Runway Heading

[Eric]

QUOTE], if you have a crosswind the aircraft will naturally weathervane to a heading which is not runway centerline. This is because of the wind hitting the vertical stabilizer. [/QUOTE]

A little off the subject, but I was told in my CFI training that the plane does not weathervane into the wind after takeoff, only on the ground. If you were to keep the wings level and the ailerons neutral, wouldn't you have the same heading and begin to drift off the centerline?

As I understand it, the plane aligns itself with the relative wind, and the relative wind is opposite your direction of flight.

Anybody know?

Where's Avbug or Bobbysamd?[

 

[501261]

The actual runway alignment. Some runways have odd ball numbers to differentiate them from parallel runways. In LAX runways 24L/R & 25L/R at all on a 249, in TUS runways 11L/R are on a 123 (the nearby Air Force base uses runway 12).

So FLY runway heading means that, let the airplane drift, since the airplanes on the parallel are also drifting. If they say TRACK runway heading, correct for wind drift

 

[xjcaptain]

As per the pilot controller glossary:

RUNWAY HEADING- The magnetic direction that corresponds with the runway centerline extended, not the painted runway number. When cleared to "fly or maintain runway heading," pilots are expected to fly or maintain the heading that corresponds with the extended centerline of the departure runway. Drift correction shall not be applied; e.g., Runway 4, actual magnetic heading of the runway centerline 044, fly 044.

 

[172driver]

I agree with the previous post...you must fly the magnetic heading of the runway, as published, not painted. However, ATC doesn't always take this into account so you have to use a little common sense. If a/c are departing a parallel runway VFR, you may want to apply wind drift correction to avoid a collision hazard.