Heading (navigation)

This wind triangle shows a jet airliner's heading towards point B (HDG, in black; TAS=True Air Speed) and its course towards C (TR, track, in blue; GS=Ground Speed). The drift angle (shaded red) is due to the wind velocity (W/V, in green).

In navigation, the heading of a vessel or aircraft is the compass direction in which the craft's bow or nose is pointed. Note that the heading may not necessarily be the direction that the vehicle actually travels, which is known as its course.[a] Any difference between the heading and course is due to the motion of the underlying medium, the air or water, or other effects like skidding or slipping. The difference is known as the drift, and can be determined by the wind triangle. At least seven ways to measure the heading of a vehicle have been described.[1] Heading is typically based on cardinal directions, so 0° (or 360°) indicates a direction toward true north, 90° true east, 180° true south, and 270° true west.[1]


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  1. ^ a b Gade, Kenneth (2016). "The Seven Ways to Find Heading" (PDF). Journal of Navigation. 69 (5). Cambridge University Press: 955–70. doi:10.1017/S0373463316000096. S2CID 53587934.