Definition
An autopilot or flight director mode in which the aircraft automatically flies the magnetic heading selected by the pilot on the heading bug of the directional gyro or horizontal situation indicator. When engaged, the autopilot turns the aircraft to the selected heading and holds it, correcting for any deviation caused by wind or trim changes.
Plain English
A setting that tells the autopilot to fly whatever compass heading the pilot dials in, and to keep flying that heading until told otherwise.
Context Anchor
Seen in helicopter instrument procedures when reviewing which flight control system modes are approved, limited, or required by the helicopter flight manual.
Derivation
Heading comes from the idea of the direction the aircraft's nose, or head, is pointing. Mode comes from a word meaning a particular way of operating. Together, heading mode means the system is operating in the way that controls or guides the helicopter by selected direction.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces pilot workload by holding direction automatically in low-visibility or instrument flight conditions.
Intuition Check
Do not assume heading mode follows a route or keeps the helicopter moving over the ground in a straight line. It is mainly about the selected direction the helicopter is pointed, and wind can still push the helicopter sideways.
Example Sentence 1
After takeoff, the pilot engaged heading mode and set the bug to 270 to comply with the departure controller's vector.
Example Sentence 2
In heading mode the helicopter tracked the selected direction without further control inputs from the pilot.