Definition
On a flight planning chart or weather product, WINDS refers to the forecast or reported wind conditions — direction and speed — at specified altitudes along a route. Direction is given as the compass heading the wind is blowing FROM (in degrees true on written products, magnetic when spoken by ATC), and speed is given in knots.
Plain English
The expected wind at different heights along your route, shown as the direction the wind is coming from and how fast it is blowing.
Context Anchor
Seen in weather briefings, airport weather broadcasts, flight plans, and approach or landing decisions.
Derivation
“Wind” comes from Old English words meaning moving air or blowing air. That helps because, in aviation, the word is about air in motion, not just weather in general.
Why Pilots Care
Winds determine the actual heading needed to maintain course, affect groundspeed and fuel burn, and are essential for safe IFR navigation without visual references.
Grounding Statement
A wind from the west is air moving from west toward east, even though the report names the west direction.
Intuition Check
Do not read wind direction as where the air is going. In aviation, wind direction normally means where the wind is coming from.
Example Sentence 1
The winds along the route showed 240 at 35 knots at 9,000 feet, giving the flight a useful tailwind eastbound.
Example Sentence 2
Checking the winds aloft forecast allowed selection of the altitude with the strongest tailwind for the IFR leg.