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Before using an E6B, check two things: whether the wind direction is true or magnetic, and whether the wind speed uses the same units as your true airspeed. Keep wind direction and course in the same reference frame throughout the wind-triangle calculation. For U.S. METARs, wind is reported in knots and referenced to true north; FAA guidance says wind direction in ATIS and ASOS/AWOS voice broadcasts is magnetic.

1. Decode the reported wind

A wind direction tells you where the wind is coming from, not where it is going. In a U.S. METAR wind group, the three-digit direction is in tens of degrees from true north, and the speed is in knots, shown by KT. The FAA’s examples include 13008KT, meaning wind from 130° at 8 knots, and 08032G45KT, meaning wind from 080° at 32 knots with gusts to 45 knots. See the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).

  • G introduces a gust speed. Read it as a gust, not as the steady speed to use without judgment in a planning calculation.
  • VRB means the report does not give one fixed direction to plot. A variable-direction range, such as 280V350, also indicates that direction varies.

For other countries’ weather products, inspect the displayed units rather than assuming knots. The Aviation Weather Center notes that wind may be reported in km/h or m/s outside the U.S.; see its product information.

2. Identify whether the direction is true or magnetic

The reporting source determines the reference. The FAA specifies true north for U.S. METAR wind direction, but magnetic north for wind direction in ATIS and ASOS/AWOS radio voice broadcasts. Gleim’s E6B instructions describe winds-aloft direction as true. Check the source and the specific product, rather than treating every wind number as the same kind of direction.

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Do I need to convert wind direction to magnetic before using an E6B? Not necessarily. You can calculate in a true-reference workflow and convert the resulting true heading to magnetic, or convert the wind direction to magnetic first and calculate in a magnetic-reference workflow. What matters is that course and wind direction use the same reference in the wind triangle.

3. Choose one direction-reference workflow

Workflow Direction inputs Where variation is applied Initial result
True-reference True course and true wind direction After the wind calculation True heading
Magnetic-reference Magnetic course and wind direction converted to magnetic Before plotting the wind Magnetic heading

The hosted E6B manual demonstrates the true-reference approach. Gleim’s instructions describe a magnetic-reference approach as well. Do not mix a true course with magnetic wind direction, or magnetic course with true wind direction, in one calculation. When applying variation, use the local value and the east/west convention indicated by your chart or E6B instructions.

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4. Match wind-speed units to true airspeed

Wind speed and true airspeed must be on compatible scales for the E6B wind-side calculation. U.S. METAR wind speed is in knots. If your aircraft’s POH gives TAS in mph, Gleim instructs users to convert that airspeed to knots when using winds in knots. If the weather source reports km/h or m/s, use a corresponding speed scale or convert the wind speed to match the TAS scale. Follow the units printed on your particular E6B.

5. Plot the wind using your E6B model’s instructions

  1. Set the wind direction at the TRUE INDEX as directed by the cited manual.
  2. Mark the wind-speed dot from the convenient grommet reference specified in the manual.
  3. Align the course at the index, then move the slide until the wind dot lies on the true-airspeed arc.
  4. Read groundspeed below the grommet and determine the wind correction angle from the dot’s position relative to the center.

That sequence describes the cited manual’s method; E6B models can use different scale intervals and markings, so use the instructions supplied with your model. In the manual’s example, wind 230° at 18 knots, true course 090°, and TAS 125 knots produce groundspeed of 138 knots and a 5° right wind correction angle. This is the manual’s worked example, not an independent test result.

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6. Check weather timing before relying on the calculation

An E6B calculation only reflects the wind input you give it. The FAA AIM advises pilots to consider weather-product issue and valid times, currency, and relevance because conditions vary. Confirm that the observation or forecast is appropriate to your location, altitude, and planned time; this procedure does not establish current winds for a flight.

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