Plain English Meaning

Take the airplane's stall speed when it is set up to land (flaps and gear down), and multiply that number by 0.2. The result is the crosswind speed the airplane was tested against during certification.

Full Definition

A crosswind component equal to 20 percent (0.2) of an airplane's stalling speed in the landing configuration (VSO). The FAA uses this value as a guideline for the maximum demonstrated crosswind component an airplane is required to handle during certification testing.

Context Anchor

Seen when planning or evaluating takeoffs and landings in crosswind conditions, especially when comparing the wind across the with a conservative limit.