When does your canopy stop going forward?

Pick a canopy, set your wing loading and see the estimated wind speed where you hold still, and where you start going backwards.

User guide (PDF)

Your canopy

Step 1

Can’t find your canopy? Pick one with a similar planform and performance (same class and a similar wing loading range), or choose Custom at the bottom and enter your own lift coefficient.

More options: elevation, temperature, gusts, flight mode
Brake and riser modes use assumed tuning factors, not calculated values.

Try the wind

Step 2

Your canopy flies to the right. Wind from the front pushes left against you. Slide the wind up and watch your speed over the ground drop.

FLIES THIS WAY → GROUND
Tailwind (from behind)No windHeadwind (from the front)
ForwardForward but slowStraight downBackwardsTailwind

Numbers on the canopy are your estimated speed over the ground (a range, because of the uncertainty). A minus sign means backwards. The coloured bar above the slider shows the zones for your canopy and loading.

Ground speed vs wind

Step 3

Shaded band = estimated range. Anything below the zero line means going backwards over the ground (headwind landing).

Headwind table

Step 4

Estimates only. Method: airspeed V = √(2W / (ρ · S · CL)), where W/S is wing loading and ρ comes from your elevation and temperature (thinner or hotter air means higher true airspeed). Each canopy class has an estimated lift coefficient range (flatter trim, higher performance classes = lower CL = faster). Performance Designs notes that models of the same size fly at about the same speed, so loading matters most. Manufacturers do not publish forward airspeeds, so CL ranges are calibrated to typical published ranges, not measured per canopy. Brake and riser modes are assumed tuning factors applied to the full-flight speed, not results of the lift equation. As a practical planning estimate, treat results as potentially ±10-15%, with the largest uncertainty coming from the assumed lift coefficient and the actual local wind. Brake lines that have shrunk can leave a canopy partly in brakes with the toggles up, which reduces penetration. Wind gradient, turbulence and gusts near the ground are not modelled. Check against GPS logs and use DZ wind limits and instructor advice.

Wind by height

Step 5

Wind usually gets stronger with height, so you can be making headway low down and going backwards higher up. Where the black wind line moves into the blue band, you stop making headway. Live data comes from Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0, free for non-commercial use). It is a forecast model with coarse grid squares, so it will not see local terrain, buildings or sea breezes. Always check your windsock, and for aloft winds see Mark Schulze’s Winds Aloft. The manual estimate uses a standard wind-profile power law and is only a rough guide.