Definition
A tapered fabric tube, open at both ends and mounted on a pivot at an airport, that aligns itself with the wind to show its direction and gives a rough indication of its speed by how far it extends from horizontal.
Plain English
A cloth tube on a pole at the airport that points in the direction the wind is blowing and shows roughly how strong it is by how much it lifts up.
Context Anchor
Seen near runways, ramps, heliports, and small landing areas when checking surface wind before takeoff, landing, or taxi.
Derivation
The term combines “wind” with “sock” because the device is a cloth sleeve that fills and stretches out when wind blows through it. That image helps: it is not an instrument with numbers, but a simple visible sleeve moved by the wind.
Why Pilots Care
Provides an immediate visual cue for wind direction and strength to support safe takeoff and landing decisions.
Intuition Check
A wind sock does not give an exact wind speed. It shows wind direction clearly and wind strength only roughly.
Example Sentence 1
On final approach, the pilot glanced at the wind sock and saw it standing nearly straight out, indicating a strong surface wind.
Example Sentence 2
A fully extended wind sock showed a strong crosswind as the aircraft turned final.