Definition
Flight toward a navigational aid by keeping the aircraft's heading pointed directly at the station, without correcting for wind drift. Because the wind continuously pushes the aircraft off the direct line, the resulting flight path becomes a curved track that eventually arrives over the station.
Plain English
Pointing the nose of the aircraft straight at a radio station and flying toward it. If there's a crosswind, the wind blows you sideways as you go, so your actual path through the air curves until you reach the station.
Context Anchor
Seen in radio navigation when a pilot is using an instrument indication to fly toward a station or fix.
Derivation
From the idea of a homing pigeon — an animal that simply heads toward home regardless of the path taken. In navigation, homing means heading toward the station the same way: just point at it and go.
Why Pilots Care
Provides a simple, reliable way to reach a station without constant wind corrections, though the curved track uses more time and fuel than a direct course.
Intuition Check
Homing does not mean flying a precise published course. It means steering toward the station; wind can still push the aircraft off a straight ground path.
Example Sentence 1
The student pilot practiced homing to the NDB by keeping the ADF needle on the nose throughout the flight.
Example Sentence 2
During the lost-communications procedure, the crew used homing to reach the airport beacon.