Has anyone seen this? I'm in the middle of a flight now where the ND shows wind as 341/75, but on the Progress page of the FMS, it shows as 354/075. The latter set of values is also consistent with the display on FSNavigator.I have a full version of FSUIPC, and AS6.5 with GE Pro is also running.The values are in agreement on the 747.Dave Skuback

Has anyone seen this? I'm in the middle of a flight now where the ND shows wind as 341/75, but on the Progress page of the FMS, it shows as 354/075. The latter set of values is also consistent with the display on FSNavigator.I have a full version of FSUIPC, and AS6.5 with GE Pro is also running.The values are in agreement on the 747.Dave Skuback

Dave,This is normal. The one (ND) is magnetic the other (PROGRESS page) is true course. This is because the PROGRESS page is designed to assist in oceanic reporting and true winds is what is used in these reports.

Dave,This is normal. The one (ND) is magnetic the other (PROGRESS page) is true course. This is because the PROGRESS page is designed to assist in oceanic reporting and true winds is what is used in these reports.

Thanks for the response, Michael.You guys have really done one helluva job.Dave Skuback

Dave,This is normal. The one (ND) is magnetic the other (PROGRESS page) is true course. This is because the PROGRESS page is designed to assist in oceanic reporting and true winds is what is used in these reports.

Michael,In this picture, is the wind indication True or Magnetic?Regards,Harry

Is that a trick question coming from KCA?? I initially assumed that close inspection would reveal the plane is in the polar nav region, but the active waypoint and the MAG reference would suggest otherwise. Why wouldn't it be magnetic?

Michael,In this picture, is the wind indication True or Magnetic?Regards,Harry

The indication on the ND is "TRUE", the mag track is 105 degrees, the wind shows 264/31 instead of 284 magnetic (note that the wind is coming straight from behind)!That is around 20 VAR (west), which makes sence at 49 North/ 40 West.As far as i know, the indication on the ND is always TRUE.TOM

Good catch with the wind vector there, but I still say the ND is indicating magnetic heading, as evidenced by "MAG" next to the heading window.

In the image above it is important to realize that the wind vector (arrow) would look the same in relationship to the little aircraft (self) regardless if heading of aircraft is TRUE or MAG. But it is true that the value of the wind (264 here) is TRUE which should even be obvious from the picture itself.

Good catch with the wind vector there, but I still say the ND is indicating magnetic heading, as evidenced by "MAG" next to the heading window.

Your statement is correct! The HDG is showing in reference to MAG North, nobody is questioning it, right?The question was, what is the reference of W/V indication, the answer is: TRUE North.RGDSTOM

The question was, what is the reference of W/V indication, the answer is: TRUE North.

Gents,Indeed, on the picture, the Wind direction indicated on the ND is referenced to True North.In the PMDG MD11 however there are two different wind values. Progress Page / True wind and ND / Magnetic wind value.In the real plane only True wind is indicated on both positions.Hope this will be updated.Regards,Harry

In the real plane only True wind is indicated on both positions.

I wonder why they did this. Surely it would be more useful to show magnetic wind.

I wonder why they did this. Surely it would be more useful to show magnetic wind.

By historical precedence winds aloft are always reported as 'true' probably to show their more global reach rather then tie them to precise location where variation would matter. I don't think usefulness has much bearing here - no MD-11 pilot is going to pull out an E6B computer to calculate wind triangles.

I thought the "global reach" was shown in the FMC. I just find it odd that you don't see magnetic wind anywhere. Airbus and Boeing decided that we would get magnetic wind on the ND. I think it would be useful on the approach to have a more intuitive representation of the wind direction. I guess there's no sense arguing, because it is what it is, but I find it so strange. I wonder what other little quirks the Mad Dog has...

I think it would be useful on the approach to have a more intuitive representation of the wind direction.

There is nothing more intuitive than the actual vector drawn on the ND and this is always right because no matter if magnetic or true its relation to the small aircraft is the same.