Crosswind Component

The portion of the reported wind that acts perpendicular to the runway centerline, calculated using the angle between the wind direction and the runway heading. Pilots determine the crosswind component during preflight planning to ensure it does not exceed the aircraft or personal crosswind limitations. The calculation uses the formula: crosswind component equals wind speed multiplied by the sine of the angle between the wind and the runway. For example, a 20-knot wind at 30 degrees off the runway produces a crosswind component of 10 knots.