Ground Speed Calculator

Calculate aircraft ground speed and drift angle based on airspeed and wind.

Aviation Data

True Airspeed (TAS)

Wind Speed

Wind Direction (From) (°)

Course/Heading (°)

Calculation Results

Enter aviation data to calculate ground speed

Overview

Ground speed is the actual speed of an aircraft relative to the ground. It is the vector sum of its true airspeed (TAS) and the wind velocity.

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Pro Tips

Headwinds decrease ground speed, while tailwinds increase it.
Crosswinds create 'drift', requiring a heading correction to maintain a desired track.
Aviation 'Wind Direction' is where the wind is coming FROM.

Fun Facts

"The fastest ground speed ever recorded for a jet aircraft was 2,193 mph (3,529 km/h) by the SR-71 Blackbird."
"Commercial flights from the US to Europe are often faster than the return journey due to the jet stream tailwinds."
"Small planes in extreme wind can sometimes have a ground speed of zero or even move backward!"

Formula: GS = √(TAS² + W² - 2·TAS·W·cos(α))

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