Definition
In ADF (Automatic Direction Finder) navigation, to fly a desired course away from a non-directional beacon (NDB), keeping the aircraft aligned along a specific magnetic bearing measured from the station.
Plain English
Flying away from a radio beacon along a chosen line, keeping the aircraft on that line as it gets farther from the station.
Context Anchor
Used when navigating with ADF, especially after passing a radio beacon and flying away from it on a published direction.
Derivation
Track' comes from Old French 'trac', meaning a path or trail left behind. 'Outbound' simply means heading outward — away from a point. Together, the phrase describes the path the aircraft leaves behind as it moves away from the station.
Why Pilots Care
Allows accurate navigation away from the beacon when no other ground references or aids are available, preventing unintended course deviation.
Intuition Check
Do not read track outbound as simply “turn away from the station.” It means keep the airplane’s actual ground path on the desired line away from the station.
Example Sentence 1
After station passage, the pilot continued to track outbound on the 270 bearing from the NDB.
Example Sentence 2
She tracked outbound from the beacon and adjusted heading slightly left to compensate for the crosswind.