Definition
A pilot skill in which the aircraft's heading is adjusted into the wind to offset sideways displacement caused by a crosswind, so that the aircraft tracks the intended path over the ground.
Plain English
Pointing the nose slightly into the wind so the aircraft moves along the line you actually want over the ground, instead of being blown sideways off course.
Context Anchor
Used during flight training, ground-reference maneuvers, approaches, and any flight where the airplane must follow a planned path over the ground despite wind.
Derivation
Control comes from an older idea of checking or governing something. Drift originally meant being carried along by wind or water. In aviation, the phrase means the pilot is not just letting the airplane be carried sideways by the wind; the pilot is actively correcting for it.
Why Pilots Care
Maintaining a precise ground track prevents drifting off course in the traffic pattern, during landings, or on low-altitude maneuvers where accurate positioning is required for safety.
Analogy
Like aiming a rowboat slightly upstream when crossing a river so the current doesn't push you past your landing spot.
Grounding Statement
Wind can move the airplane sideways over the ground even when the nose is pointed where the pilot wants to go.
Intuition Check
Do not assume the airplane will travel exactly where the nose is pointed. In wind, controlling for wind drift means correcting for the sideways push so the path over the ground stays where you want it.
Example Sentence 1
During the rectangular course, the student practiced control for wind drift by crabbing into the wind on the upwind and downwind legs.
Example Sentence 2
During the scenario-based training flight, the instructor had the student control for wind drift to stay on the planned ground track around the practice area.