In primary training, one of the ways pilots experience and learn about the effect of wind on an aircraft moving through the air is by performing ground reference maneuvers. While there are rules of thumb that can be used to estimate the degree of correction needed based on wind direction and speed, ground reference maneuvers are all about making corrections based on visual cues.

One of the first ground reference maneuvers that student pilots learn to fly is the rectangular course. The goal is to fly along each side of a rectangle—such as a field—and keep the aircraft at the same distance from each side of the rectangle. While maintaining airspeed and altitude, the pilot points the nose into the wind to maintain the desired course over the ground while accounting for wind, which makes this an ideal training tool for how to fly traffic patterns.

The entry to this maneuver is done on the downwind leg, so the wind effect at that point is a tailwind rather than a crosswind. With no crosswind, it’s not necessary to correct for wind. Upon turning from downwind to base, the pilot will experience a crosswind and will need to point the nose toward the field to maintain a track that parallels that base leg of the field. Upon turning upwind, the aircraft will experience a headwind until turning crosswind again. At this point, the wind will be from the other side, and the pilot will point the nose of the aircraft away from the field to adjust and maintain the aircraft’s track parallel to the field.

The rectangular course, like all ground reference maneuvers, requires the pilot to divide attention between the cockpit and visual references on the ground. The pilot must also understand the relationship between control inputs and the aircraft’s altitude, airspeed, and heading, and think ahead to ensure those inputs are planned in anticipation of wind and its effect on the airplane at different stages of each maneuver.

Because the maneuvers are done at the same altitude as traffic patterns, pilots are low enough to the ground to clearly see the effects of the wind and what happens as they make control changes. Rather than a theoretical concept or a pink line on a screen, the lesson comes alive when the pilot experiences a drift away from a field because they did not apply enough wind correction.

Why does this matter? Managing the wind in the pattern has many benefits, including (and especially) the base-to-final turn. It’s also important for recognizing and correcting for wind on final approach, and thus properly executing a crosswind landing.

More information about wind correction angles and ground reference maneuvers can be found in Chapter 7 of the FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook.