How do I change wind speed and direction in FSX?

In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, open Current Weather from Free Flight, or press Alt in flight and choose World > Weather. Select User-defined weather, choose Customize, then set Wind Speed and Wind Direction. For altitude layers, open Advanced Weather, select Wind, edit the surface layer, and confirm each dialog with OK.

Set a basic surface wind in FSX

Use User-defined weather's basic controls when you want one straightforward wind at the aircraft or airport.

1. Open the Weather window. Before flying, use the Current Weather section on the Free Flight screen and select Change. During a flight, press Alt to reveal the menu bar, then choose World > Weather.
2. Select User-defined weather. Weather themes and downloaded real-world weather can replace manual values, so neither should remain active.
3. Choose Customize. If a station map or selector is shown, select the weather station nearest the airport where you want the wind.
4. Set the wind. Adjust Wind Speed and Wind Direction with the basic controls. Use Advanced Weather instead if you need exact layers, gusts, turbulence or wind shear.
5. Apply and check the change. Select OK through every open weather window. With the default controls, pressing Shift+Z repeatedly cycles diagnostic text that includes the wind at the aircraft's position.

If you want downloaded conditions rather than a fixed manual setup, our explanation of static and periodically updated FSX weather covers how those modes behave.

How do I add wind layers and gusts?

Use Advanced Weather when surface wind and winds aloft need different speeds or directions.

1. Open Customize > Advanced Weather > Wind.
2. Select the existing lowest wind layer, or add one if necessary. Make sure that layer covers the airport's elevation; this is easy to miss at a high-altitude airfield.
3. Enter the layer's speed and direction. Set Gusts above the sustained speed if you want variable, gusty conditions.
4. Add higher layers for winds aloft. Avoid abrupt changes between adjacent layers unless you deliberately want strong wind shear.
5. Confirm the changes with OK until you return to the simulator.

FSX associates local weather with reporting stations and blends conditions between them. For one airport, edit its nearest station. For uniform conditions over a wider area, apply the wind to all stations where that option is available, or repeat the settings at the relevant stations.

What does wind direction mean in FSX?

Wind direction in FSX is the direction from which the air is coming, following normal aviation convention.

A setting of 270° produces a westerly wind, blowing from west to east. It therefore creates approximately a headwind on Runway 27 and a tailwind on Runway 09. Wind speed is shown in knots; the actual headwind and crosswind components depend on the angle to the runway. See our practical explanation of how wind affects take-off and landing before setting demanding crosswind conditions.

Why does FSX ignore or reset my wind?

FSX usually appears to ignore manual wind because another weather source is active, the wrong station was edited, or the aircraft is outside the edited wind layer.

• Real-world weather or a theme is selected: switch back to User-defined weather before changing the wind.
• An external weather add-on is running: it can inject new conditions over the manual settings. Disable its weather updates or configure the wind there instead.
• The wrong station was changed: select the station nearest the aircraft, or apply consistent weather to the surrounding stations.
• The wrong altitude layer was edited: change the lowest layer that covers the airfield, not only a winds-aloft layer.
• The change is gradual: FSX can blend towards new conditions according to its weather-change-rate setting. Wait briefly or increase that rate temporarily.
• A saved flight was reloaded: saved flights can restore their stored weather conditions.

Will FSX ATC change runway after I change wind?

Changing the wind can influence FSX ATC's runway choice, but it may not replace a clearance or approach already issued.

Set the wind before requesting departure clearance or an approach whenever possible. Airport runway data and FSX's simplified ATC logic also affect the assignment, so the most favourable runway is not guaranteed; our guide to fixing an incorrect FSX ATC runway assignment explains the available workarounds.