Learn how MSFS 2020 wind and turbulence affect handling, then adjust wind layers, gusts and turbulence strength or fix locked weather controls.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, wind changes an aircraft’s groundspeed, drift, take-off and landing distance, while gusts and turbulence disturb airspeed, attitude and vertical speed. You can edit wind layers in custom weather and reduce or increase turbulence through the Piloting assistance settings; Live Weather must be disabled to edit its wind.
What do wind and turbulence change in MSFS 2020?
Steady wind mainly changes the aircraft’s movement over the ground, while gusts and turbulence produce the bumps, rolls and sudden vertical movement felt in the cockpit.
| Condition | Effect on the aircraft | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Headwind | Reduces groundspeed for a given indicated airspeed | Usually shortens the take-off or landing ground roll |
| Tailwind | Increases groundspeed for a given indicated airspeed | Lengthens the ground roll and can make an approach unstable |
| Crosswind | Pushes the aircraft sideways and creates drift | Requires a crab or sideslip and centreline corrections |
| Gusts and turbulence | Cause rapid changes in airspeed, bank, pitch and vertical speed | Increase workload and may make the autopilot hunt |
A steady wind does not automatically mean a rough flight. Once airborne in a uniformly moving air mass, the main results are drift and a changed groundspeed. Bumpiness comes from gusts, convection, terrain effects and variations between neighbouring air masses.
Wind direction follows the aviation convention: a wind shown as 270° comes from the west. Our detailed explanation of weather and aircraft performance covers the resulting changes to climb, cruise, take-off and landing.
How do I adjust wind in MSFS 2020?
Wind is adjusted through the custom weather editor, either before departure or during an unrestricted free-flight session.
- Open the Weather controls. Use Flight Conditions on the World Map or open the Weather panel from the in-flight toolbar.
- Turn off Live Weather. Choose an editable preset or custom weather; live data cannot be altered one wind layer at a time.
- Select a wind layer. Set its altitude, direction and speed, then adjust the available gust controls if required.
- Add layers when necessary. Separate layers let you create different surface and upper-level winds, including wind-direction or speed changes with altitude.
- Test the conditions. For crosswind practice, confirm the runway orientation and remember that the entered direction is where the wind originates.
Switching from Live Weather to a preset replaces the live conditions rather than editing them. For a repeatable circuit or approach, custom weather is the better choice; Live Weather is better when the changing atmosphere is part of the flight.
How do I change the turbulence strength?
Turbulence strength is controlled separately from wind through Options > Assistance Options > Piloting > Turbulence.
| Setting | What it does | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Attenuates the simulated turbulence response | You want gentler conditions or are troubleshooting excessive motion |
| Medium | Provides an intermediate response | You want more movement without the full modelled intensity |
| Realistic | Uses the full intended turbulence intensity | You want the weather system’s strongest, least-reduced response |
This setting does not remove a wind layer or change its entered speed. It changes how strongly the aircraft experiences modelled turbulence. See our exact walkthrough of the MSFS 2020 turbulence levels and menu path for the setting-specific details.
Why is the Weather panel unavailable or locked?
The Weather controls are commonly locked because the flight is using Live Weather, the Live Players multiplayer mode or a scripted activity with fixed conditions.
Return to the World Map and start a free-flight session that permits custom conditions. If multiplayer is required, choose a mode or group configuration that allows editable weather rather than one tied to the live environment. Some activities intentionally prevent weather changes and must be exited first.
Why is the aircraft still bouncing with turbulence set to Low?
Low turbulence reduces the turbulence response but does not guarantee perfectly smooth air.
- Check gusts: a custom wind layer can still contain strong gusts even with turbulence set to Low.
- Reduce the wind temporarily: calm custom weather helps separate atmospheric motion from an aircraft or controller problem.
- Watch the autopilot: aggressive altitude corrections can resemble turbulence, especially in an add-on aircraft with imperfect autopilot tuning.
- Check control axes: duplicate bindings, a noisy pitch axis or excessive sensitivity can produce continuous oscillation in calm weather.
Live Weather can also differ from an airport report because it blends observations with forecast-model data. Our explanation of how live weather becomes simulated wind and turbulence explains why local conditions do not always match reality exactly.
How should I fly through strong turbulence?
Use smooth control inputs, remain within the aircraft’s limitations and avoid chasing every small altitude or airspeed fluctuation.
If the aircraft documentation provides a rough-air or turbulence-penetration speed, use that guidance without dropping below safe margins. Disconnect the autopilot only if it begins making aggressive corrections and the aircraft procedure permits it. On approach, go around if gusts or crosswind prevent a stable approach; our rough-air handling and overstress guidance covers the risks when damage settings are enabled.