Definition
Aircraft headings measured in degrees clockwise from magnetic north as indicated by the magnetic compass, after correcting the magnetic heading for compass deviation caused by magnetic influences within the aircraft itself.
Plain English
The direction the nose of the aircraft is pointing, as read directly off the magnetic compass in the cockpit.
Context Anchor
Seen in emergency airport information, navigation instructions, and cockpit decision-making when a pilot needs a simple direction to fly or compare against nearby airport locations.
Derivation
‘Compass’ comes from the Latin ‘compassare,’ meaning to measure or step around. ‘Heading’ refers to the direction the nose is pointed. So a compass heading is the direction your nose is pointed as measured by the compass — not your track, and not your course.
Why Pilots Care
Maintaining the correct compass heading allows a pilot to reach an emergency airport when GPS, radios, or other navigation aids are unavailable.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a compass heading is the same as the airplane’s actual path across the ground. The heading is where the nose points; wind can make the airplane travel along a slightly different path.
Example Sentence 1
After applying variation and deviation, the pilot rolled out on a compass heading of 085 degrees to track the planned course.
Example Sentence 2
With no other navigation available, the crew flew compass headings from the emergency checklist to stay on the published route.