to be the same (~98 knots).

Yes, for most practical considerations, knowing your GS is really all you need to do things like predict time at the next reporting point (actually, I don't even need that as my GPS will give me the ETAs to all the intersections along the airway I'm on), but if you want to know the actual winds (either because you are expecting a significant course change or you're just curious, you'll need to actually compute the TAS and take the heading you are flying to maintain your course into account.
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Besides, calculating it is much quicker and easier than all that fling in circles :D
 
JoeSelch said:
Did you not read his post?
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Yes, I did. You want to explain how it is correct and my analysis is wrong? Given my hypothetical case, his method says that there is NO wind. That's just wrong.
 
flyingron said:
Yes, I did. You want to explain how it is correct and my analysis is wrong? Given my hypothetical case, his method says that there is NO wind. That's just wrong.
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Fly until you find the lowest GS (this will be a direct headwind) - say it's 80kts. Turn 180, and note that GS (this will be a direct tailwind), say it's 115kts.

(115kts - 80kts)/2 = wind of 17.5kts

Try actually reading his post again.

Turn the plane into the wind until you go the slowest ground speed. Then do a 180 and note groundspeed. Take the difference and divide by 2. That is the wind!
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Herp derp derp derrrrrrr!

See, I can be a condescending prick, too.
 
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Thank you, Ed.


A man sees what he wants to see...
 
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I use a slide ruler. No one else knows how to use one so my answer is never challenged.
 
On my student XCs I tracked timing just enough to convince myself that DR worked sufficiently for navigation purposes.
 
midlifeflyer said:
If my TAS is 150, my GS is 120 and I am crabbed 20° right to maintain my 120° course, I have all I need to know for myself.
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Everskyward said:
Before I flew an airplane with a readout I was with the contingent that didn't really care what the actual winds aloft were. The only item of interest was the headwind/tailwind component. The crab angle was whatever it took to stay on course.
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These. I don't typically have too much trouble with the course. It's running out of fuel that would be a real problem.

I mostly want to know what it's doing to groundspeed. If it generally matches the pre-flight forecast and weather charts, I will have a decent idea of the crab angle anyway.
 
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