Definition
The angle, measured clockwise from the nose of the aircraft, to a navigation station or other reference point. It is expressed in degrees from 000° (directly ahead) through 360°, regardless of the aircraft's heading.
Plain English
It is the angle from straight ahead of the aircraft, measured clockwise around to whatever you are pointing at — usually a radio station. If something is straight ahead, it is at 000°. If it is off the right wing, it is at 090°. Directly behind is 180°.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument navigation when a cockpit display shows where a navigation station lies relative to the airplane.
Derivation
‘Relative’ comes from the Latin relatus, meaning ‘brought back’ or ‘referred to.’ Here it means the bearing is referred to the aircraft itself — specifically the nose — rather than to north. That is what distinguishes it from a magnetic or true bearing.
Why Pilots Care
Gives immediate turn direction to a station without first converting to a magnetic heading.
Analogy
It is like saying something is at your 3 o’clock instead of giving its street address. The direction is based on where you are facing.
Grounding Statement
If the station is 30 degrees to the right of the nose, the relative bearing is 030.
Intuition Check
Relative does not mean approximate here. It means measured from the airplane itself, using the nose as the starting point.
Example Sentence 1
With the ADF needle showing a relative bearing of 045°, the station is 45 degrees off the right side of the nose.
Example Sentence 2
With a relative bearing of 315 the pilot turned left 45 degrees to home to the beacon.