Learn the difference between course and heading in aviation, how wind creates drift, and how track, bearing, GPS and autopilot modes fit together.
In aviation, heading is the direction an aircraft’s nose points, while course is the intended direction of travel over the Earth’s surface. Wind can make them different: a pilot steers a heading offset into the wind so the aircraft’s ground track follows the planned course.
Course, heading, track and bearing compared
In real-world aviation and flight simulation, these terms describe different directions, normally measured clockwise from either true north or magnetic north.
| Term | What it means | Typical cockpit use |
|---|---|---|
| Course | The intended or selected direction of a flight path over the ground | Planned route, procedure leg, GPS desired track or selected VOR course |
| Heading | The direction in which the aircraft’s longitudinal axis and nose point | Heading indicator, heading bug and ATC vectors |
| Track | The aircraft’s actual direction of movement over the ground | GPS track indication and moving-map track line |
| Bearing | The direction from one position to another point | Bearing to a waypoint, VOR or NDB |
Our overview of how aircraft navigation systems use these directions explains how GPS, radio navigation and cockpit displays turn them into practical guidance.
How does wind make course and heading different?
A crosswind causes the aircraft to drift, so the pilot points the nose into the wind to keep the desired course. The angle between that wind-corrected heading and the course is the wind correction angle.
Suppose the planned course is 090°, due east, and the wind is blowing from the north. Holding a heading of 090° would produce a track south of the intended line. The pilot might steer 085°, pointing slightly north of east, so the resulting track remains close to 090°. The exact correction depends on wind speed, wind direction and true airspeed.
A direct headwind or tailwind mainly changes groundspeed. It is the crosswind component that creates a heading-versus-course difference.
Are course and track the same thing?
Course is normally the intended path direction; track is the direction the aircraft actually travels over the ground. When navigation is accurate, the track matches the course even though the heading may not.
One display label causes frequent confusion: COG, or course over ground, generally reports the actual direction of movement and therefore behaves like track. GPS units may instead use DTK for desired track and TRK for actual track. Always check the label rather than assuming every use of “course” means the planned path.
Should a pilot fly the course or the heading?
A pilot steers a heading so that the resulting track follows the required course, unless ATC has specifically assigned a heading.
- ATC heading: If instructed to “fly heading 270”, turn to and maintain that heading. Wind may carry the aircraft sideways because the controller has issued a vector, not a ground track.
- Planned route or procedure: Follow the defined course or lateral path, changing heading as necessary to correct for wind.
- VOR course: Set the required inbound or outbound course, then fly an intercept heading and adjust it until the course deviation indicator remains centred.
- GPS leg: Compare desired track with actual track and alter heading until they agree.
For radio-navigation examples, our guide to intercepting and tracking VOR and NDB routes shows how selected courses and bearings relate to the heading flown.
How do autopilot HDG and NAV modes handle the difference?
HDG mode holds the selected heading, while NAV mode follows a navigation path and changes the commanded heading to compensate for drift.
- HDG: Follows the heading bug. It does not normally correct the aircraft back onto a planned course.
- NAV or LOC: Captures and follows GPS, VOR or localiser guidance. A crosswind may leave the nose visibly offset from the path.
- TRK: Available in some aircraft, this mode holds a selected ground track by applying wind correction automatically.
Mode names and logic vary between aircraft and simulators, but the distinction remains the same. Our practical simulator explanation of heading, course, bearing and track covers how these indications appear in FSX-style cockpits.
Why do course and heading numbers sometimes disagree unexpectedly?
The usual causes are wind, different north references or a misunderstood instrument indication.
- True versus magnetic: A true course cannot be compared directly with a magnetic heading. Convert both to the same reference first.
- Compass deviation: The magnetic compass can have aircraft-specific deviation, so compass heading may differ slightly from magnetic heading.
- Wind direction: Aviation winds are reported as the direction they come from. A wind from the north pushes the aircraft south.
- Heading bug versus course selector: The heading bug commands or reminds the pilot of a heading; the course selector defines a navigation course. Turning one does not necessarily change the other.
- GPS track at low speed: Track is derived from movement over the ground, so it can fluctuate or become unreliable when the aircraft is stationary or moving very slowly.
The simplest working rule is: course is where you intend to go, heading is where the nose points, and track is where the aircraft is actually going.