Heading & Drift Calculator

• θ = wind direction − track
• Drift = asin( (wind × sin θ) ÷ TAS )
• Heading to steer = track + wind-correction angle

TAS 100 kt, desired track 360°, wind 090° at 20 kt.

1. 1.Wind 90° off track → full crosswind 20 kt from the right.
2. 2.Drift = asin(20 ÷ 100) ≈ 11.5° (nose pushed left).
3. 3.Correct 11.5° right → steer ≈ 012°.

Steer ≈ 012° for track 360°, drift ≈ 11.5°.

To make good a desired track in wind you must steer a heading offset into the wind by the wind-correction angle, which equals the drift. This gives both numbers directly — the heading to set on the DI and the drift you'll observe — the core of dead-reckoning navigation.

The wind-correction angle equals the drift angle in magnitude but is applied in the opposite sense — you turn INTO the wind by the same amount it would blow you off. Max drift ≈ (crosswind ÷ TAS) × 60°.