Definition
The intended horizontal direction of flight measured in degrees clockwise from magnetic north, taken from the course line drawn on the chart with no correction applied for wind.
Plain English
The direction you plan to fly, measured against magnetic north instead of true north, before you adjust for wind.
Context Anchor
Seen in navigation planning, instrument flying, and magnetic compass discussions when converting a planned route into directions a pilot can actually fly.
Derivation
Course' comes from the Latin 'cursus,' meaning a running or path. 'Magnetic' signals that the direction is measured against magnetic north (where a compass points) rather than true north (the geographic pole). Knowing this helps separate magnetic course from true course, which is measured against the geographic pole on the chart.
Why Pilots Care
Magnetic course is the reference used with the magnetic compass; pilots must convert it to true course by applying variation before flight planning.
Grounding Statement
Magnetic course describes the path you want across the ground, not necessarily the direction the nose must point to stay on that path.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “course” means the same thing as “heading.” Course is the intended ground path; heading is the direction the aircraft is pointed. Do not assume “magnetic” means the exact compass reading. Magnetic course still may need adjustment for wind and compass error before it becomes a compass heading.
Example Sentence 1
After measuring a true course of 090 degrees on the chart, the pilot applied the local variation to get a magnetic course of 083 degrees.
Example Sentence 2
After applying easterly variation, the magnetic course became 10 degrees less than the true course.