How To Read The Airport Windsock– Aerosock The windsock, a timeless and colorful accessory at all airports, provides important information to pilots. Airport Windsock is much safer and more efficient than a plane taking off and landing against the wind and avoiding taking off and landing with a tailwind. All aircraft have a certified maximum crosswind component. The crosswind speed at which flying becomes dangerous. As such, pilots need to have a quick and easy way to determine wind speed and direction before taking off or landing.
Better Technology In fact, except in the most unusual circumstances, pilots have far more accurate, not to mention more technologically advanced, different ways of figuring out wind speed and direction than by looking at the windsock.