Definition
The horizontal path along which the airplane is actually traveling over the ground or through the air, expressed as a heading or bearing. In attitude flying, it refers to the line the airplane is moving along, used as a reference for judging changes in heading, track, and turn performance.
Plain English
The way the airplane is going. If you drew an arrow showing where the nose is pointed and where the airplane is actually moving, that arrow is the direction of flight.
Context Anchor
Used in attitude flying when connecting the airplane’s nose position, wing position, and control inputs to the path the airplane follows.
Why Pilots Care
Correct direction of flight keeps the aircraft on the intended route and prevents drifting off course during maneuvers.
Grounding Statement
If the nose is pointed one way but the airplane is turning or drifting, the direction of flight is the path the airplane is actually following.
Intuition Check
Do not assume direction of flight means only the direction the nose is pointed. Here, it means the airplane’s actual path through the air at that moment.
Example Sentence 1
After establishing the climb, the pilot checked the heading indicator to confirm the direction of flight matched the assigned course.
Example Sentence 2
With wings level the airplane maintains a constant direction of flight across the practice area.