Navigation PPLintermediate
Explain the operational difference between course and heading.
Answer
Course is the direction of the intended or actual path over the ground. Heading is the direction the aircraft's longitudinal axis points. Wind can make them differ; WCA is the correction applied to heading to maintain the desired course.
Explanation
An aircraft's **heading** describes where its nose points, while its **course** describes its path over the ground. A crosswind can displace the aircraft laterally, so the pilot points into the wind by applying a wind correction angle. In still air, course and heading may coincide; with wind, they usually do not.\n\n**Key takeaway:** Heading is orientation; course is ground track.\n\n**Glossary:** **WCA**: angular correction for wind; **ground track**: path traced over the Earth's surface.
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