Definition
The technique of compensating for a crosswind by turning the airplane's nose slightly into the wind so that the airplane's actual path over the ground follows the intended track, rather than being pushed sideways off course.
Plain English
When wind is blowing from the side, the airplane gets pushed off the line you want to fly. To fix this, you point the nose a little into the wind so that the combined effect of the airplane moving forward and the wind pushing sideways still carries you along your intended path.
Context Anchor
Used during straight-and-level flight when outside references show the airplane is sliding sideways across the ground instead of staying on the desired path.
Derivation
Drift' comes from the Old Norse and Middle English sense of being carried along by a current — the same word used for snow drifting or a boat drifting on water. In aviation it means being carried sideways by the wind. 'Correcting' simply means making an adjustment to fix it.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate ground-track control prevents unintended deviation from the planned route, conserves fuel, and ensures the aircraft arrives at the intended point without constant heading changes.
Analogy
Like rowing a boat across a river with a current. If you point the bow straight at the opposite bank, the current carries you downstream. To land where you want, you angle the bow slightly upstream.
Grounding Statement
On a windy day, the airplane's nose may point one way while its path over the ground moves slightly another way.
Intuition Check
Do not assume straight-and-level flight means the nose must point exactly along the ground path. If wind is pushing the airplane sideways, correcting drift means pointing the nose slightly into the wind while keeping the airplane on the intended path.
Example Sentence 1
With a wind from the left, the pilot corrected drift by holding the nose a few degrees left of the desired track.
Example Sentence 2
While practicing straight-and-level flight on a windy day, the student corrected drift by holding a heading ten degrees left of the desired course.