How should wind information from METAR be used when selecting a runway for takeoff or landing?

• A. Ignore wind and select the runway with the longest length.
• B. Use wind direction to pick the runway with the greatest headwind component and determine crosswind; plan for crosswind techniques.
• C. Use sky cover to choose the runway that looks clearest.
• D. Choose a random runway.

Answer: (B)

Maximizing the wind component that helps you during takeoff and landing is the key idea. METAR wind data tell you both the direction the wind is coming from and its speed, so you orient the runway to align with that wind as much as possible. When the runway heading lines up with the wind, you get the largest headwind component, which improves aircraft performance during takeoff and stabilizes approaches by reducing ground speed.

There will still be a crosswind component because the wind rarely aligns perfectly with any runway. The crosswind can affect control and requires specific techniques, such as using a crab angle or wings level with opposite aileron (and then wings-into-the-wind during touchdown) depending on the aircraft and wind strength. So the best runway choice is the one that provides the greatest headwind while you also anticipate and plan for the crosswind.

Choices that ignore wind, focus on unrelated factors like sky visibility, or random selection don’t account for how wind direction and speed influence lift, controllability, and landing/rollout performance.