Definition
Units of angular measurement north or south of the equator, ranging from 0° at the equator to 90° at each pole. In compass turn corrections, the magnetic dip error a pilot must compensate for is roughly equal to the latitude at which the aircraft is operating.
Plain English
A way of measuring how far north or south you are on the Earth, expressed as an angle from the equator. The higher the number, the closer you are to one of the poles.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when learning magnetic compass turns, especially the lead or lag needed when turning toward north or south headings.
Derivation
From Latin latitudo, meaning 'breadth' or 'width.' Early mapmakers used 'latitude' for the north-south width of the known world. Knowing this helps explain why latitude lines run east-west — they mark how far up or down the globe you are.
Why Pilots Care
When using the compass during turns to or from north or south headings, the amount of lead or lag you apply is approximately equal to your latitude in degrees. A pilot flying at 30° N will need a different correction than one flying at 50° N.
Analogy
Think of latitude like a north-south ruler laid over the Earth. The farther you are from the equator, the larger the latitude number becomes.
Intuition Check
“Degrees” here does not mean temperature or bank angle. It means angular position on Earth, measured north or south from the equator.
Example Sentence 1
Flying at roughly 40 degrees of latitude, the pilot rolled out of the turn about 40 degrees before reaching north to allow for compass lead.
Example Sentence 2
Compass turning errors increase noticeably at higher degrees of latitude near the poles.