Heading vs. Course

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Can someone please explain the difference?
Thanks

--
Dave Schwartz
Commack, NY

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Dave Simply, Heading is the desired direction, while course is your actual
directions. IE, Heading on a VOR may be 270, yet your course to track the
VOR at 270 is actually 272. This is due to winds alofts.

"Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> Can someone please explain the difference?
> Thanks
>
> --
> Dave Schwartz
> Commack, NY
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

"Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> Can someone please explain the difference?
> Thanks
>
> --
> Dave Schwartz
> Commack, NY

heading is where your nose is pointing ... course is your ground track ...
the direction the plane is moving towards.

Ever seen planes landing when there's a lot of crosswind? They are moving
one direction (towards the runway, that's the course) but their nose points
in a different direction (that's the heading)?

Heading is different than course when wind messes up with ya.



--
The Pilot Lounge Aviation Community and MessageBoard
http://www.thepilotlounge.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Dave Schwartz wrote:
> Can someone please explain the difference?

Course = constant direction from one location to another.

Heading = the direction you have to point the aircraft in order to stay
on course, due to crosswind drift correction.

Track = your actual path over the ground. If your drift correction is
correct, then track = course. In real life, your track will probably
zig-zag a bit on either side of the course.

Bearing = the actual direction to your destination from where you are
now. Again, if your drift correction is correct, bearing = course.
Otherwise if you are way off course, you can think of the bearing as
your new course, since you're no longer anywhere near the originally
plotted straight line course

Kevin

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

You are correct. I had it backwards.

"Beech45Whiskey" <pjricc@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1h19iuoph56qj$.dlg@ID-259643.user.individual.net...
> Beech45Whiskey <pjricc@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> This heading means that the nose of the aircraft is pointing slightly
>> into the headwinds.
>
> I should clarify this: A 265 heading to fly a course of 270 means that
> the
> nose of the aircraft is pointing slightly left of the course.
>
> --
> Peter
>
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> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Dave,
Your "heading" is the direction that the nose of the aircraft is
pointing in at any given moment. Your "course" is the intended path of your
aircraft as if it were drawn on a map. Your "ground track" is the actual
path that your aircraft is taking, as if there were a giant pencil sticking
out of the bottom of your airplane and drawing a line upon the ground.
Your heading and your course are very often different. That is because
the air that you are flying in is also in motion. You may have a crosswind
component to your course, which must be compensated for by pointing the nose
of the aircraft in a different direction than your intended course. There is
also something called "magnetic variation" which must be compensated for
too. Magnetic variation stems from the fact that the magnetic poles of the
earth, and the geographic poles of the earth are not actually in the same
place. Pilots can calculate where they need to point the nose of their
aircraft in order to maintain a desired course. To do this the pilot needs
to know the "winds aloft" for the altitude that they intend to fly at. The
winds aloft forecast will list a direction, and a wind strength. Using a
flight computer, a pilot can calculate where they nose of the aircraft needs
to be in order to compensate for both wind drift, and magnetic variation. In
a perfect world, with perfect forecasting, and perfect pilotage, an aircraft
should wind up exactly where it was calculated that it should be.
Unfortunately nothing is perfect. That is where ground track comes into the
picture. The ground track is the actual path over the ground that the
aircraft is taking. The reason why it would differ from the plotted course
is that the winds might be a little stronger or weaker than predicted, or
may be coming from a slightly (or vastly) different direction than
predicted. Hope this helps......

Randy L.

"Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> Can someone please explain the difference?
> Thanks
>
> --
> Dave Schwartz
> Commack, NY
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

"Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> Can someone please explain the difference?
> Thanks

Hi Dave;
The best way to visualize this is to accept that any heading is corrected
for wind. You can have courses that are TRUE, or courses that are MAGNETIC,
as each course relates to either true north or magnetic north, and you can
change over at any time to a heading by correcting for wind.
For example;
TC -+ VAR=MC. At this point you can either continue without wind correction
such as.....MC-+DEV=CC....or......you can correct for wind and switch to
headings....such as........MC-+ wind correction angle= MH-+ DEV=CH.
TC=True Course
VAR= Variation
MC= Magnetic Course (VOR'S are corrected for local variation and as such are
magnetic courses. For basic VFR flying, you can take a course line off any
VOR and simply solve for wind/ solve for your compass deviation/ and get a
compass heading to fly to make good that magnetic course, then check it
along the way visually for a correction to your HEADING if needed.
WCA= wind correction angle
MH= magnetic heading
DEV= deviation
CH= compass heading

Dudley Henriques

 

[bryan]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

I always thought of it as simply
Heading is where you are going
Course is where you want to go


"Beech45Whiskey" <pjricc@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:13l4t3jexybor$.dlg@ID-259643.user.individual.net...
> Eric Carnahan <vamustang@adelphia.net> wrote:
>
>> Dave Simply, Heading is the desired direction, while course is your
>> actual
>> directions. IE, Heading on a VOR may be 270, yet your course to track the
>> VOR at 270 is actually 272. This is due to winds alofts.
>
> If I am reading your post correctly, you have that backwards.
>
> Heading is where the nose of your aircraft is pointing and course is the
> magnetic direction from your present position to a fix/VOR/waypoint. The
> *heading* needed to remain on *course* will be the course plus or minus
> wind correction.
>
> For example:
>
> Winds are out of 225 degrees magnetic (out of the southwest) at 30 kts .
> You are flying a Cessna 172 directly west at 270 degrees magnetic to a VOR
> station.
>
> You will need a *heading* of approximately 265 degrees to fly a *course*
> of
> 270. This heading means that the nose of the aircraft is pointing
> slightly
> into the headwinds.
>
> --
> Peter
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
> News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+
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[Gian]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Hey Dave:
standing, point your nose to North.
Now start to walking lateral, in the direction of your right arm, but
MAINTAINING THE NOSE IN THE NORTH DIRECTION
You are HEADING to North and COURSE to East....
I think this is a big simplifyng, but may give you the idea.
Ciao.


"Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> Can someone please explain the difference?
> Thanks
>
> --
> Dave Schwartz
> Commack, NY
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Hi Dudley Henriques,

Strewth, mate - that's exactly the way I'd have tried to express it - if
only I'd known any of it!!

How much would you charge for an hour-long lesson, either in the air, or
in the loungeroom?

They'd both be equally invaluable, from what I can tell!!

Regards,
John Ward
"Dudley Henriques" <dhenriques@noware .net> wrote in message
news:NhtRe.5226$FW1.2488@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
>> Can someone please explain the difference?
>> Thanks
>
> Hi Dave;
> The best way to visualize this is to accept that any heading is corrected
> for wind. You can have courses that are TRUE, or courses that are
> MAGNETIC, as each course relates to either true north or magnetic north,
> and you can change over at any time to a heading by correcting for wind.
> For example;
> TC -+ VAR=MC. At this point you can either continue without wind
> correction such as.....MC-+DEV=CC....or......you can correct for wind and
> switch to headings....such as........MC-+ wind correction angle= MH-+
> DEV=CH.
> TC=True Course
> VAR= Variation
> MC= Magnetic Course (VOR'S are corrected for local variation and as such
> are magnetic courses. For basic VFR flying, you can take a course line off
> any VOR and simply solve for wind/ solve for your compass deviation/ and
> get a compass heading to fly to make good that magnetic course, then check
> it along the way visually for a correction to your HEADING if needed.
> WCA= wind correction angle
> MH= magnetic heading
> DEV= deviation
> CH= compass heading
>
> Dudley Henriques
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

"John Ward" <johnrmward@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:43167669$0$19585$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Hi Dudley Henriques,
>
> Strewth, mate - that's exactly the way I'd have tried to express it -
> if only I'd known any of it!!
>
> How much would you charge for an hour-long lesson, either in the air,
> or in the loungeroom?
>
> They'd both be equally invaluable, from what I can tell!!
>
> Regards,
> John Ward

Oh, let's see.........for most of you folks on this newsgroup, a cold beer
and a few shrimp from the barbie out to just about cover it!!!


D

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Geeze, we're lucky here on this n/g!

JW
"RandyL" <rlink"nospam"@cableone.net> wrote in message
news:11hcr3mncsrpme4@corp.supernews.com...
> Dave,
> Your "heading" is the direction that the nose of the aircraft is
> pointing in at any given moment. Your "course" is the intended path of
> your aircraft as if it were drawn on a map. Your "ground track" is the
> actual path that your aircraft is taking, as if there were a giant pencil
> sticking out of the bottom of your airplane and drawing a line upon the
> ground.
> Your heading and your course are very often different. That is because
> the air that you are flying in is also in motion. You may have a crosswind
> component to your course, which must be compensated for by pointing the
> nose of the aircraft in a different direction than your intended course.
> There is also something called "magnetic variation" which must be
> compensated for too. Magnetic variation stems from the fact that the
> magnetic poles of the earth, and the geographic poles of the earth are not
> actually in the same place. Pilots can calculate where they need to point
> the nose of their aircraft in order to maintain a desired course. To do
> this the pilot needs to know the "winds aloft" for the altitude that they
> intend to fly at. The winds aloft forecast will list a direction, and a
> wind strength. Using a flight computer, a pilot can calculate where they
> nose of the aircraft needs to be in order to compensate for both wind
> drift, and magnetic variation. In a perfect world, with perfect
> forecasting, and perfect pilotage, an aircraft should wind up exactly
> where it was calculated that it should be. Unfortunately nothing is
> perfect. That is where ground track comes into the picture. The ground
> track is the actual path over the ground that the aircraft is taking. The
> reason why it would differ from the plotted course is that the winds might
> be a little stronger or weaker than predicted, or may be coming from a
> slightly (or vastly) different direction than predicted. Hope this
> helps......
>
> Randy L.
>
> "Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
>> Can someone please explain the difference?
>> Thanks
>>
>> --
>> Dave Schwartz
>> Commack, NY
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Hi Dudley Henriques,

Strewth, mate - I'll be right over, just as soon as I can get the trip,
and ~ 40/50 kg of supplies, and the BBQ, properly organised!!

That might give us long enough for you, and your other half, to start
deciding what you think of our barbed wires, other "supplies", and
everything else!?

What a bargain - if I lived within range of the States, I'd be emailing
you tomorrow, mate, and trying to book a few hours in the loungeroom, just
for starters!!

Of course, if some of your mates could also be there, I'd try even
harder to trim a little more weight off the BBQ, and bring my new
camera..... )

Regards,
John Ward
Dudley Henriques" <dhenriques@noware .net> wrote in message
news:8YwRe.5332$FW1.2054@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "John Ward" <johnrmward@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> news:43167669$0$19585$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>> Hi Dudley Henriques,
>>
>> Strewth, mate - that's exactly the way I'd have tried to express it -
>> if only I'd known any of it!!
>>
>> How much would you charge for an hour-long lesson, either in the air,
>> or in the loungeroom?
>>
>> They'd both be equally invaluable, from what I can tell!!
>>
>> Regards,
>> John Ward
>
> Oh, let's see.........for most of you folks on this newsgroup, a cold beer
> and a few shrimp from the barbie out to just about cover it!!!
>
>
> D
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

.....some day we'll avago, eh; slam down some alligator pears and Anzac
biscuits with some of that good ole' amber fluid...then by God it'll apples
she'll be mate!!! )))
D


"John Ward" <johnrmward@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:4316ab11$0$8999$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Hi Dudley Henriques,
>
> Strewth, mate - I'll be right over, just as soon as I can get the trip,
> and ~ 40/50 kg of supplies, and the BBQ, properly organised!!
>
> That might give us long enough for you, and your other half, to start
> deciding what you think of our barbed wires, other "supplies", and
> everything else!?
>
> What a bargain - if I lived within range of the States, I'd be emailing
> you tomorrow, mate, and trying to book a few hours in the loungeroom, just
> for starters!!
>
> Of course, if some of your mates could also be there, I'd try even
> harder to trim a little more weight off the BBQ, and bring my new
> camera..... )
>
> Regards,
> John Ward
> Dudley Henriques" <dhenriques@noware .net> wrote in message
> news:8YwRe.5332$FW1.2054@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>>
>> "John Ward" <johnrmward@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
>> news:43167669$0$19585$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>>> Hi Dudley Henriques,
>>>
>>> Strewth, mate - that's exactly the way I'd have tried to express it -
>>> if only I'd known any of it!!
>>>
>>> How much would you charge for an hour-long lesson, either in the air,
>>> or in the loungeroom?
>>>
>>> They'd both be equally invaluable, from what I can tell!!
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> John Ward
>>
>> Oh, let's see.........for most of you folks on this newsgroup, a cold
>> beer and a few shrimp from the barbie out to just about cover it!!!
>>
>>
>> D
>>
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

On Thu, 1 Sep 2005 17:17:40 +1000, John Ward wrote in
alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim:

> That might give us long enough for you, and your other half, to start
>deciding what you think of our barbed wires, other "supplies", and
>everything else!?

OK, that's twice in the last week I've seen "barbed wire" coming out of
Australia. From the contexts, I assume it's a drink of some kind?

--
Dick Yuknavech

Why put fault tolerance in the OS, when it's already built into the
User?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

It does. Thank you for your time.

--
Dave Schwartz
Commack, NY


"RandyL" <rlink"nospam"@cableone.net> wrote in message
news:11hcr3mncsrpme4@corp.supernews.com...
> Dave,
> Your "heading" is the direction that the nose of the aircraft is
> pointing in at any given moment. Your "course" is the intended path of
your
> aircraft as if it were drawn on a map. Your "ground track" is the actual
> path that your aircraft is taking, as if there were a giant pencil
sticking
> out of the bottom of your airplane and drawing a line upon the ground.
> Your heading and your course are very often different. That is because
> the air that you are flying in is also in motion. You may have a crosswind
> component to your course, which must be compensated for by pointing the
nose
> of the aircraft in a different direction than your intended course. There
is
> also something called "magnetic variation" which must be compensated for
> too. Magnetic variation stems from the fact that the magnetic poles of the
> earth, and the geographic poles of the earth are not actually in the same
> place. Pilots can calculate where they need to point the nose of their
> aircraft in order to maintain a desired course. To do this the pilot needs
> to know the "winds aloft" for the altitude that they intend to fly at. The
> winds aloft forecast will list a direction, and a wind strength. Using a
> flight computer, a pilot can calculate where they nose of the aircraft
needs
> to be in order to compensate for both wind drift, and magnetic variation.
In
> a perfect world, with perfect forecasting, and perfect pilotage, an
aircraft
> should wind up exactly where it was calculated that it should be.
> Unfortunately nothing is perfect. That is where ground track comes into
the
> picture. The ground track is the actual path over the ground that the
> aircraft is taking. The reason why it would differ from the plotted course
> is that the winds might be a little stronger or weaker than predicted, or
> may be coming from a slightly (or vastly) different direction than
> predicted. Hope this helps......
>
> Randy L.
>
> "Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> > Can someone please explain the difference?
> > Thanks
> >
> > --
> > Dave Schwartz
> > Commack, NY
> >
> >
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

That, I understand. But why does the autopilot in the 737 for example, have
a button to activate the "Heading", not the course. As far as the AP is
concerned, wouldn't you set the course and let the AP adjust the heading as
needed to maintain the desired course?
Dave
Thanks for your time



"Gian" <gianLEVASTAROBA@visualeader.com> wrote in message
news:FnBRe.35030$TR5.19340@news.edisontel.com...
> Hey Dave:
> standing, point your nose to North.
> Now start to walking lateral, in the direction of your right arm, but
> MAINTAINING THE NOSE IN THE NORTH DIRECTION
> You are HEADING to North and COURSE to East....
> I think this is a big simplifyng, but may give you the idea.
> Ciao.
>
>
> "Dave Schwartz" <who4ever@optonline.net> ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:kCoRe.65$Rd7.60@fe11.lga...
> > Can someone please explain the difference?
> > Thanks
> >
> > --
> > Dave Schwartz
> > Commack, NY
> >
> >
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Hi Dick Yuknavech,

It's Castlemaine-Perkins beer, called Fourex, and spelt/portrayed as
XXXX, which looks something like barbed wire....

It tastes better than it spells!

Donbutts, a Kiwi, says it's that way because Aussies' don't know enough
letters to spell properly, but that's Kiwis for ya!

Regards,
John Ward
"Dick Yuknavech" <I-give-up.@dontspamcom> wrote in message
news:5b6eh1tpreh267q3celdulcrmtg9kolk33@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 1 Sep 2005 17:17:40 +1000, John Ward wrote in
> alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim:
>
>> That might give us long enough for you, and your other half, to start
>>deciding what you think of our barbed wires, other "supplies", and
>>everything else!?
>
> OK, that's twice in the last week I've seen "barbed wire" coming out of
> Australia. From the contexts, I assume it's a drink of some kind?
>
> --
> Dick Yuknavech
>
> Why put fault tolerance in the OS, when it's already built into the
> User?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

On Fri, 2 Sep 2005 07:08:18 -0400, Dave Schwartz wrote:

> That, I understand. But why does the autopilot in the 737 for example, have
> a button to activate the "Heading", not the course. As far as the AP is
> concerned, wouldn't you set the course and let the AP adjust the heading as
> needed to maintain the desired course?

It DOES "have a button" to active the course!

It's called the NAV button...

Bill