How do I change wind speed and direction in FSX?

In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, open Weather from Free Flight or choose World > Weather from the in-flight menu. Select User-defined weather, then Customize, and enter the wind speed and direction. Use Advanced Weather > Wind when you need altitude layers, gusts, turbulence or wind shear.

How to change wind in FSX step by step

Use FSX’s built-in User-defined weather editor to create a simple surface wind without installing an add-on.

1. Open the Weather window. On the Free Flight screen, find Current Weather and select Change. During a flight, press Alt to reveal the menu bar, then choose World > Weather.
2. Select User-defined weather. Do not leave a weather theme or real-world weather source selected, because it can replace the values you enter.
3. Choose Customize. If FSX presents a station map or selector, choose the reporting station nearest the airport. Select an all-stations or global option when you want the same conditions across the wider area.
4. Enter the wind. Set Wind Speed in knots and Wind Direction in degrees. For a straightforward airport wind, the basic controls are sufficient.
5. Apply every dialog. Select OK until you return to the flight. Closing one of the nested windows with Cancel discards the changes made there.
6. Check the result. With the default keyboard mapping, press Shift+Z repeatedly to cycle the diagnostic text until the wind at the aircraft appears. A nearby windsock provides a useful visual check.

Should I use basic or Advanced Weather controls?

Choose the basic editor for one uncomplicated wind and Advanced Weather when conditions must vary with altitude or include gusts and atmospheric disturbance.

These controls are included in both editions. Our overview of the Steam Edition’s User-defined weather controls covers the broader set of wind adjustments available in that version.

How do I add wind layers and gusts?

Open the Wind section in Advanced Weather to assign different conditions to the surface and winds aloft.

1. Open User-defined weather > Customize > Advanced Weather, then select the Wind section or tab.
2. Select the lowest existing wind layer, or add one if needed.
3. Make sure that layer covers the aircraft and the airport’s elevation. A mistake we see often is configuring a nominal surface layer that sits below a high-altitude airfield.
4. Enter the sustained speed and direction, then configure gusts, turbulence or wind shear only when required.
5. Add higher layers for winds aloft. Keep the altitude order logical and avoid large, abrupt changes between adjacent layers unless strong shear is intentional.
6. Select OK through each open weather window and verify the wind at both ground level and cruising altitude.

What do gusts, turbulence and wind shear change?

These settings produce different effects and should not be treated as interchangeable ways to make the wind stronger.

• Wind speed is the sustained base wind for that layer.
• Gusts add intermittent variation above the steady wind.
• Turbulence produces irregular aircraft disturbance rather than a simple increase in headwind or crosswind.
• Wind shear represents a rapid change in wind speed or direction over a short distance, commonly near a layer boundary.

For routine circuit practice, start with speed and direction alone. Add gusts next, then turbulence or shear only if the exercise calls for them; otherwise it becomes difficult to tell which setting is affecting the aircraft.

What does wind direction mean in FSX?

FSX follows aviation convention: wind direction identifies where the wind is coming from, not where it is going.

A setting of 270° creates a westerly wind blowing towards the east. It is therefore approximately a headwind on Runway 27 and a tailwind on Runway 09. On Runway 18 or 36, the same wind is mainly a crosswind.

Runway numbers are rounded magnetic headings, so a runway labelled 27 may not have an exact centreline of 270°. Local magnetic variation and the reference used by a particular weather display can also produce a small numerical difference. At zero knots, the entered direction has no practical effect.

Is changing the wind in FSX free (de graça)?

Yes. Once FSX or FSX: Steam Edition is installed, changing the wind is free and uses the simulator’s built-in weather editor. No paid weather engine, utility or download is required.

FSX itself is commercial software rather than freeware, so the built-in control does not make the whole simulator a free download. Optional weather add-ons can provide more sophisticated conditions, but they are not needed for manual wind settings.

Why does FSX ignore or reset my wind?

Manual wind is usually replaced because another weather source is active, the wrong station or altitude layer was edited, or FSX is gradually blending between conditions.

• The value changes immediately: select User-defined weather and disable any external weather injector. Weather themes and real-world modes can overwrite manual entries.
• The wind changes as you fly: nearby reporting stations may contain different settings. FSX interpolates between local stations, so use consistent values at surrounding stations or an all-stations option.
• The surface wind does not change: verify that the lowest wind layer extends above the airfield elevation. Editing only a winds-aloft layer will not necessarily affect the windsock or runway.
• The change takes time: FSX can transition gradually according to its weather-change-rate setting. Reduce that delay when you need an immediate test result.
• The settings disappear after loading: a saved flight can restore the weather stored with it. Configure the weather first and then save the flight if you want a repeatable setup.
• A mission keeps replacing the weather: some missions control conditions as part of their scripting. Use Free Flight for unrestricted weather testing.
• Nothing changed after leaving the editor: reopen it and confirm that every nested window was accepted with OK rather than Cancel.

How do I keep the wind fixed for testing?

Use User-defined weather at all relevant stations, minimise automatic weather evolution and disable anything that injects new conditions.

1. Set the required wind at the airport and surrounding stations, or use the global option where available.
2. Set the weather-change rate to its lowest or non-changing position.
3. Turn off external weather updates and do not select a theme or real-world weather mode.
4. Save the flight only after the final weather has been applied.

If the exercise also needs a repeatable cloud base, our instructions for setting fixed overcast weather in FSX use the same User-defined weather workflow.

Will FSX ATC change runway after I change the wind?

Changing the airport’s surface wind can influence FSX ATC’s runway choice, but it does not guarantee that an existing clearance or approach will be replaced immediately.

Set the surface wind before requesting departure clearance or an approach. Changing only a high-altitude layer will not provide the runway-level wind ATC needs, and ATIS may update before the ATC runway assignment does.

Airport runway data, AI traffic and FSX’s simplified ATC logic also affect the result. If ATC still selects an unsuitable runway, see our explanation of why FSX ATC assigns the wrong runway and what can be changed.