Definition
The angle between an aircraft's heading and its desired course, applied to compensate for the effect of wind so that the aircraft tracks the intended path over the ground.
Plain English
The amount you turn the nose of the airplane into the wind so that the airplane actually moves across the ground in the direction you want, instead of getting blown off course.
Context Anchor
Used in navigation planning, cross-country flying, and any time wind would push the airplane sideways from the planned route.
Derivation
A plain combination of three everyday words. 'Correction' here means an adjustment to fix a problem -- in this case, the problem of wind pushing the aircraft sideways. The whole phrase describes exactly what it does: the angle you add to correct for wind.
Why Pilots Care
Without the correct wind correction angle the aircraft drifts off the planned route, increasing flight time and fuel use and risking navigation errors.
Analogy
Think of swimming across a river with a current. If you aim straight at the dock on the far side, the current carries you downstream. To land at the dock, you have to angle yourself slightly upstream. That upstream angle is the wind correction angle.
Grounding Statement
If a crosswind is pushing the airplane right, the pilot points the nose a little left so the airplane’s path over the ground stays straight.
Intuition Check
Wind Correction Angle is not the wind direction itself. It is the amount you adjust the airplane’s heading to cancel the wind’s sideways push.
Example Sentence 1
With a strong crosswind from the left, the pilot applied a 10-degree wind correction angle to the left to stay on course.
Example Sentence 2
During the cross-country leg the wind shifted, requiring a new wind correction angle to stay on the airway.