Pilot - Tail Wind Vector Calculation

[rmcfarlane]

This should be a really simple question, but:

During a flight do you calculate the tail wind component to give you an idea of fuel burn etc...

I was speaking to a BMI pilot about sticking a few extra gauges on the Airbus ECAM cruise page, and the TWC gauge was suggested.

He mentioned (and like an idiot I forgot to write it down) the calculation as something like: GS-TAS or TAS-GS.

Is that the rough method, can anyone please clarify?

Many thanks,

Robbie
Farnborough College of Technology
Aeronautics Department

[selfin]

Try this, http://www.aviation.org.uk/excel/wv-fixed.xls

Tailwinds have the same direction as the aircraft's velocity, therefore it would be positive. TAS + (+)TW = GS [> TAS.]

With headwinds they're opposing aircraft velocity's direction, TAS + (-)HW = GS [< TAS.]

[rmcfarlane]

Thanks for that, so essentially the basic resolution is TW=GS-TAS

For a head wind u would therefore end up with a -'ve result. The gauge we are working on will have a 'flag' to indicate HW or TW.

Thanks again,

Robbie

[Monty Cristo]

Robbie, this is a bit fundamental for a technologist to be asking isn't it? Anyway, what's wrong with the FMGS?:confused: