What is the relationship between track, heading, and wind in navigation?

• A. Heading equals track always
• B. Track is irrelevant
• C. Track is the aircraft's path over the ground; heading is the direction the nose points; wind affects track, so wind correction angle is applied
• D. Heading is independent of wind

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how wind changes where you actually go versus where your nose is pointed. The heading is the direction the aircraft’s nose is pointing. The track is the path you travel over the ground. Wind adds a sideways push to your motion, so even if you point the nose in one direction, the air and wind together move the airplane along a different path over the ground.

With no wind, the heading and the track line up—they’re the same. When wind is present, especially from the side, the wind shifts your ground path, so the track can differ from the heading. To stay on a chosen course, you apply a wind correction angle: you point the nose a bit into the wind so that the resulting ground track lines up with the desired path.

In short, track is the ground path, heading is where the nose points, and wind causes drift that you counterbalance with the wind correction angle to maintain the intended track.