Definition
The angle, measured in degrees, between the aircraft's heading and its desired course, applied to compensate for wind drift so the aircraft tracks the intended path over the ground. The aircraft is pointed (headed) into the wind by this angle so that the resulting ground track matches the desired course.
Plain English
The amount the nose of the aircraft is turned into the wind so the aircraft actually travels along the line you want over the ground, rather than being blown off it.
Context Anchor
Used during tracking with an automatic direction finder (ADF) and in general navigation whenever wind is pushing the airplane off its intended path.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents unintended deviation from the planned route and keeps navigation accurate under crosswind conditions.
Analogy
Like aiming a rowboat slightly upstream so the current carries you to the dock straight across the river, instead of pointing directly at the dock and being swept downstream.
Intuition Check
WCA is not the wind direction. WCA is the heading offset you choose to cancel the wind’s sideways push.
Example Sentence 1
With a left crosswind, the pilot applied a 7-degree wind correction angle to the right to keep the aircraft tracking the desired course inbound to the station.
Example Sentence 2
With a stronger crosswind from the right, the required wind correction angle increased to twelve degrees left.