Drift Angle
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Drift angle is the angular difference between an aircraft’s heading and its actual ground track, caused by crosswinds. It represents how much the aircraft is being “blown” off course due to wind, and is a key factor in precise navigation.
When a crosswind is present, an aircraft must be pointed into the wind—using a wind correction angle—in order to maintain a desired course over the ground. The difference between this heading and the actual direction of movement is known as the drift angle.
Importance[edit | edit source]
- Essential in cross-country navigation, ensuring accurate course tracking
- Used in flight planning and during instrument approaches
- Integral to wind triangle calculations and dead reckoning
Modern flight management systems (FMS) often calculate and display drift angle in real time, allowing pilots to make precise heading corrections.
Source[edit | edit source]
Curated for AviationSafetyX by Skye and Albert — where knowledge flies straight and true.