Wind conditions, including wind speed and wind direction, are currently collected at airfields and transmitted to pilots via a voice recording on a dedicated automatic terminal information service (ATIS) frequency or an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS). A problem with ATIS and ASOS is that the pilot must change the frequency of his on-board radio to the ATIS or ASOS frequency in order to hear the information. This is especially undesirable when a pilot is on approach to a controlled airfield and must monitor the air traffic controller frequency (ATC) to receive instructions from the air traffic controller. The aural wind condition information from ATIS and ASOS must be either memorized or written down by the pilot. It is not conveniently displayed in the cockpit for easy reference. If the pilot has two radios and can tune one to the ATIS or ASOS frequency and listen to the ATC controller with the other, there is still the difficulty of listening to two different sets of instructions at once. This increases the probability that the pilot will misunderstand or completely miss critical clearances or instructions from the ATC controller.
Therefore, there is a need for an airborne unit that automatically receives wind conditions at an airfield and displays the wind conditions to the pilot in the cockpit for easy reference. Furthermore, it is desirable for the airborne unit to process the received wind conditions to provide additional information to the pilot that can aid him in the takeoff and landing operations of the aircraft. This is especially useful when the aircraft is taking off from or landing at a noncontrolled airfield.