Windsock

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Windsock
Windsock
A typical windsock for use in aviation
A typical windsock for use in aviation
Ornamental windsocks at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Delray Beach, Florida
Ornamental windsocks at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Delray Beach, Florida

A windsock or wind cone is a conical textile tube designed to indicate wind direction and relative wind speed. Windsocks typically are used at airports and in chemical plants in which there is risk of gaseous leakage. They are sometimes located alongside highways at windy locations.

Wind direction is the opposite of the direction in which the windsock is pointing (note that wind directions are conventionally specified as being the compass point from which the wind originates; so a windsock pointing due north indicates a southerly wind). Windspeed is indicated by the windsock's angle relative to the mounting pole; in low winds, the windsock droops; in high winds it flies horizontally. Per FAA standards referenced below, a 15 knot (17mph) wind will fully extend the windsock. A 3 knot (3.5mph) breeze will cause the windsock to orient itself according to the wind.

At many airports, they are lit at night, either by flood lights on top surrounding it, or with one mounted on the pole shining inside it.


Windsocks originated in China and Japan, where they were considered a symbol of good luck and longevity.

Windsocks are similar to weather vanes but windsocks can also tell the speed of the wind too

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