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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-microburst-wind-order

During an inadvertent takeoff into a microburst, which wind may come first?

A headwind, then a downdraft, then a tailwind.

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  1. A tailwind
  2. A headwind ✔
  3. A crosswind from the left

Why: A plane may first meet a headwind that boosts performance, then sinking air, then a tailwind that reduces airspeed and performance. Pilots avoid microbursts because this sequence is hazardous near the ground.

Huh, didn't know that: Many major airports use systems that detect microbursts and issue alerts.

The dad joke
Why did the pilot steer around the storm? She did not want to get carried away.
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References

Answer: A headwind. A plane may first meet a headwind that boosts performance, then sinking air, then a tailwind that reduces airspeed and performance. Pilots avoid microbursts because this sequence is hazardous near the ground.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12 Weather Theory www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-25c.pdf
    the plane may first experience a performance-increasing headwind (1), followed by performance-decreasing downdrafts (2), followed by a rapidly increasing tailwind (3)
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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