Weathervaning or weathercocking [1] is a phenomenon experienced by aircraft on the ground and rotorcraft on the ground and when hovering.
Aircraft on the ground have a natural pivoting point on a plane through the main landing gear contact points [disregarding the effects of toe in/toe out of the main gear]. As most of the side area of an aircraft is typically behind this pivoting point, any crosswind will create a yawing moment tending to turn the nose of the aircraft into the wind. [2] [3]
It should not be confused with directional stability, as experienced by aircraft in flight. [4]
The term also refers to a similar phenomenon in fin-guided small rockets which, when launched vertically, will tend to turn into a flight path that takes them upwind. [5]