heading
HED-ing
/ˈhedɪŋ/
The compass direction in which the longitudinal axis of an aircraft or vessel is pointed, expressed in degrees.
Heading is where the nose of the plane points, which may differ from the actual direction of motion due to wind crosswinds (track).
The story behind the word. Derived from Old English 'hēafod' (top of the body). Navigation adopted 'heading' in the 17th century to denote the direction toward which the head or bow of a ship pointed.
Word relationships
- bearing: Bearing is the angular direction to an object or waypoint relative to your position, whereas heading is where your nose points.
Commonly confused with
- track: Track is the actual path over the ground, while heading is the direction the aircraft points.
Word family
- head (verb): To move or point in a specified direction.
Collocations
- magnetic heading
- maintain heading
- change heading
- assigned heading
Example sentences
- "Fly heading two-seven-zero until advised by air traffic control." Air traffic control direction
- "The captain adjusted the vessel's heading to avoid the oncoming swell." Maritime navigation
Memory hook
Your HEADing is where the HEAD of your plane is pointing. Nose direction on the compass.
When not to use
Do not confuse heading with course or track; heading is purely magnetic or true direction of the nose.
Fun facts
- Headings are spoken digit by digit in aviation: 090 is 'zero-nine-zero', never 'ninety'.
Explore more words
orientation, compass, head for, Navigation, navigate, fuselage
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