In this dissertation the suitability of four winds aloft calculation methods wereudevaluated for their suitability in skywriting applications. The methods were real-udtime vector subtraction, and udying patterns of perpendicular vectors, arbitraryudvectors and a constant-rate full circle, none of which require specialised sensingudhardware. The sensitivity to errors in the measurements that each method dependsudon was characterised, and simulations were performed to verify the behaviour ofudeach method to varying errors in the measurements. The four methods were alsoudevaluated in real-world conditions using an aircraft tted with measurements systemsudcommonly found on general aviation aircraft, and the results were compared toudweather balloon measurements taken simultaneously, and at the same location asudthe trials. The most commonly used vector subtraction method was found to be theudleast suitable for determining the wind due to the dependance on a large numberudof inherently inaccurate measurements. The circular pattern method was leastudsusceptible to measurement error, but was the most sensitive to pilot inaccuracy.
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