How can you determine wind direction and speed when not provided by a weather report?

• A. Wind is always from the east.
• B. Wind direction can only be determined from a METAR.
• C. Wind speed is measured with a barometer.
• D. Observe windsocks, flags, dust or smoke drift, and use drift and heading corrections to estimate wind; verify with landmarks if available.

Answer: (D)

When you don’t have a weather report, you infer wind by what you can observe at the surface and from how your airplane behaves relative to that air flow. Wind direction is the direction the wind is coming from, and you can read it from indicators like a windsock, flags, dust, smoke, or spray—these show the wind’s movement; remember the windsock points in the direction the wind is blowing toward, so the origin is the opposite direction. Wind speed is estimated by how strongly those indicators respond: a full, stiff windsock, fast-drifting dust, or rapid smoke movement signals stronger wind. In flight, you use drift and heading corrections—the amount your track drifts off your intended course—to estimate the crosswind component and, with practice, gauge the wind’s speed. You can also compare your observations with landmarks if available to corroborate. This approach works in any case where a METAR or weather report isn’t available.