RBAK - Basic Aviation Knowledge
Direction, Heading and Wind
Learn how aviation expresses direction, why heading and track are different, and how wind changes the path an RPA actually flies.
Lesson references
- Last reviewed
- 2026-05-18
- Lesson references
- RePL Study Guide pp. 11-35; Part 101 MOS C10 pp. 92-93.
Direction is a safety language
Aviation avoids casual direction words wherever precision matters. A bearing or heading is normally spoken as a three figure group measured clockwise from north. East is 090, south is 180, west is 270 and north is normally 360.
That format matters because remote pilots share airspace with crewed aircraft, and clear direction keeps observers, pilots and air traffic services talking about the same thing.
A compass ring shows three ways aviation expresses direction. Three-figure group: a pointer turns clockwise from north and the read-out counts in three figures with leading zeros, stopping at 045, 090 and 270; north is 360, east 090, south 180, west 270. Compass points: the ring shows the cardinal points N, E, S and W and the ordinal points NE, SE, SW and NW; the pointer stops at NE, which is 045, and SE, which is 135. Clock code: a drone sits in the centre with its nose at 12 o'clock; 3 is to the right, 6 behind and 9 to the left. Traffic ahead and to the right is at 2 o'clock. Clock code is relative to the nose, not to north.
- Use leading zeros: say 045, not 45.
- Use clock code for traffic relative to the aircraft nose.
- Use cardinal and ordinal points only when approximate direction is enough.
Heading is not the same as track
Heading is where the aircraft nose points. Track is the path over the ground. Wind can push the aircraft sideways, so a drone may need to point slightly into wind to maintain the intended ground path.
A practical remote pilot watches both the planned track and what the aircraft is actually doing. The stronger the crosswind, the more obvious the difference becomes.
Top-down view with north at the top. A drone sets out to fly a desired track of 090 degrees (due east, dashed line). With heading 090 and a wind from 360 (the north), the wind pushes the drone sideways, so its track over the ground is to the right of its heading, south of the desired track. Heading (blue, where the nose points), wind (red), track (green, the path over the ground) and the drift angle between heading and track (orange) appear in turn. With heading corrected, the nose points slightly into wind, about 080 in this example, and the track stays on 090. Example values, not to scale.
Wind is reported from where it comes
A wind reported as 270/15 is coming from the west at 15 kt. For an RPA, that can mean more battery use into wind, faster groundspeed downwind and sideways drift in a crosswind.
Use forecasts for planning, then confirm conditions at the operating site. Gusts, turbulence around buildings and terrain effects can make the local wind less friendly than the forecast suggests.
Top-down view with north at the top. A wind of 270/15 means wind from 270 degrees, the west, at 15 knots. Air streams in from the west side of a compass ring, where a green FROM marker sits, and flows towards the east; the windsock in the middle streams out downwind, to the east. A drone then flies into wind, towards the west, and moves slowly over the ground (headwind), turns, and flies back downwind much faster (tailwind). Speeds are schematic.
Practice Questions
A drone is pointed east, but a northerly wind pushes it south of the planned line. Which statement is correct?
- The heading is east and the track is drifting south of east.
- The track is east and the heading is drifting south of east.
- The heading and track must always be identical.
- Wind direction only matters for crewed aircraft.
Answer: The heading is east and the track is drifting south of east.
Heading is nose direction. Track is the actual ground path, which can be displaced by wind.
A weather report gives the wind as 270/15. What does this mean?
- Wind blowing towards the west at 15 knots
- Wind blowing from the west at 15 knots
- Wind blowing from the east at 15 knots
- Wind blowing from the west at 15 km/h
Answer: Wind blowing from the west at 15 knots
Aviation wind direction is always where the wind is coming from, and speed is in knots. 270/15 is wind from 270° (west) at 15 knots.
Next step after study
Complete your Remote Pilot Licence training
The free study guide is a strong theory foundation. To actually be issued with a RePL, students still complete approved training, practical flying and assessment with a certified provider.